The 2024 Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is happening on Monday, November 11th, and there is a Russian in Pavel Datsyuk heading into the hallowed halls. However, the trendsetter for many Russians coming over to play in the NHL during the decline of the USSR, Alexander Mogilny, has yet to receive his call to the hall.
As one of his former teammates with the New Jersey Devils, John Madden, told RG, no one was better at scoring goals.
"As far as Mogilny, I mean, you couldn't really ask for a more prolific goal scorer," Madden said.
Mogilny has been eligible for the Hockey Hall of Fame since 2009. If you don't know his story, it is truly remarkable. Mogilny was the first Soviet player drafted to defect, joining the Buffalo Sabres in 1989.
He hit the 30-goal plateau four times with the Sabres, scoring 76 goals during the 1992-93 season. He is one of six players in NHL history to score 75 or more goals in a season. Every other member of that club is in the Hockey Hall of Fame except Mogilny.
Alexander Mogilny found success with the Buffalo Sabres, despite not being able to help them win a Stanley Cup, but would struggle during his time with the Vancouver Canucks. Mogilny found new life when the New Jersey Devils acquired him during the 1999-2000 season. He was crucial to a Stanley Cup-winning team that needed a sniper.
While Madden and Mogilny only spent a few seasons together from 1999-2001, he saw how big of a goal scorer he was for the Devils. Mogilny always knew when to spark his team and get the big, series-changing goals.
If you look at his resume, Mogilny's is as good, if not better, than many who have been called to the HHOF in the past.
Mogilny is one of the best offensive forwards and goal-scorers in NHL history. In 990 games, he recorded 1,032 points (473 goals and 559 assists), a 1.04-point-per-game pace. For comparison’s sake, Pierre Turgeon got in with a 1.02-point-per-game pace.
Mogilny is a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won an Olympic Gold Medal, a World Championship Gold Medal, and a Stanley Cup. He got that Stanley Cup in New Jersey in 2000. He also has a World Junior Championship Gold Medal to his name. If you look at those in the Hockey Hall of Fame, there are 30 members in the Hall of Fame from that exclusive club.
"To me, Alexander Mogilny is one of the best players not to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame," Madden said.
Jim Biringer
