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The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto has many sacred objects of the hockey world.

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It’s got all the old rings of the Stanley Cup. It’s got Jacques Plante’s game-changing goalie mask. It has Wayne Gretzky’s record setting 802nd goal puck. It’s got Mario Lemieux’s 1987 Canada Cup jersey.

I’m here to argue today that Matt Hendricks’ can belongs there as well.

Hendricks’ cup, as you can see below,was dented as he blocked an Alex Goligoski slap shot against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night.Hendricks took the shot right in the groin area.

“It hit him where you never want to get hit,” said Sportsnet analyst Drew Remenda. “It’s going to put the best and the toughest down, no doubt about it. Uuuuhhhh! … It’s just painful is all it is.”

Hendricks was helped off the ice. On his way to the dressing room, he collapsed. But a time short later, he was able to return to the game, all because of his cup.

Why does this can belong in the Hall of Fame? This is the age of shot-blocking in the NHL. It’s a time when even the game’s star players are asked to block shots, and aces of the Ice Palace like Brendan Gallagher and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins have gotten injured doing so. Shot-blocking is a key part of the game, for better or worse.