Thursday, January 14, 2010

Last Curtain Call, is Cujo Hall of Fame Material ?


Last Tuesday Curtis Joseph, one of the best goalies in the last twenty years, said his tearful goodbye to NHL hockey. The announcement of his retirement was a long time coming as many felt he should have done so years ago. So the real question still remains, is Joseph a hall of fame goaltender ? Let's look at the facts : In 19 NHL seasons with six different teams Cujo amassed an impressive 454 wins placing him fourth all time of goalie past and present. On the flip side, Cujo's currently tied for second all time with losses. He never won a cup, and never even appeared in a Stanley Cup final. In 19 seasons he was only twice named an all-star and never won any awards. Although his numbers are impressive I think Joseph was merely a really good goalie, not exceptional. When placed with the best of his peers from his generation ( Hasek, Broduer and Roy) his overall track record seems alot less impressive. Personality wise no one was cooler than Cujo, behind the dog mask Joseph was activly involved in Charities and philanthorpy endeavours in every city he was in. He's a true humanitarian, but on the ice Joseph was always good, not great. His wins record could be more of a testement to how long he was in the league rather than any real major accomplishment. If the hall of fame is really the best of the best you'd have to believe that Cujo just dosn't stack up.

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