Marian Hossa Receives Call to Hall, Daniel Alfredsson’s Wait Continues
The Sens’s first superstar is in, Alfie remains on the outside.
The 2020 Hockey Fall of Fame Induction Class has been announced, and among the entrants is former Ottawa Senator, Marian Hossa.
.@HockeyHallFame Class of 2020: Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa, Kevin Lowe, Doug Wilson, Kim St. Pierre and Ken Holland (builder).
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) June 24, 2020
Drafted 12th overall by the Senators in 1997, Hossa was the team’s first true superstar. In 467 regular season games with the team, he tallied 390 points, as well as another 34 playoff points. Hossa was also a member of the 2003 squad that secured the Senators’ first Eastern Conference Final berth, before falling to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.
After seven seasons with the team, Hossa was traded along with defenceman Greg de Vries to the Atlanta Thrashers, in exchange for disgruntled goalscorer, Dany Heatley. He would go on to play two and a half years for the Thrashers, before moving on to the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2008, and the Detroit Red Wings for the 2008-2009 season, respectively. Hossa would make the Stanley Cup Final in both campaigns, ultimately falling twice.
The Slovakian superstar played the final eight seasons of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks, winning the Stanley Cup in 2010, 2013, and 2015. In May of 2018, it was announced that Hossa was suffering from a progressive skin disorder, that rendered him unable to play professional hockey any longer. His contract with the Blackhawks expires next summer, at which time he is expected to formally announce his retirement.
With 1134 points in 1309 regular season games alone, Marian Hossa is surefire Hall of Famer, and it’s great to see him honoured as such.
Left out of the Hockey Hall of Fame for the fourth straight year, however, was the Ottawa Senators’ all-time greatest player, Daniel Alfredsson.
Alfie’s resumé speaks for itself, and it’s honestly becoming difficult to understand why he’s still waiting for his turn to be recognized. Ottawa’s all-time leader in nearly every meaningful statistic, Sens fans are long past frustrated of waiting for the captain to get his due.
— Brown Girl Says Alfie Belongs in the HHOF 🙅🏾♀️ (@Fffeisty) June 24, 2020
How in the world does Daniel Alfredsson not get inducted? What a joke. https://t.co/K7jgofLxtk
— Joe Blomeley (@JoeBlomeley) June 24, 2020
If you need another reminder of how awful 2020 has been, Kevin Lowe and Guy Carbonneau are in the @HockeyHallFame, Daniel Alfredsson is not. #HHOF #joke
— Harman (@HarmanD99) June 24, 2020
It seems all but assured that Alfredsson will get his call one day, but the longer that takes, the harder it is to justify his absence.
Also left out was former Sens’ GM and head coach, the late, great, Bryan Murray. Ken Holland, current GM of the Edmonton Oilers, was the only builder inducted this year.