I get it. The Hall of Fame is in Toronto. It is not moving.
I also get it. The Hockey Hall of Fame is a business. They want people to come to the Hockey Hall of Fame.
But I wonder would it be feasible for Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Weekend, one of the biggest events on the hockey calendar, to move around various NHL markets every so often?
This weekend we see Dominik Hasek, Peter Forsberg, Mike Modano and Rob Blake enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as honoured members. None of them have direct connections to Toronto. Hasek played the bulk of his career down the road in Buffalo, but that's about it. Builder Pat Burns, who passed away in November 2010, did coach the Leafs and is also be honoured posthumously this weekend.
But generally this weekend is about the honoured players. With that in mind would it not make sense to have this highly cherished event to travel around from time to time, especially in a year where there are no connections to Toronto?
The NHL and Hockey Hall of Fame should have little problem putting on huge events in Canadian and Original Six cities, as well as select other markets, such as Buffalo this year. They could then have a Hall of Fame Game between Hasek's Sabres and Modano's Dallas Stars perhaps.
Or maybe in 2015 we could have it in Detroit, and have the Philadelphia Flyers participate. Nicklas Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov should be locks for induction next year, and, presumably he is ruled eligible, Chris Pronger. Let's finally included Eric Lindros, too and celebrate two great franchises and four fantastic players.
I am sure there are minds much smarter than me who have or will look into the feasibility of making Hall of Fame Induction weekend a travelling event. Specifically how can the Hall of Fame itself benefit financially both short term and long term.
But I thought I would throw it out there. It seems wrong to me that as Peter Forsberg, for example, enters the Hall of Fame the many legions of Colorado Avalanche fans have to watch from afar.
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