UPDATE: Hamilton's Dave Andreychuk did not get in to the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday, but another Hamiltonian, Pat Quinn, did. Quinn, who died in 2014, was named to the hall along with Eric Lindros, Sergei Makarov and Rogie Vachon.

Sometime Monday afternoon, the Hockey Hall of Fame's Class of 2016 will be announced which means it's time to pull out the notes from last year and the year before and the year before that and five other times before even that and lay them on the table one more time.

In short, it's time to once again fire up The Dave Andreychuk Argument. Now featuring version 8.0.

The greatest offensive player in Hamilton hockey history has been shut out of the hall for nearly a decade now. The reason really boils down to a simple argument that hasn't played in his favour: Is it better to be really, really good for a long time or great for a shorter time?

The trouble is, the question is flawed. Both answers are legitimate.

Consider Eric Lindros. He'll almost certainly get the call to join the hall this time. The one-time best player in the game had to wait longer than he probably should have. Yet six years after he became eligible, it would be shocking if he was passed over again.

He's the case for the latter. Lindros was great while he was healthy but that wasn't for all that long.

Andreychuk represents the flip side of the coin. He was very good for an extended period. It's this longevity that some say diminishes his case. Sure he has big numbers but it took a long time to build them.

Those who argue that are guilty of faulty reasoning.

If playing at a highly productive level for more than two decades while consistently putting up big numbers was easy and isn't special, where are all the other guys like him? Go ahead, take your time. We'll wait.

In the meantime, consider his resumé. Again.

Every eligible player who's scored as many goals as him (640) is in the hall of fame. There are 184 skaters in the hall with fewer goals. Only one eligible skater is within even 70. That's Mark Recchi. The next guy after him on the list is 102 away.

Andreychuk has more power-play goals than Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux. Not to mention literally anyone else you'd care to name. That's because nobody has ever scored more. In fact, he has just 14 fewer than Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Patrick Kane combined. And those snipers as a group have played 295 more games.

Shall we continue?

He had one 50-goal season, two 40-goal seasons, five 30-goal seasons and 11, 20-goal seasons, including one at age 40. Meanwhile, as he aged he adjusted his style to become a defensive specialist which was his role when he won a Stanley Cup as captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Ask that franchise what he meant to its success and you'll get your answer in the form of a statue of him standing outside the arena.

Critics often point to the fact that in his two best years, Andreychuk was playing alongside Doug Gilmour who was considered a Hart Trophy candidate at that time. With a guy like that feeding him the puck, who wouldn't have put up big numbers, right?

Except those same people always seem to ignore the fact that those were also Gilmour's two best years, suggesting Andreycuk had some kind of impact the other way, too.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

No, he never was flashy or prone to go end to end on a highlight-reel rush. That hurt him. The fact is, a few of those and he'd probably already be in. But that's a red herring.

All you need to remember is this. Of the thousands and thousands of men who've played in the league over the decades, only 13 have put the puck in the net more often.

Thirteen.

In the end, you can quibble with the how but not with the how many. If the point of the game is to score goals, he is nearly unmatched. Stats aren't everything, but they absolutely are something.

Surely this year, that protracted excellence will finally be recognized. Meaning sometime Monday afternoon — on try No. 8 — Dave Andreychuk will at last be a hall of famer.

Scott Radley Scott Radley is a sports columnist for The Hamilton Spectator. Email | Twitter

Previous articles:

Catholic board investigating red-card controversy

Red card mess: High school soccer controversy goes to GHAC board

Red card mess: St. Thomas More soccer players learn the wrong life lesson