A team from the Pacific Division has not won the Stanley Cup since 2014. Despite that drought, the division has some hall of fame calibre players. These are the current players from the Pacific Division that have already built a Hall of Fame-worthy career.
Pacific Division Hall of Fame
Among the eight teams in the division, just three of them have players with a Hall of Fame resume.
Ryan Getzlaf
The Anaheim Ducks captain, Ryan Getzlaf has put together one of the most complete careers in the Western Conference. The Ducks selected Getzlaf with the 19th overall pick in the 2003 NHL Draft and spent time between the WHL and AHL before being called up.
Getzlaf made his presence known as a rookie, scoring 14 goals and 25 assists for 39 points in 57 games during the 2005-06 season. His play as a rookie solidified his spot on the roster and he appeared in all 82 games the following season as a 21-year-old.
Getzlaf has spent his entire 15-year career in Anaheim, scoring double-digit goals in every single season. His 965 career points are second-most in franchise history and his 691 assists are most in franchise history.
In the postseason, Getzlaf leads the franchise in games played, goals, assists and points. He’s a three-time all-star, Stanley Cup champion, and one of the most consistent players during the last 15 years. He finished second for the Hart Memorial Trophy during the 2013-14 season after scoring 31 goals and 56 assists for 87 points in 77 games.
In his career, Getzlaf has 274 goals and 691 assists for 965 points in 1053 games played. He’ll likely retire with over 1000 points in his career, over 1000 games played and a Stanley Cup champion. He may not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but he’s deserving of a spot.
Anze Kopitar
Los Angeles Kings forward, Anze Kopitar, will find himself in the Hockey Hall of Fame one day. Over his 14-year career, Kopitar has established himself as one of the league’s best two-way centers.
His 1073 career regular-season games are fourth-most in franchise history. With 333 goals and 617 assists for 950 career points, he ranks fourth-most in each category in franchise history.
Kopitar is a five-time all-star, two-time Frank J. Selke award winner and a Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner. He’s scored 20-plus goals in 11 of his 14 seasons and has finished in the top-five for Selke voting five times.
As the Kings captain since the 2016-17 season, Kopitar has been a bright spot during the team’s recent tumultuous years. He’s proven to be one of the best centremen during the regular season but he also boasts an impressive postseason resume.
His 66 postseason points (21g, 45a) rank third-most in franchise history, behind only Wayne Gretzky and Luc Robitaille. During the 2012 postseason, Kopitar led the playoffs in goals, assists and points en route to his first Stanley Cup championship. He led the 2014 playoffs with 21 assists and 26 points where he captured his second championship.
Kopitar has achieved both individual and team awards during his career. His resume is already Hall of Fame worthy, and being the first Slovenian player in the NHL will only help his case.
Joe Thornton
The NHL legend, Joe Thornton, needs no extensive explanation. Between his time with the Boston Bruins and San Jose Sharks, he ranks top-ten all-time in games played (1636, ninth all-time) and assists (1089, seventh all-time). His 1509 points are 14th all-time and he’s scored 420 goals.
Thornton is one of the most iconic players in hockey history. He’s a six-time all-star, Art Ross Trophy winner and Hart Memorial Trophy winner. He leads active players in assists and points and has enjoyed one of the most beloved careers in recent history.
The only thing left for Thornton to accomplish is the coveted Stanley Cup championship, which he’s been chasing for 17 years. Nonetheless, he’s a first-ballot hall of famer whether or not he retires a champion.
Outside of the Hall of Fame
A few members of the Pacific Division would classify for the “hall of very good.” Great careers but not enough to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Those players include Phil Kessel, Mark Giordano, Jonathan Quick, Marc-Andre Fleury and Erik Karlsson. Quick and Fleury have had tremendous careers but the spots for goalies in the hall of fame are reserved for the generational talents.
An interesting case right now is superstar, Connor McDavid. While the Edmonton Oilers star is likely in the early stages of a Hall of Fame career, if he retired today he would not make it. 162 goals and 307 assists and 351 games played isn’t a large enough resume at the moment. He’ll likely get there soon, but not as it stands right now.
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