Why Has Jeremy Roenick Been Rejected by the Hockey Hall of Fame?

Jeremy Roenick has been blackballed by the Hockey Hall of Fame. But why?

Jeremy Roenick was one of the premier players of his generation and one of the greatest American stars the NHL has ever known.. After making his debut with the Chicago Blackhawks as a teenager, Roenick thrilled fans with his flashy style, take-no-prisoners approach, and jaw-dropping skills. A 9-time All Star, Roenick played 18-NHL seasons and racked up over 500 goals and 1400 penalty minutes.

Roenick’s competitive fire was unmatched and is best illustrated with his conflicted –and often painful - relationships with USA hockey peers Tony Amonte, Derian Hatcher and Mike Modano.

But his high-intensity persona extended off the ice and resulted in a series of controversial events that have often overshadowed his on-ice achievements.

Let’s take an in-depth look at the fascinating career of Jeremy Roenick and examine why – despite all he achieved as an NHL player — the man they call JR has been ignored by the Hockey Hall of Fame.

#chicagoblackhawks #philadelphiaflyers #jeremyroenick

Key Sources:

Roenick autobiography "J.R." (Kevin Allen)
NBC Sports
National Hockey League

Copyright Disclaimer:

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for Fair Use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and more. No copyright infringement intended.

Copyright Disclaimer:

Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for Fair Use for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and more. No copyright infringement intended.

[smokey]

Visiting Detroit from L.A. in 2005, I attended aWings/Kings game wearing my Kings Gold and Purple jersey. I had rink side seats at the blue line. I stood out like a sore thumb. During warmup, Jeremy skated over to us several times, acknowledged our loyalty, and chatted with us. He tossed us a couple pucks. I had mentioned to him that I hoped my son back in LA would see me on TV, and during the game he skated over to our seats several times so the cameras were on us. As far as fans were concerned, he was a class act in LA.

[evolutionXXVII]

JR not being in the hockey hall of fame doesn't make me think less of Roenick, it makes me think less of the hall of fame.

[keving]

As a lifetime Chicago resident and Hawks fan, I was at the airport in Phoenix in 2005. I noticed Roenick there walking and on his phone. I shouted out "JR", he immediately put his phone down to come and greet me. Great guy, great memory. Definite HOF'r along with Steve Larmer.

[matthewaltepeter]

Being a kid in the Chicagoland area in the 90's was a fun time, seeing Roenick on the ice, and Jordan on the court. My nephews recently saw JR sitting in the stands at a Blackhawks game and were nervous to walk up and say hi. Roenick was so kind, took pictures with them, and signed some stuff for them. All they wanted was to say hi. He offered to do everything else extra. Also, screw Mike Milbury for trying to bust JR's balls on air when he was emotional after the 2010 Stanley Cup. That still doesn't sit well with me to this day.

[shawngregory]

How can a guy with 500 goals not be in the HOF? I’m not a huge hockey fan, but I always looked at 500 goals like 3000 hits in baseball ; instant HOF.

[christopherhenderson]

One of the greatest players ever to his fans. As a kid growing up in Phoenix he was amazing. When I was 8 my family had my birthday party at the altell ice den where the coyotes used to practice. The yotes had just got done practicing and we got to take the ice. All the players left except Shane Doan and Jeremy roenick. Shane signed autographs, but Jeremy who could have just left for the day made it a point to skate around with all of us kids, make jokes and get to hang out with a pro athlete. That's something my friends and I will never forget. Absolute class act

[pierrehanna]

Roenick deserves the hall of fame and the league should be embarrassed for not furthering his induction. Say what you want about him but anyone who can play 20 years in the nhl and put up those many numbers while taking that much punishment is an incredible athlete.

[FUGP]

In NHL '94, you chose the Black Hawks, and any time you saw that you were controlling Roenick, you never pressed the B button to switch again. You would score 15 goals a game with 10 of the being unassisted, or with the goalie getting the assist. For a whole (short) season, the goalie would be the second leading scorer on the team with like 250 points in 50 games, While Roenick had 700+ goals.

[pwm]

100 percent! This guy was a firestorm on the ice! The NHL admin and hall of fame need to downsize their ego and admit this guy was phenomenal in hockey and for hockey.

[kmcbride]

I watched this video just because I saw the link and thought "What? Jeremy Roenik ISN"T in the HOF?" Who wouldn't want him on your hockey team? The selection committee needs to vote based on performance not whether or not whether or not someone hurt their feelings off ice.

[desert.mantis]

You obviously did your research while telling the story (much of which I did not know) of Jeremy Roenick.He should definitely be in the hall lot fame. He was a true great for the game. I Had no idea how many serious injuries he underwent. Yet, Roenick seemed to take them in stride and returned to the ice with great fervor.
Thanks for another top notch video!

[markwinfrey]

I say he deserves to be in the hall, based on the list of injuries alone. I mean geez, how many times can you get your face rebuilt.. Definitely a talented player with a lot of grit . I say put him in.

[your-final-frontier]

I am Canadian in my 70s, so I remember when the only American in the 6 team NHL
was Tommy Williams in Boston. I always enjoyed watching all of the allstar players Chicago had then like Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita and I got a thrill watching Goalie Glenn Hall and his wandering backup young goalie Denny de Jordy.

Fast forward to Jeremy Roenick's playing career, he was a damn good, tough player on every team he played for and was nearly always a timely scorer. One of many Americans who have shown they belong amongst the World's best players too.

He DEFINETLY should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Keep the damn politics out of it.
Put him in!!
He earned it!

[awww]

Although Roenick would often destroy my Leafs' hopes, I always loved the guy. I admired his play, his clean hits, but most of all, his everyday Joe status. He spoke his mind, and would very often be right. I've only seen a few players like that in my 52 yrs of being a big hockey fan. Brett Hull and Todd Gill could be counted on to say something profound when interviewed. Before that, Tiger Williams and Bryan Spencer were also priceless. I wish Jeremy nothing but success in the future.

[austinrhodes]

J.R. is the reason I became a hockey fan. I grew up in Alabama. After watching him play, I got a bunch of my friends to buy Rollerblades and we would have full blown games in the parking lot of a local park. Hockey with my friends was the only time that I was the best at anything. If not for J.R. inspiring me to play hockey, I wouldn't have found something that gave me confidence that I could be good at something and I wouldn't have some of the best memories of my childhood. So.... yeah, J.R. should be in the HOF if for no other reason than he got a scrawny kid from Alabama to fall in love with hockey.

[rosolenn]

No question. A fantastic hockey career. JR should be in the Hall of Fame.

[chizorama]

JR was a beast who gave his all every shift. Clutch goals, true grit, fearlessly taking on players that towered over him & passion for the game. Outspoken? Yes, but he brought character to the game. Definitely a HOF'r.

[mortimerbrewster]

Roenick should have been a first ballot Hall of Famer. His combination of scoring ability combined with his toughness makes his career very unique. He was an original 6 era type player. His stellar play for the Blackhawks his first two seasons enabled Chicago to trade Denis Savard to the Canadiens for Chris Chelios. Very informative presentation as usual.

[jonokiller]

Roenick was one tough SOB even if the HHoF doesnt recognize him. All the fans know he is a legend

[MichaelHenkleC]

Roenick got me into Hockey, the Blackhawks were terrible, and this guy came out of nowhere and made the franchise competitive again. In Roenick's prime, you always felt he would find a way to win the game for you. You didn't know how, but he would make it happen, even if he had to do it short-handed and in overtime. This guy was a beast. I really hope that JR makes the HOF.