Chris Osgood doesn’t receive call for Hall
Detroit — The wait continues for Chris Osgood.
The former Red Wings goaltender again fell short of qualifying for the Hall of Fame, which announced its list of 2016 inductees this afternoon.
Osgood has been eligible since 2012 but has been unable to gain entrance despite being part of three Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Red Wings (he was the starting goalie on two of the teams) and ranking 11th all-time with 401 victories.
Osgood also led the Red Wings to the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals before Pittsburgh won the series in seven games.
Osgood did not return phone calls or text messages Monday.
Osgood played for 17 seasons and ranks 11th on the all-time win list with 401 victories, while also ranking 35th with a 2.49 goals-against average and his .905 save percentage stands 53rd all time.
He also ranks eighth all-time with 74 playoff wins, fourth all-time with 15 playoff shutouts and sixth all-time with a 53.9 winning percentage.
Osgood's Hall-worthiness up for debate
The 2016 class was headlined by former Flyers forward Eric Lindros, who won the Hart Trophy in 1995 with Philadelphia, and also features Soviet star Sergei Makarov, the late Pat Quinn and goaltender Rogie Vachon.
Vachon played two seasons with the Wings from 1978-80, posting a 30-57-19 record with a 3.74 GAA.
In 16 NHL seasons with Montreal, Los Angeles, Detroit and Boston, Vachon had a 355-291-127 record and a 2.99 GAA in 795 career games.
Vachon, 70, retired in 1982 and had been passed over since being Hall of Fame eligible in 1985.
“After a while you sort of don’t wait anymore,” Vachon said. “I didn’t think, probably, I would make it.”
Vachon made his NHL debut for the Canadiens at age 21 on a Saturday night against the Red Wings on Feb. 18, 1967. He was named the first star, stopping 32 shots in a 3-2 victory.
The 5-8, 160-pound goalie finished the season with an 11-3-4 record and a 2.54 GAA and led Montreal to a first-round playoff sweep over the Rangers.
In the final, Leafs coach Punch Imlach said they would never lose to a "junior B goalie" like Vachon. With the series tied 2-2, Vachon allowed four goals in two periods in Game 5 and was pulled in favor of Gump Worsley.
The Leafs took a 3-2 series lead into Game 6. Vachon was on the bench and the Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1967, the last time they've won the Cup.
Vachon became the 38th goalie to enshrined and the sixth who played for the Red Wings, joining Ed Giacomin, Glenn Hall, Dominik Hasek, Harry Lumley and Terry Sawchuk.
Two times, Vachon finished in top-three voting for the Hart Trophy (Most Valuable Player).
Vachon said on a conference call after his selection that the first save he made gave him confidence he could play in the NHL.
“My first shot on net was a breakaway by Gordie Howe,” Vachon said. “I stopped it and it kept me in the league for 16 more years.”
Vachon’s years in Detroit were memorable in that his first year, the Red Wings closed the Olympia and in his second year, debuted the Joe Louis Arena.
“Great fans,” Vachon said of the Red Wings.