there's no room at the inn

Add another great name to the list of retired players this year: Brett Hull.

To be honest, I figured this would have happened during the off-season. When the season started and Hull decided to play, I was happy that one of the greats was still around, but kind of surprised. Nonetheless, I was shocked when I heard the news tonight. So shocked, that I'm not even going to write about the Hurricanes 6-1 pounding of the Devils. Not yet, anyway.

With the already packed list of candidates for Hall of Fame '07 induction, it might have been a magnanimous gesture on Hull's part to "play" this season. For the same reason, maybe it was selfish. Only four players can be admitted each year, and they have to have been retired for three "playing seasons". The Hall has made it clear that although there was no NHL in 2004-05, they still consider it to be a "playing season". Problem is, there are already seven guys who would likely be first ballot inductees if not for the limit.
Ron Francis, Al MacInnis, Scott Stevens and Mark Messier are locks and WILL get the first ballot. Vincent Damphousse, James Patrick and Igor Larionov would probably be good candidates for first ballot in any other year. They will, then be pushed to the class of '08. With Hull becoming eligible that year, he will surely be a first ballot. By "playing" this year, he ensured that nobody out of Francis, Messier, Stevens and MacInnis got shoved out in his favor. He also puts his name first on the list of the class of '08.

Good luck in retirement, Brett!

More on this later.
A post about the Canes later.
For now, I have to celebrate the beginning of my "weekend". Time for drinking!