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1963 Hockey Inductees

With 23 players and 3 builders, the 1963 Hockey Hall of Fame Class was the largest ever. Many of the inductees were from the pre-NHL era likely in anticipation that the league would be expanding soon. This actually has drawn some criticism as the Hockey Hall has been accused of having too many “old time” players; many of which would come from this class. This is also where the standards of the Hall of Fame inductees began to come in question.
One of the top netminders in the first decade of the 1900’s, Riley Hern posted a sick winning percentage everywhere he went. Hern’s best days were with the Montreal Wanderers where he won four Stanley Cups there. In all likelihood, he might have been able to have won more, but he retired at the age of 30 when his clothing business took off. In his era,…
Thought to be one of the fastest skaters in his day, Samuel “Rusty” Crawford was a very good goal scorer who had his best run in a five year stint with the Quebec Bulldogs in the old National Hockey Association. Crawford out in over sixty goals in that period and won a Cup. Later, he finally joined the NHL and won the Stanley Cup with the Toronto…
Wilfred “Shorty” Green actually wasn’t that short (he was 5 ft 10) but his slender frame made him appear so. Green was an amateur star and joined the pro ranks relatively late, but he was an instant leader on his team and a fan favorite for his hard hitting style despite his small frame. Green’s offensive production though is not one that resembles a Hall of Fame…
A somewhat puzzling induction, Tom Hooper’s induction is largely based on his performance in the Kenora Thistles Stanley Cup win in 1907 where he scored three goals in the second game. Hooper would win another Cup, but was largely ineffective in that win for his Montreal Wanderers. Hooper had a good career, but his is one of the pre-NHL inductions that we will openly question.
Tommy Gorman’s family purchased the Ottawa Senators, and gradually Tommy worked his way up the ranks to the point where he ran the franchise. Gorman was part of the group that formed the National Hockey League in 1917 and he would become the manager and part owner of the Senators that won three Stanley Cups. After selling his interest in Ottawa, he would become the…