Ask The Maven: Fischler Shares Greatest Game He's Ever Seen Live Far be it for me to quarrel with the latest Hall of Fame selections. They have been made and I'm happy that the ex-Islander Pierre Turgeon made the grade. Following Hall of Famer -- and immensely popular -- Pat LaFontaine as an Islander was one of the toughest acts to follow in franchise history, yet Turgeon did it nobly and very well indeed. I'm good with that but absolutely not good with the fact that three Islanders of yesteryear are not in hockey's Pantheon and should be there. The first, Butch Goring, is so obvious that it pains me to repeat: Without Butch, there's no dynasty. He was the missing piece. Period! The second is Ed Westfall and the third, John Tonelli. . Both belong for assorted good reasons. Try Westfall -- alias Mister 18 -- on for size. 1. He was the NHL's best defensive forward as a longtime Boston Bruin. 2. He played for two Stanley Cup-winning teams in Beantown. 3. As the first Isles captain, he molded a decrepit expansion outfit into an elite Cup threat. 4. If a Montreal Canadiens' Bob Gainey is in the Hall of Fame as the role model of a defensive forward, then Westfall belongs because he was just as good as Gainey. I was there from the beginning to the end of both careers and will not accept "No" for an answer. Now, for Tonelli; and full disclosure. On July 16 -- in Troy, New York, Gainey and I will be among others who'll be inducted into the New York State Hockey Hall of Fame. That fact, has nothing to do with Tonelli's abundant credentials. [gallery ids="5440,5441,5442"] What matters is that Johnny Clutch belongs in the Toronto HOF because of obvious reasons: 1. He was the best fearless, gritty and most productive 200-foot cornerman of his time. 2. Among many grand feats, John T delivered the perfect pass to Bob Nystrom for the 1980 classic Cup-winning goal. 3. His versatility enabled coach Al Arbour to place him on any line, especially alongside Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy. Everywhere, every time, he starred. 4. His clutch-ability ranks with the NHL's best. I rest my case. But I won't rest from lobbying for this deserving Islanders trio.
