The Case For Tim Kerr

Reading John Buccigross' columns, watching NHL2Night (RIP 1993-2004), and having lived in and now visited Boston many times, I'd say I'm pretty well versed in Cam Neely's career, statistics, and impact both on and off the ice.

When Neely was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005, in some quarters the relief over that fact was, in hockey terms, as if Mother Teresa finally gained entrance into Heaven after Saints Peter and Paul put up a nasty fight to keep her out.

No doubt, he turned a decrepit and oft-injured late 80's Bruins franchise around, being one of the two main pieces of the puzzle which led the B's to the 1988 and 1990 Cup Finals. He was fun as all hell to watch, because he'd beat you to the puck, beat you with a timely goal, and beat you with his fists if you dared to challenge. His amazing 50 goals in 44 games, playing on one good leg, after missing the balance of the last three seasons with leg and hip problems, stands as a momentous achievement. His retirement in 1996, coming after a solid 27-goal season in 1995, and a 26-goal campaign in 95-96, was a major shock to the team and to the hockey world, coming before his 31st birthday. I'll even give major props for his philanthropy, as his Cam Neely foundation does a tremendous amount to house and comfort young cancer patients across North America.

But I never felt that even his many accomplishments on the ice were of hall-worthy mention, even as he defined the forward posiiton and battled an injury-ravaged body. And I never did, don't now, and will never feel bad about pointing that out and believing that Neely should not be a Hall of Fame member. Instead of merely poking holes and engaging in some major schadenfreude, I offer an alternative, an answer to the debate of "if he gets in, then let in blank." Former Philadelphia Flyer (1980-91) Tim Kerr.

For comparison's sake, I will break down both men's careers in a couple vital categories: Early Career, Prime, Record-Worthy Accomplishments, Impact to Team, Impact on Opposition.

Early Career: Both Neely and Kerr had unspectacular first three seasons in the NHL. Neely was a third-liner for some bad Canucks teams, scoring 51 goals. Kerr started off on a good run, as a second-line bruiser with burgeoning offensive talent. He scored 54 goals (22,21, 11) in his first three years with the Flyers, but had his 1982-83 season wrecked by knee troubles.

Prime: Neely's trade to Boston for Barry Pederson in 1986 revitalized an aging Bruins roster. Neely quickly established himself in the rough-and-tumble Adams division with 36 goals, 72 points, and 143 PIMs in 1986-87. The following year he punched and scored his way through the league with 42 goals, 69 points, and 175 PIMs for the Bruins team who lost to Gretzky and the Oilers. His next three years, he racked up 37, 55 and 51 goals as the Bruins won the Adams (89-90 and 90-91) and made one more trip to the Finals and one to the Wales Conference Finals. The prime of his career was wrecked by an Ulf Samuelsson hit in 1991, and the resulting hip problems limited him to 22 games in the next two seasons. In 1993-94, playing at about 75 percent, he hit for 50 goals in his first 44 games, before succumbing once again to knee, leg and hip problems.

Kerr on the other hand, exploded for a team-high 54 in 83-84, and followed that up with 54 in 84-85, 58 (along with 34 on the power play) in 85-86, and another 58 in 1986-87 - second only to Gretzky in a down offensive year in the NHL. His 1987-88 season was ruined due to nasty shoulder problems resulting from a hit in the 1987 playoffs which limited him to eight regular season and seven playoff games, but he rebounded spectacularly with another team-high 48 goals in 1988-89. Unlike Neely, Kerr did not seek out altercations. Like Neely, when someone disrespected Kerr's space enough to challenge him, Kerr won battles with his fists. His area was a 30 foot semicircle around the net, and he did his fighting for the puck, often with two or more players gunning for him. He enjoyed deadly precision on the power play in the latter stages of his prime.

Record-Worthy Accomplishments: For Neely, it's only the 50 goals in 44 games, and even then, its an unofficial mark because the NHL counts the 50 in terms of team games, not personal games unless that number is under the team's 50th - and Neely did it in his 44th, but Boston's 66th game in 1993-94.

Kerr holds the NHL mark for power-play goals in a season, with 34 in 1985-86 - shattering Phil Esposito's (another HOFer) record. He set, and is now tied for, the NHL postseason record for goals in one period (4), in 1985. In the unofficial arena, Kerr's 14 goals and 25 points through three rounds in thr 1989 playoffs led the NHL in both categories until the Finals. He is one of only eleven players in NHL history to score 275 goals in a six-year span. Eight of them (Gretzky, Lemieux, Kurri, Lafleur, Esposito, Dionne, Bossy, and Hawerchuk) are already Hall members. Hull and Yzerman will be in 2008 or 2009. Neely never came close. Neither did Messier, Gartner, Gordie Howe or Bobby Hull. And, well, Kerr did it in five seasons, having sacrificed the one year in his prime to injury.

Impact to Team: Quite simply, Neely was indispensable from 1986-91. Other than Ray Bourque, Neely is most often quoted as the second biggest driving force to the Bruins' late 80's surge. He was the heart and scoring threat while Bourque was the soul and defensive rock. He fought, he scored, he checked and he talked it up on the bench and in the locker room. His surprise retirement was one of many major reasons the Bruins slipped from a playoff berth in 1996 to the bottom of the league in 1997.
Kerr, meanwhile, was an indispensable part of the Flyers' mid-80's run, but, by no means irreplaceable. The 1987-88 season demonstrated such, as the team, when healthy in the middle part of that year, lost only nine in a 40-game span. In that run, Brian Propp, Dave Poulin, Ilkka Sinisalo, Rick Tocchet, and Peter Zezel posted 30-goal seasons as they all benefitted from defenseman swarming in pairs over #12. However, the playoffs truly demonstrated Kerr's worth to Keenan and Holmgren's teams. Kerr missed the most important games in 1985 (knee) and 1987 (shoulder), in the Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals, and it showed, as everyone else who had to pick up the offensive slack did not enjoy the freedom to roam which his presence provided. His injury-free 1989 postseason was a major factor in the .500 regular-season team making it to the third round.

Impact on Opposition: You'd never know how Neely would beat you until either the fist was in your face, or the red light went on for the game-winning score. Sometimes it was one or the other, sometimes both in the same game. Line matching became a bigger part of the league because of Neely's versatility. Because of his early take-no-prisoners approach, he became one of the most respected players in league history, and it was rare if anyone dared to take him to task as his career wound down.
While Neely was a force of nature, Kerr took the time to kill 'em softly on more than one occasion. While Neely was a pure goal-scorer, Kerr could fire off touch passes through small seams, and surprise the defense with one-armed passes to teammates. By standing still and attracting multiple defenders, Kerr opened up passing and shooting lanes for his teammates, which helped the Flyers win plenty of games on the rare times he himself was held scoreless.
If Neely is recognized as having defined the "power forward" position, Kerr at the least should be recognized for laying the groundwork from which Neely continued the task.

Sympathy Vote: I'm dead certain the two main reasons Neely got the Hall Vote: his relentless dedication to keep his career alive through debilitating injury, and his humanitarian work. Other than having a few chronic aches and pains which significantly shortened his playing days, I'm none too moved by Cam's plight.
Kerr sacrificed one year (82-83) with a broken leg. One year (87-88) with a shoulder that resisted almost a dozen operations. A half-season (89-90) with the opposite shoulder. Oh yeah, and the real clincher - missing significant time the next season (90-91) after his wife died following childbirth. I'm convinced Kerr stuck around for two forgettable seasons (with the Rangers and Whalers) because he became the sole provider for his three kids. His wife's death pretty much destroyed his spirit on what had begun as another healthy breakout season, and the ravages of chronic shoulder and knee problems limited his worth and playing time in both places. Unlike Neely, Kerr played in an era where players were well compensated, but not set for life. Kerr still plugs away in real estate down in Avalon, while Cam basks in the glow of the public eye. Like Neely, give Tim Kerr those years back, and he's a lock to score 500 goals.

So, there you have it - instant ammunition against any starry-eyed hockey fan blinded by someone's star turn as Sea Bass, or relentless media fawning. Get it out there - spread the word. Maybe the rising tide of sentiment will eventually be enough for the right people to notice.