The Hockey Hall of Fame has just inducted 8 new members this week. Half of those come from the men's game, while two each represent the women's game, and the builders portion of the Hall. With no direct connection to 2025's selections, you might think a Colorado Avalanche focused outlet could let the moment pass. That doesn't mean we can't talk about who should be in the Hall.
The Colorado Avalanche have a duo on their roster right now that will almost certainly be immortalized in the Hall of Fame one day. Nathan MacKinnon has already hoisted a Hart trophy and surpassed the 1,000 point mark. Cale Makar added hardware to an already crowded display case this month, when he ran away with his second Norris win.
I could easily write an article about either player and say they will eventually be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. That wouldn't make me Nostradamus, and it might get some clicks. Still, I strive to write about the team with more nuance than the fan's equivalent of predictive text.
After all, the staff here at MHS are hockey people 365 days a year. Naturally, when Hall of Fame discussions come up, we have strong opinions. In the team Slack, the question was posed about overlooked Avalanche alums who could potentially be Hall of Famers.
I had my answer ready. Alex Tanguay, of course. Tangs. Tanger. Tangoal. Forgive the slight indulgence, but these are just some of the nicknames I had for one of my all-time favorites growing up. Getting to write about the Avalanche years later, I didn't know if I'd ever have the occasion to use them in an article.
Underdog odds for Alex Tanguay
The case for Alex Tanguay is one that understands it may be a longshot. Chances are slim that a forward who was so frequently overlooked in his playing career will suddenly be appreciated for what I would call a subtle greatness. Tanguay was only once recognized as an All Star, in 2004, when he was 9th overall in points.
Tanguay as a Hall of Famer perhaps suffers from the more notable company he kept. Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, and Milan Hejduk, to name just three. All three of those teammates are rightfully enshrined in the Hall. Sakic and Forsberg are like MacKinnon and Makar in that they were no-doubters of their time. They were stars so bright that they had to have their induction speeches in the works the moment they hung up their skates.
Hejduk, a masterful goal-scorer that he was, is where the case for Tanguay gets truly compelling. I stress again that I don't have a problem with my Czech Hedge Duck getting love from voters. Quite the opposite in fact, as it not only lets me as a fan acknowledge a Colorado Avalanche pillar of the past, it also strengthens my larger argument.
Did you know that Tanguay has more career points than Hejduk? Avs' fans might be the only fanbase in the NHL who would remember a detail like that. Even then, some Colorado fans might be surprised by the raw numbers.
Over 1,020 games, Hejduk had 375 goals and 430 assists, for a total of 805 points. Conversely, Tanguay appeared in 1,088 games, and tallied 283 goals and 580 assists, for a total of 863 points. 58 points is not an insignificant gap.
Now to address the perceived weight of goals vs assists is an argument and an article all its own, perhaps for another day. But to simplify my thinking on the debate, I will remind skeptics that goal or assist, the aim is the same. You get the puck in the back of the opposing net and you get credit for a job well done.
Tanguay was an elite helper. When the club lifted the Stanley Cup in 2001, the Avalanche effectively had two top lines. That is the benefit of having a pair of generational centers in Sakic and Forsberg. The team, and the fans by extension, did not need to quibble with who was 1A or 1B. Individual success leads to collective success. So, when Super Joe or Hejduk scored thanks to a juicy apple from Tangs, nobody complains.
If the argument against Tanguay's inclusion into the hallowed Hall of hockey greatness when compared to his teammate Milan Hejduk boils down to goals are better, I call foul. If it's about individual accolades, I concede one point. Hejduk does have a Maurice Richard trophy with his name on it. The award is given to the NHL's top goal-scorer, which Hejduk won in 2003, when he scored 50 goals.
Still, looking at the list of those particular honorees over the years, I am also reminded in real raw stats how scoring has exploded in recent years. Voters do have to consider the era in which an eligible player was active.
In that regard, much of Tanguay's prime years were in what was still considered the Dead Puck Era: When overall scoring was lower due to rule changes and evolving defensive play, and some really big goalie pads. The exact range of the era differs depending on who you ask, but it‘s generally agreed to at least include the mid 90's to the mid 2000's.
In any case, I think it makes Tanguay's numbers more impressive. Tanguay was not as aggressive with his shot as some of his teammates. But he was deadly accurate in a way proven in deeper stats. Tangauy is 23rd all time in career shooting percentage, at 18.6%. This is a stat that jumped out at me when I learned it sometime last season.
In combined Nordiques and Avalanche history, only the great Hall of Famer Peter Stasny ranks higher on that list than Tanguay. Shooting percentage might be an overlooked statistical measure, just as Tanguay is an overlooked player. But it speaks to a player's ability to make the most of the shots they do take. Tangs twice led the league in this stat about both production and efficiency.
Unselfish to a fault?
Perhaps if Alex Tanguay had taken more shots, he would have cracked that 300 goal mark. Even that might not have been enough for some to acknowledge his standout play. It might not have stolen the headlines, but his consistency was remarkable in any era of hockey.
It could also be that his sojourns away from Colorado dented his case for that particular brand of immortality. After all, every single one of Milan Hejduk's points scored was with one franchise, which I do think the Hall of Fame loves. Although you might like to know that Tanguay's highest individual point total came in 2007 as a member of the Calgary Flames, when he tallied 81 points. This could show he was not just a product of Colorado's success.
As of today, Tanguay still sits 10th all time in points for an Avalanche or Nordiques player. Tanguay tallied 488 points over his two stints in Colorado, so you know he would potentially go into the Hall of Fame in burgundy and blue.
Also, it is worth noting that three of those names ahead of Tanguay are Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. I've already said Nate is a veritable lock. I feel the same way about the recently departed Rantanen, even if it burns my biscuits knowing he'll be doing it in service of the Stars. Landy's fate with voters probably rests on his ability to hoist one more Cup.
Taking that current trio of players out of the equation, you have five players already inducted Hall of Fame in Peter Stasny, Sakic, Forsberg, Hejduk and Quebec great Michel Goulet. The odd man out is actually Peter Stasny's brother Anton Stasny, who likely only lacks the resume because he played under 700 games. Then of course, is number 10 on the list, Alex Tanguay.
Among Avalanche fans, Tanguay will always be remembered as a crucial contributor to a Stanley Cup Championship. I would argue that his career as a whole is worthy of wider acclaim and recognition. Sadly, I doubt the voters will ever see it my way.
At the very least, I felt it was my duty as diehard to remind folks that the Halifax Mooseheads to Colorado Avalanche pipeline did not in fact begin with Nathan MacKinnon. Yup, Alex Tangauy played there too.