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The Top 3 Toronto Maple Leafs Not in the Hall of Fame

By Kyle Cushman

KANATA, CANADA - APRIL 14: Alexander Mogilny #89 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates after the play against the Ottawa Senators during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Corel Centre on April 13, 2004 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. The Senators defeated the Maple Leafs 4-1 to tie the series 2-2. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images)
KANATA, CANADA - APRIL 14: Alexander Mogilny #89 of the Toronto Maple Leafs skates after the play against the Ottawa Senators during game four of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2004 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Corel Centre on April 13, 2004 in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. The Senators defeated the Maple Leafs 4-1 to tie the series 2-2. (Photo By Dave Sandford/Getty Images) /
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Toronto Maple Leafs
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 22: Curtis Joseph #31 of the Toronto Maple Leafs . (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images). /

Curtis Joseph

Leafs Stats: 270 GP, 138 W, .910 SV%

Career Stats: 943 GP, 454 W, .906 SV%

Goaltenders are far underrepresented in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The bar for goaltenders in the Hall is astronomical in comparison to the bar set for forwards and even defencemen. While skaters that were excellent, but not necessarily ever the best of the best regularly get into the Hall of Fame, the same cannot be said for netminders.

For a goaltender to make it into the Hall, they almost exclusively have had to perform as the best goaltender in the league throughout their entire career, with a few exceptions (looking at you Grant Fuhr and Gerry Cheevers).

Goaltenders deserve much more representation in the Hall of Fame and the high-end second tier of netminders should be getting more time in the discussions for Hall of Fame status.

That brings us to Curtis Joseph, one of the most notable Toronto Maple Leafs goaltenders in recent history.

As a Leaf, Cujo was consistently in the Vezina conversation as one of the top goaltenders at the time. His stats back that up as well, with a save percentage greater than league average in his first three years as a Leaf. In 1999-00 and 2000-01, his goals saved above average ranked in the top five and top ten respectively.

His Maple Leafs totals are brought down by his abysmal return in 2008-09 as a 41-year-old, in which he posted an abysmal .869 SV% and a whopping -14.95 GSAA in just 21 games.

Looking at his Hall of Fame candidacy and his entire career, however, there is a strong case to be made.

For starters, he has the most games played and wins among goaltenders not in the Hall of Fame (excluding Henrik Lundqvist and Marc-Andre Fleury, who are both active of course). Longevity has historically played a significant role in Hall of Fame status and is the primary knock against star players that had their careers shortened due to injury.

In fact, his statistical profile is fairly comparable to Ed Belfour, who is already in the Hall of Fame.

Belfour edges Joseph by 20 games and 21 wins, but even their more advanced stats are surprisingly similar. In terms of goals saved above average over their entire careers, Joseph trails Belfour by just five goals. When rated over the course of a single season, the difference is less than 0.1 goals per season.

Joseph may not have the awards to back up a Hall of Fame nod, but given his surprisingly excellent statistics and the bar for goaltenders that needs to be dropped slightly, it’s not out of the question that Curtis Joseph could become the next Toronto Maple Leafs alumnus in the Hall of Fame in due time.

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