Immediately upon announcing his decision to retire, the dialog began: Is Chris Osgood a Hall Of Fame candidate? A personal debate – should I play one more year – ends, while a public one – is Osgood’s body of work HOF worthy – begins. From my perspective, I don’t see how there is any debate. Granted, I have a soft spot for Ozzie, having gotten to know him over the years from my broadcaster’s perspective, sitting and talking hockey with him every time I covered the Red Wings.
If I have a personal bias, though, it’s not because I like Osgood the person, which I do. My predisposition is towards goalies that find a way to put up W’s. I donned the gear for years, and still coach and teach the position to aspiring goaltenders of all ages. I know how difficult winning consistently can be. In that regard, Osgood’s record shines: top-10 in wins and playoff wins; top-25 in goals against average and shutouts; moving into the top-5 when games are tighter and matter more with 15 playoff shutouts; part of three Stanley Cup championship teams with the Detroit Red Wings, and two as their starter.
Ironically, that’s where the doubting begins. The Red Wings were so good the prevailing sentiment at the time was that the Wings won in spite of Osgood, certainly not because of him. Harsh, but Detroit did have dominant teams. Many goaltenders possibly could have had success in that environment. Yet, many came in and didn’t win. Luminaries like Dominik Hasek and Curtis Joseph come to mind. Oh, they won while wearing the Winged Wheel, but never won it all as the starter – not in Detroit, not ever. And that’s where Osgood looks the best – when it mattered most, he found another level. Call it what you will – being a winner, a gamer, a battler – Osgood knew how to win. His career playoff runs display his mental tenacity.
Consider that in 1998, he backstopped the last repeat Stanley Cup winning entry to date. This after Mike Vernon led the Wings to their first Cup in 40 years, winning the Conn Smythe trophy in the process. That’s a tough act to follow, yet Osgood did just that under enormous pressure. In 2008, he began the playoffs on the bench, then took over for a struggling Hasek in the first round and led (yes, led) the Wings to victory. Then, in 2009, Osgood conjured up the emotional resolve to play brilliantly in the playoffs after enduring the worst regular season of his life, eventually losing in Game 7 to the Pittsburgh Penguins in a rematch of scenarios from the previous spring.
So, Osgood’s Detroit years – particularly his post-season record – prove his championship pedigree for HOF consideration along the lines of other renowned battlers like Hall-of-Famers Billy Smith, Grant Fuhr and Gerry Cheevers – whom I liken to Osgood favorably when comparing Hall-worthiness. But, I think Osgood’s time away from Detroit cinches the deal for him. On Long Island and in St. Louis, Osgood turned in 30-win seasons for both the Islanders and the Blues. He did that four other times for the Red Wings, but again, the measurable was playoff performance there and he excelled. With the Islanders and Blues, regular season wins mattered just to make the playoffs, which Osgood managed to be part of in his three seasons away from Detroit.
No matter where he played, Osgood delivered. Win when it mattered most in Detroit and win because he had to in the regular season outside Detroit. When it came to winning, Osgood was one of the greats. Last time I checked, the greats belong in the Hall of Fame.