Eric Lindross, Pat Quinn lead 2016 Hockey Hall of Fame inductees

The Hockey Hall of Fame class for 2016 will feature Eric Lindros, Pat Quinn, Rogie Vachon, and Sergei Makarov. 

For many years, hockey fans have been campaigning for former Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers forward Eric Lindros to be put into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. After a longer than necessary wait, Lindros has finally been named to the Hockey Hall of Fame. Sergei Makarov and Rogie Vachon were also named to the Hall of Fame as players while legendary head coach and later general manager Pat Quinn has been named as a builder.

It’s a darn shame that Quinn didn’t make it into the Hall of Fame while he was still alive. His recognition has been long overdue, even more so than Lindros. He played a significant role in the development of the Philadelphia Flyers and Vancouver Canucks, among other teams.

Lindros had a very successful NHL career that unfortunately was cut short due to repeated injuries. However, when he was healthy, he was one of the NHL’s greatest players. His induction has been a long time coming. Makarov had 384 points in 424 NHL games with the Calgary Flames and San Jose Sharks, but he is much more well known for his time in Russia, starring for CSKA Moscow in the 1980’s.

Vachon was one of the NHL’s best goaltenders during his career, finishing his career with a respectable 2.99 GAA despite playing in an era that was defined by high-octane offenses. He won two Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens before spending seven seasons with the Los Angeles Kings. His adjusted goals against average of 2.74 is 34th all-time.

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