I keep going around and around on the idea of NHL players in my Strat-O-Matic Hall of Fame League. On the one hand, my purpose for the league is to have fun learning about the multitude of hockey stars who played before the advent of the world's premiere modern league. Bringing in bona fide historical NHLers like Georges Vezina and Joe Malone only muddies the waters and takes the emphasis away from dudes like Cyclone Taylor and Alf Smith. On the other hand, the early days of pro hockey involved numerous leagues, some of which existed concurrently with the fledgling NHL. It was not uncommon for players to switch from a rival pro league to the NHL, or vice versa. Players like Lester Patrick (one NHL game), Barney Stanley (one), and Art Ross (three) achieved Hall-of-Fame status on the basis of their careers in these other organizations -- just like Cyclone Taylor and his ilk. It feels wrong to exclude these guys.
As such, starting with the third season of my Strat league, I'm going to stop excluding players who appeared in the NHL. Over the course of a couple of seasons, we'll see the aforementioned Patrick, Stanley, and Ross, along with fellow skating players Jack Laviolette, Harry Hyland, and Tommy Smith, Joe Hall, Rusty Crawford, goaltender Hugh Lehman, and perhaps others down the line.
As such, starting with the third season of my Strat league, I'm going to stop excluding players who appeared in the NHL. Over the course of a couple of seasons, we'll see the aforementioned Patrick, Stanley, and Ross, along with fellow skating players Jack Laviolette, Harry Hyland, and Tommy Smith, Joe Hall, Rusty Crawford, goaltender Hugh Lehman, and perhaps others down the line.
Once a few more of those gentlemen are in the fold, I'll have enough players for an expansion team! Our little four-team league will add a fifth franchise, most likely for Season 4. In keeping with how I've handled it so far, I'll use the name of a real-life pre-NHL team for this new outfit. To the Victorias, Bulldogs, Comets, and Thistles, we will add...the Millionaires! (Yes, those old team names were pretty lame.) It will be super fun to put together an expansion draft and watch this new team take shape.
But first, I still need to play Season 3; and before that, I need to run a draft and start working some of these guys with a modicum of NHL experience into the league. I'll take the four Hall of Famers with the fewest NHL games and use them as the draft class for the upcoming season.
But first, I still need to play Season 3; and before that, I need to run a draft and start working some of these guys with a modicum of NHL experience into the league. I'll take the four Hall of Famers with the fewest NHL games and use them as the draft class for the upcoming season.
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