Mark Howe is one of the lucky ones.
Each year when the Hockey Hall of Fame's selection committee gathers in late June to debate the merits of potential inductees, the emphasis is on recent retirees. So this year, you'd have to think Joe Sakic, who is now eligible, will be an automatic while others such as Mats Sundin and Brendan Shanahan will be discussed, too.
Every now and then, a player who has been passed over, often more than once, gets the nod. http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/2012/03/02/brophy_theo_fleury/
Shacks' Take: If you look at the numbers alone, Fleury may be hard-pressed to make the Hall. 500 goals appears to be the minimum number required for induction of a forward in Theo's era, and Fleury's late career bout with his demons cost him the opportunity to achieve that milestone. Numbers don't tell the true picture of the man or the player. His diminutive size never slowed down Fleury at all, and very few players matched his combination of feistiness and skill in any era. If I had a vote, Theo would get it regardless of the external factors involved. Add in the manner in which he has overcome his personal demons and tried to improve the quality of life for those who have suffered the same terrible fate. He deserves induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame and his story should be etched into the history books.
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