VACHON FAILS TO MAKE HALL.

Byline: Tim Trepany Daily News Staff Writer

Rogie Vachon might be the fifth-winningest goalie in NHL history, but that wasn't good enough to get the former King voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on Monday.

Vachon, who won 355 games during his 16-year playing career, did not receive the necessary 14 votes from the 18-man selection committee of retired players, former coaches, league management and media.

Only Terry Sawchuk (447 wins), Jacques Plante (434), Tony Esposito (423) and Glenn Hall (407) have more victories than Vachon, who played for the Kings from 1971 to '78 and is currently the team's director of hockey operations.

He and the rest of team management were on a retreat at team owner Philip Anschutz's mountain lodge outside of Denver. The Kings play an exhibition game against the Colorado Avalanche tonight.

Vachon began his career with the Montreal Canadiens, where he played on three Stanley Cup champions and shared the 1967-68 Vezina Trophy, given to the league's top goaltender, with teammate Gump Worsley.

Vachon was traded to the Kings on Nov. 4, 1971 for four players. The Kings never had a winning record before Vachon became their regular goaltender, but with him in the net, they finished second in the Norris Division three consecutive years.

His best season was in 1974-75, when he had a 27-14-13 record and a 2.24 goals-against average, and was named the NHL Player of the Year by the Hockey News. He was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup, now called the World Cup of Hockey.

Although he's been retired for 14 years, this is only the second time he's been nominated for the Hall of Fame.

Voted in Monday were former New York Islanders coach Al Arbour, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming, former Boston Bruins player Bobby Bauer and broadcaster Bob Cole.

Arbour, who coached the Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup titles (1980-83), was selected in the Builders category; Salming, the first Swedish selection, made it in the Players category; Bauer, the right wing on the Bruins' famed ``Kraut Line'' in the late 1930s and early 1940s, was selected in the Veteran Players category. Cole, the lead announcer on ``Hockey Night In Canada'' will receive the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for excellence in broadcasting.

Arbour was 781-577-223 in 19 seasons with the Islanders and three with St. Louis.

Salming had 150 goals and 637 assists in 1,148 games in his 17-year career with Toronto and Detroit. Bauer had 123 goals and 127 assists in 10 seasons, and helped the Bruins win Stanley Cups in 1939 and 1941.

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Photo: ROGIE VACHON

The former King is the fifth-winningest goalie in NHL history with 355 victories