I may be biased about this particular topic since I interned for him in the summers of 2001-2003, but I feel like it needs to be said. Stan Fischler, the “Hockey Maven,” belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame. It is that simple.

This hockey scholar has covered the sport for over 60 years. He was around for the Original Six era, the expansion era, the WHA, and the NHL as it is today.

Stan is a multi-platform threat and could fit into two different categories when it comes to getting into the HHOF. When looking into what category he can go into the HHOF, it would obviously be either as an Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award recipient for hockey writing or as a Foster Hewitt Memorial Award recipient as a broadcaster.

In terms of writing, the Maven has written over 100 books on the game of hockey. Yes, you read that right.

His book topics range from teams, to personalities, to trivia, and basically anything and everything else that has to do with the game. It seems like every year, Stan has a hockey book coming out, which is great for true hockey fans and the hockey world alike.

Stan has also covered the game for the likes of The Hockey News, MSGNetwork.com, New York Journal-American, Hockey Digest, NHL.com, and many, many more. He also worked as a publicist for the New York Rangers. In that role, he was a charter member of the team’s fan club and also penned their newsletter.

In addition to all the hockey books he has written and all the hockey publications he has contributed to, Stan also has his own year-round hockey newsletter called The Fischler Report. As both an intern and a contributor after that, I was lucky enough to write a few pieces to what is a terrific newsletter.

Stan is also a terrific broadcaster. He began his broadcasting career in the early ’70s as a broadcaster for the New England Whalers.

He became more well known as a broadcaster when he joined SportsChannel New York (now MSG + if any New Yorker’s are reading this) to cover the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils.

In addition to being someone that should be in the HHOF for his writing or broadcasting, he should be in for just how great a hockey person he is. He is unbelievably kind, friendly, and a mentor to so many in the hockey industry and he means a lot to those who work in the game.

The truth is that he should have been inducted into the HHOF a long time ago. Stan has done it all in hockey, from writing, to broadcasting, and to being a great ambassador for the sport in the United States. Despite the fact that Stan is now living in Israel with one of his sons and his grandchildren, he is still on top of things when it comes to hockey. He continues to cover and write about the game he loves for NHL.com, NewYorkIslanders.com, and The Hockey News.

*Photo: MSGNetworks.com