Alexander Mogilny Deserves to be in the Hall of Fame

On Monday, the Hockey Hall of Fame announced the class of 2022. Out of the six new inductees, none of them are former Toronto Maple Leafs player Alexander Mogilny.

Alexander Mogilny had an incredible journey from Russia to the NHL that should be enough to get him inducted just based on how influential the move was. Combine that with his career stats and the fact that he has won a Stanley Cup; he is more deserving than some who have gone in before him.

In 1988 Mogilny helped the Soviet Union win the Gold Medal at the Winter Olympics. Later that same year, he helped the Soviets win the Silver Medal at the World Junior Championship. Mogilny also helped the Soviets in winning two Gold Medals in 1989. They won gold at the 1989 World Championship and the World Junior Championship.

Years before he joined the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mogilny got drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in 1988. He got selected in the 5th round (89th overall) at the 1988 NHL draft. He did not join the Sabres until 1989 when he became the first NHL draftee to defect from the Soviet Union to North America. Mogilny was given the jersey number 89 in honor of the year he defected and for being picked 89th overall in his draft year.

Mogilny played his first NHL game on October 5th, 1989, and scored his first NHL goal on his very first shift. Mogilny spent six years playing for the Sabres, playing 381 games and recording 211 goals and 233 assists for 444 points.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Alexander Mogilny’s Journey From Buffalo to the Toronto Maple Leafs

On July 8th, 1995, Mogilny and a 5th-round pick (Todd Norman) were traded to the Vancouver Canucks. Mogilny made a great first impression with his new team. He scored 55 goals and 52 assists for 107 points in 79 games that first season in Vancouver. In five seasons with Vancouver, Mogilny recorded 139 goals and 169 assists for 308 points in 312 games.

Vancouver traded Mogilny to the New Jersey Devils at the 2000 trade deadline. Mogilny scored six points in 12 games with the devils to end that 2000 season. He would then help the Devils defeat the Dallas Stars in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. His second season with the Devils was much more productive.

He scored 43 goals and 40 assists for 83 points in 75 games. Mogilny and the Devils would return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row. They would end up losing to the Colorado Avalanche in seven games.

On July 3rd, 2001, Mogilny signed a four-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He got off to a great start by scoring two goals in his Maple Leafs debut. Although he had to battle some injuries in his first year as a Maple Leaf, he still recorded 24 goals and 33 assists for 57 points in 66 games.

During his second season with Toronto, Mogilny played with team captain Mats Sundin. The two combined for 151 points that year. Mogilny finished with 33 goals and 46 assists for 79 points in 73 games. The following season was not so kind to Mogilny, as he spent most of it injured and had to undergo hip surgery.

He somehow managed to return late in the season and record his 1,000th NHL point. The milestone came against the team who drafted him, the Buffalo Sabres. His fourth season with Toronto did not happen due to the 2004-05 NHL lockout.

Mogilny Ends His Career in New Jersey

On August 16th, 2005, Mogilny signed a two-year deal with the Devils. He would only play 34 games as his injuries became too much to overcome. He spent the entire 2006-07 season on Long Term Injury Reserve (LTIR) and retired at the end of the season.

Alexander Mogilny played in 990 games over 16 seasons with four teams. He finished his career with 473 goals and 559 assists for 1032 points. The Russian Rocket also had 66 game-winning goals.. He is also a Stanley Cup Champion, yet he is still not in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Another year, another snub from the hockey hall of fame towards former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Alexander Mogilny. He deserves to be inducted, and I hope the day will come for him soon.