The Hall of Fame selection committee will decide if the NHL’s all-time games-played leader should get the red-carpet treatment based on career achievement.
By features writer Brian Costello.
Whither Patrick Marleau. That will again be a topic of discussion when the Hockey Hall of Fame’s selection committee gets together next June to discuss, debate and decide the Class of 2026.
Marleau has been up for consideration before. The NHL’s all-time games-played leader retired following 2020-21 and became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2024 after the required three-year wait period. Even though there was room for him alongside approved candidates Shea Weber, Jeremy Roenick and Pavel Datsyuk (a maximum of four retired NHL players get in) in 2024, the selection committee didn’t vote in favor of Marleau.
And the 2025 class maxed out with Zdeno Chara, Duncan Keith, Joe Thornton and Alexander Mogilny getting the minimum 14 votes among the 18 committee members.
So here we are again.
Seeing his name up for consideration is akin to asking if a retired NHL star should get value for career achievements. That’s what the Hall’s selection committee will decide. However, we’ll never know the reasons behind the decision, because the Hall has a bylaw that restricts committee members from publicly discussing their opinions – or even seeing the results of their votes each year.
Outside observers can only chime in with their own thoughts. The hockey purists out there say no way to Marleau getting in – the Hall is meant for only the game’s luminaries, the greats, the difference-makers, the game-changers.
Marleau never really had any of those adjectives associated with his name. In his 23rd season, he surpassed Gordie Howe to become the NHL’s all-time games leader with 1,779.
But he never won an individual award or a Stanley Cup. He didn’t have any 50-goal or 100-point seasons. And only three times did he average more than a point per game. He once finished ninth in Hart Trophy voting (when he scored 83 points and a career-high 44 goals). And he was twice a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy.
Marleau was a very good player for a long, long period of time, but he was never great. Should that games-played tally and career achievement factor into the decision?
Advocates of Marleau point to the fact that other Hall of Fame inductees got approval for career achievement rather than outright greatness. Some of them include:
THE HOCKEY PURISTS OUT THERE SAY NO WAY TO MARLEAU GETTING IN– THE HALL IS MEANT FOR ONLY THE GAME’S LUMINARIES, THE GREATS-
- Dave Andreychuk was once the career leader in power-play goals (he’s now second to Alex Ovechkin). He won a Stanley Cup with Tampa Bay, but he was never once even an award finalist during his 23 seasons.
- Mike Gartner was a high producer during the live-puck era, and his 708 goals in 19 seasons are eighth all-time. But no Cups or award nominations.
- Pierre Turgeon was an offensive dynamo who once had a 132-point season and stands 36th all-time in career points. His best major award finish was fifth in Hart voting during that 132-point campaign.
- Dick Duff was a durable winger for 18 NHL seasons and a key member of six Stanley Cup winners. But only once did he top 50 points, and he rarely played on his team’s top line.
- Bernie Federko was the best player and top producer for the St. Louis Blues for most of his 14 NHL seasons. In one of his four 100-point campaigns, he finished 10th in Hart voting.
There’s also a long list of players who had long, accomplished careers but haven’t made the Hall because, even at their peak, they lacked the quality of true greatness. They include:
- Curtis Joseph is seventh in all-time goalie wins and games. But no Cups or Vezinas.
- Chris Osgood won three Cups and two Jennings, was a runner-up for the Vezina and sits 15th in all-time wins, but he was never considered among the best at his position for extended peak seasons.
- Bernie Nicholls is the top-scoring (eligible) NHLer not in the Hall. His 1,209 points rank 50th all-time, but he has no individual awards or Cups.
- Vincent Damphousse is 42nd all-time in assists, with 773, and 51st in points.
For what it’s worth, Marleau is the top goal-scorer not in the Hall of Fame. His 566 goals stand 25th. Next is Keith Tkachuk in 35th with 538 goals. So Marleau did more than just stay healthy and play a lot of games.
Marleau’s 1,197 points rank 53rd all-time. That’s third behind Nicholls and Damphousse among NHLers not in the Hall.
It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Marleau. Is he a Hall of Famer based on career achievement? Or the new poster boy at the head of the class in the Hall of Very Good?
First-Year Eligible:
Patrice Bergeron: An automatic with six Selke wins, Cup, Clancy and Messier Awards.
Phil Kessel: Retired with his NHL-record ironman streak intact. Won three Cups.
Eric Staal: Cup winner ranks in top 100 all-time in games, goals and points.
Passed-Over Candidates:
Carey Price: Recognized as the No. 27 goalie of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2025.
Keith Tkachuk: Ranks 35th in goals (538). Eligible since 2013.
Patrick Marleau: NHL’s all-time games-played leader and top goal-scorer (566) not in Hall. Eligible since 2024.
Tuuka Rask: Recognized as the No. 52 goalie of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2025.
Ryan Getzlaf: Cup winner topped 1,000 points and had success on international stage. Eligible since 2025.
P.K. Subban: Recognized as the No. 68 defenseman of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2025.
Dustin Brown: Two-time Cup champion was a born leader for 18 years. Eligible since 2025.
Theoren Fleury: Ranks 71st in all-time points (1,088). Eligible since 2009.
Dale Hunter: Hardnosed power forward topped 1,000 points. Eligible since 2002.
Mike Ritcher: Cup champion topped 300 wins. Eligible since 2006.
John Vanbiesbrouck: Won one Vezina and ranks 19th in all-time wins (374). Eligible since 2005.
Curtis Josephh: Seventh in all-time wins (454). Eligible since 2012.
Rod Brind'Amour: Won two Selkes, one Cup and topped 1,100 points. Eligible since 2013.
John LeClair: Cup winner was a five-time all-star. His 0.42 goals per game ranks in top 100. Eligible since 2010.
Peter Bondra: Led league in goals twice and finished with 503. Eligible since 2010.
Claude Lemieux: Four-time Cup winner also won Smythe. Superpest. Eligible since 2012.
Miikka Kiprusoff: Won one Vezina and 33rd in all-time wins (319). Eligible since 2016.
Pekka Rinne: Recognized as the No. 48 goalie of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2024.
Chris Osgood: Recognized as the No. 51 goalie of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2014.
Ryan Miller: Recognized as the No. 53 goalie of all-time by THN. Eligible since 2024.
Sergei Gonchar: Top five in Norris voting four times. Ranks 18th in defensemen points (811). Eligible since 2018.
Patrik Elias: Won two Cups and made one all-star team. Ranks 104th in goals (408) and top 100 in points (1,025). Eligible since 2019.
Brad Richards: Won two Cups, one Conn Smythe and ranks 87th in assists (634). Eligible since 2019.
Henrik Zetterberg: Won one Cup, one Conn Smythe and made one all-star team. Eligible since 2021.
This is an excerpt of a feature that appeared in The Hockey News' World Junior Championship issue. We provide scouting reports of the teams and players who will compete in the tournament, and a touch of holiday-themed content.
Elsewhere in the issue, we take a look at 2026 UFAs, and features on the PWHL, AHL, ECHL, NCAA and more.
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