Mike Richter deserves the Hall of Fame

Mike Richter is one of the best goalies in New York Rangers and hockey history.

The New York Rangers know it — his No. 35 hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden. The United States Hockey Hall of Fame knows it — his induction was in 2008. The NCAA knows it — his name is on the trophy awarded annually to the top collegiate goalie. The 1994 Vancouver Canucks know it — his heroics robbed Canada’s west coast franchise and its fans of a Stanley Cup championship.

So why don’t voters for the Hockey Hall of Fame seem to know it?

For whatever reason, Richter’s career has been brushed off by the Hockey Hall of Fame (HHOF) Selection Committee members (comprised of former players, coaches, officials, team executives, and media). Even some Rangers fans insist Richter had “one great season” and “got his due when the team retired his number.”  It’s as if Richter did nothing else for the Blueshirts beyond helping carry them to a Stanley Cup championship in 1994, the fourth in the team’s history and first since 1940.

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Some argue that Richter’s stats aren’t Hall of Fame-worthy. That’s not only subjective but irrelevant according to the criteria established by the HHOF itself.

The “Basis of Selection of Candidates” section on the HHOF website reads: “The following attributes provide the basis on which the election of nominees to Honoured Membership are to be considered: Playing ability, sportsmanship, character, and contributions to his or her team or teams, and to the game of hockey in general.”

Nothing in there about stats. Obviously, stats reflect one’s “playing ability.” But stats alone don’t always do a player justice in terms of showing value to his team. If being the goalie who helped end more than five decades of heartbreak (and those monotonous chants of “Nineteen-Forty”) on hockey’s biggest stage and for a team that was expected to win doesn’t meet those standards, then what pray tell does?

This isn’t a debate about which goalies are already in the HHOF.  Nobody in their right mind would dispute the inclusion of Ken Dryden, Johnny Bower, Grant Fuhr, Tony Esposito, Terry Sawchuk, Frank Brimsek, Rogie Vachon, or Patrick Roy, among others. All helped their teams either win the Stanley Cup or remain competitive regardless of the talent in front of them.

This is about how Richter compares favorably to several HHOF members. Let’s take a look at who and how. We’ll start with Ranger goalies in the hallowed hall.

Richter compared to Rangers’ Hall of Fame goalies

Eight goalies wore a Rangers uniform and were later inducted into the HHOF. But looks can be deceiving.

Johnny Bower, Terry Sawchuk, Harry Lumley, and Jacques Plante are listed on the Rangers’ Hall of Fame list on NHL.com. However, they weren’t Blueshirts for long and earned their HHOF credentials outside of New York.

Bower played 77 games for the Rangers before spending the next 12 seasons and 475 matches with Toronto, where he won four Stanley Cups and two Vezina trophies for the Maple Leafs.

Sawchuk spent 14 years and 734 games with Detroit, where he won three Stanley Cups. His Rangers “career” saw him play eight games in 1969-70, his last in the NHL.

Lumley played one contest for the Rangers and was in net for Detroit in 1950 when the Red Wings beat New York in seven games in the Stanley Cup Finals. Meanwhile, Plante played 98 uneventful matches for the Blueshirts, posting a 3.38 goals-against average and .908 save percentage.

Lester Patrick was inducted as a player. As most diehard Rangers fans know, Lester was 44 when he donned the pads to replace the injured Lorne Chabot in Game Two of the 1928 Stanley Cup Finals against the Montreal Maroons.

Patrick, the oldest man to ever play in the Stanley Cup playoffs,  allowed one goal, and Frank Boucher scored in overtime to even the series that New York would win in five for their first championship. In addition to that game, Patrick played in just one other match for the Rangers (1926-27).

Better comparisons are Eddie Giacomin, Chuck Rayner, and Gump Worsley considering their longevity as Rangers.  All numbers and accolades represent the production by the player as a Blueshirt.

Contributions to the Rangers

Richter: His effort in 1994 in Game Six of the Conference Finals against the New Jersey Devils and Game Four of the Finals versus Vancouver is legendary.

Richter held off a furious Devils’ attack with the Rangers trailing 2-0 in the middle period and facing elimination. Captain Mark Messier took things from there and fulfilled “The Guarantee.”  At a raucous Pacific Coliseum, Richter stoned the NHL’s leading goalscorer, Pavel Bure, on a penalty shot at 6:31 of the second period and the Canucks ahead, 2-1. Uplifted by “The Save,” New York went on to score three times for a 4-2 win and 3-1 series lead.

By the end of the 1994 campaign, Richter had led the NHL with 42 regular-season wins, 16 playoff victories, and four postseason shutouts — all franchise records. He also had a tidy 2.07 goals-against average (GAA) in 23 playoff games.

Injuries, including a skull fracture and several concussions, forced Richter to retire after the 2002-03 season. By then, he led the franchise in career wins, total victories in a season, saves in one game, and appearances. He also beat Martin Brodeur in two playoff series, helping the Rangers to the Conference title in 1997.

Richter’s number 35 became the third number to be retired by the Rangers, following Rod Gilbert’s number seven and Giacomin’s number one. He was voted Rangers’ MVP twice and was a two-time recipient of the Players’ Player Award. Also, he won the team’s Frank Boucher Trophy as the Most Popular Rangers player four times, as well as the club’s “Crumb Bum” Award for community service and the Rangers’ Good Guy Award.

As for international play, Richter backstopped Team USA to a silver medal in the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, posting a 2-1-1 record and .932 save percentage. In 1996, he was named World Cup MVP after leading the United States to their only gold medal with a 2.43 GAA and .923 save percentage.

Giacomin: After getting off to a slow start as a Ranger, Giacomin shrugged off the boos from fans and developed into one of the NHL’s best and most-reliable goalies, as well as a fan favorite.

He led the NHL in games from 1965-66 through 1969-70, and in 1970-71 shared the Vezina Trophy with Gilles Villemure. Giacomin and Villemure combined for another great season in 1971-72, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals before losing to Bobby Orr’s Boston Bruins.

However, on October 25, 1975, Giacomin was placed on waivers and claimed by Detroit.

The Red Wings’ first game after claiming him was on November 2 at Madison Square Garden. Giacomin started the match and was given a standing ovation by the Garden faithful, whose chants of “Eddie! Eddie! Eddie!” brought the netminder to tears. The crowd cheered every save he made throughout the game, won by Detroit, 6-4.

Over his 13 seasons in the NHL, Giacomin led the league in games and minutes four times, wins and shutouts three times, and saves twice. His 49 career shutouts for the Rangers ranks second to Henrik Lundqvist. He won the team’s MVP award three times and the Boucher Trophy awarded by the Rangers Fan Club, once.

Worsley: He made his NHL and Rangers debut in 1952-53, in which the Blueshirts won just 17 of 54 matches. Worsley won 13 of them, as well as the Calder Trophy.

Over ten seasons on Broadway, Worsley was one of the few bright spots. During that span, the Rangers had just two winning seasons, four playoff appearances, and finished in fifth place four times and in sixth (dead last) twice.

Remarkably, he played every minute of every game in 1955-56 and remains the last Rangers goalie to do so. He led the NHL in shots faced and saves four times, and in games twice. His 14,709 saves rank third among franchise goalies behind leader Henrik Lundqvist and Richter.

Worsley led the league in losses three times yet was a two-time all-star with New York, a testament to how highly he was thought of around the league. His teammates loved him, too. He was named team MVP twice and was a two-time recipient of the Boucher Trophy.

Worsley was popular with the press, as well.

Following a tough loss between the pipes for the Blueshirts, reporters asked Worsley which team gives him the most trouble. Without hesitation, Worsley matter-of-factly replied, “The Rangers.”

George Grimm’s fabulous book Guardians of the Goal tells of the goalie’s battles with coach Phil Watson. One time Watson told the press Worsley had a “beer belly,” clearly attempting to embarrass his goalie.  When informed of Watson’s comment, Worsley is said to have calmly replied, “Beer is the poor man’s champagne. I’m strictly a VO (rye) man.”

One could argue Worsley earned his HHOF credentials in Montreal, having helped the Canadiens win four Stanley Cups. But given the poor teams he played behind in New York, the fact he was a two-time all-star and managed to set a single-season team record for wins (32) before Giacomin came along (36) is amazing.

Rayner: Much like Worsley, Rayner played behind some awful Rangers teams. The Blueshirts had a losing record in each of his eight seasons and made the playoffs twice.

However, one of those times saw Rayner almost steal a Stanley Cup championship for New York,. In 1950, he took the Rangers to double-overtime of Game Seven against the Red Wings, the league’s most potent team, before losing. That was a series where the Blueshirts played all seven games on the road, kicked out of the Garden by the circus.

And that was after a playoff upset of the Canadiens. In all, he had seven wins and a 2.25 GAA that postseason. He was rewarded with the Hart Trophy that season despite winning only 28 of 69 games.

Comparing Statistics

Games: Richter 666, Giacomin 610, Worsley 581, Rayner 425

Wins: Richter 301, Giacomin 267, Worsley 204, Rayner 123

Goals-against average: Giacomin 2.82, Richter 2.89, Rayner 3.03, Worsley 3.04

Save percentage: Worsley .913, Richter .904, Giacomin .902, Rayner (stat not kept)

Shutouts: Giacomin 49, Richter, Rayner, Worsley 24 each

Saves: Richter 17,379, Worsley 14,709, Giacomin 13,692, Rayner (stat not kept)

Bottom Line

Richter doesn’t have a Vezina and never led the league in GAA, save percentage or shutouts. But he does have a well-earned Stanley Cup ring. His stats are close to (or better than) those of other Rangers goalies in the HHOF. More importantly, Richter exemplified ability, class, sportsmanship, and contributions to his team.

Next: A look at how Richter compares to non-Ranger goalies in the HHOF.