My Hall Includes Paul.

“Here’s a shot...Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here’s another shot right in front...they score! Henderson has scored for Canada! Henderson, right in front of the net!” Foster Hewitt, September 28, 1972.

The game is as vivid today as it was on that sunny September afternoon.

Sure it was only eight games, but it was the most important eight games ever played in Canadian hockey history. It has been five decades since 'The Goal' scored by Paul Henderson sent Canada into a delirious state of euphoria. Yet to this day Paul Henderson is still not inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Why?

Canada as a nation immortalized Paul by minting a silver coin and having a postage stamp commemorating the historic goal on the 25th anniversary back in 1997.

Whoop de doo.

Frankly it is sad, very sad.

A true immortalization from Canada the world’s greatest hockey country would be to have Paul honoured. Honoured in the place where all great hockey players, along with all great hockey moments are frozen in time. Greatness easily defrosted back to life with a simple visit to the museum of hockey, the Hockey Hall of Fame.

True, the Hockey Hall of Fame was created to acknowledge hockey’s greatest players. A place where the greats could forever sit perched above the not so great players. A place the superstars could forever be retired upon their rightful and well deserved pedestals, forever appreciated and never to be forgotten.

Paul Henderson would not be classed as a great player, but he was not a lousy player either. Paul was a good solid player, a speedy right winger who played a dozen years in the NHL including seven twenty plus goal seasons and playing in two All-Star games. Along with a stint of five seasons in the WHA, Paul ended his pro career with 1,067 games played and a total of 760 points. Hardly Hall of Fame numbers in any hockey fans book.

But, and it is a big but.

Consider if Paul had not been the sharpest shooter during that '72 series, scoring on an astounding twenty-five percent of his shots on Russian goalie Vladislav Tretiak (who just so happens to be inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame). 

Paul scored seven goals (Canada scored 31 goals in the eight game series) on a total of twenty-eight shots. Paul's last three goals were all game winning clutch goals.

When Team Canada needed three wins, Paul Henderson delivered.

Consider what might have been had Team Canada not come away from the Luzhniki Sports Palace in Moscow victorious. I could not imagine how we as a nation would have dealt with losing to those Commie Russians. 

Afterall so much was expected, so much was demanded and thanks to Paul Henderson scoring with thirty-four seconds left in the final game eight, so much was delivered.

Thank you Mr. Henderson, that was too close for comfort.

As I glance at my framed Team Canada ’72 picture in my den, I count a total thirteen players who played in that series and have been inducted into The Hockey Hall of Fame. (Fifteen players if you count Bobby Orr and Marcel Dionne who were on the team but did not play) Harry Sinden who coached the team was inducted in the builder’s category.

Disgraced hockey czar Alan Eagleson was head of the NHLPA at the time. He was instrumental in the birth of the Summit Series, but resigned his post in 1998 after the Hall of Fame had threatened to expel him. He had also been inducted in the builder’s category.

The Hockey Hall of Fame had seventeen total inductees from Team Canada '72, but now only sixteen plaques appear in the Great Hall. I am proposing that Paul Henderson be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame and bring the total inductees from Team Canada '72 back to seventeen honored members.

Team Canada '72 was one of the greatest moments in the history of Canada, let alone the history of hockey. It is a shame that the one player who if not for his timely clutch goals, Team Canada '72 would have been long forgotten decades ago. I mean does anyone ever talk about Team Canada and the Summit Series '74?

I rest my case.

It is now the time for Paul Henderson to have his rightful place amongst hockey’s greatest all-time heroes.

It is now time for Paul Garnet Henderson to be inducted into The Hockey Hall of Fame.

My Hall Includes Paul.