The easy part: there is no need to explain it. With that in mind, who are the all-time most feared fighters in the NHL? A top-five New York Ranger player of all-time; usual top-five scorer. That’s “Mr. Will Wayne Gretzky be first? The Great One is the best scorer ever, and it's not close. Literally. Jacques Plante changed the face of hockey. He also registered 447 career wins, which included an unprecedented 103 shutouts, a record that stood until 2009. Greatest NHL Players of All Time | 2021 Updates 1. He has the honor to have played for the team for five Olympic tournaments, including being the team captain in 1972 and 1988. The best Capital Region hockey players of all time A goalie, two defensemen and a forward make the "Mount Rushmore" list . However, I do know my hockey. He also earned four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers (1984–85, 1987–88) and was named the NHL’s MVP nine (!) He’s currently number seven on the league’s all-time scoring list with 692 goals and 1,063 assists for 1,755 points at 1.159 points per-game. times (1980–87, 1989). Well, you get a five-minute major for fighting. During his 17 years as a player with the Pittsburgh Penguins, he won two Stanley Cups (1991–92) and managed to score an impressive 690 career goals despite missing a number of seasons after being diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. The NHL record book might as well be renamed “The Memoirs of Wayne Gretzky”, as he basically wrote it himself throughout his career. Gordie Howe. The only player in NHL history to record 200 points in a single season, Gretzky achieved the feat a whopping four times during his career. Where to even start with Gretzky? The list of defenders … Messier is regarded as one of the greatest NHL players of all-time. Orr changed the game so much so that there is talk about creating a Bobby Orr trophy going to the best offensive defenseman.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-banner-1-0')}; Thanks to a swift and powerful stride, Orr was able to skate circle around entire teams, often going coast-to-coast to make plays. Here is a list of top 10 best hockey players of all time: 10. Gordie Howe’s 801 career goals set a then record in the NHL, and, as a member of the Red Wings “Production Line,” he won four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954–55). All-time leader in wins, saves, shutouts, games played led Devils to Stanley Cup three times Johnny Bucyk Led Big Bad Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships; played 21 seasons in Boston He’s also a three-time recipient of the Hart Memorial Trophy (2008–09, 2013), as the most valuable player in the NHL. Jacques Plante. They won three Olympic gold medals consecutively from 1928 to 1936. After 32 professional seasons — and... 2. Gretzky is the NHL’s all-time leader in points (2,857) and goals (894). Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player of all time. Did I grow up in Michigan? 5) Brian Leetch With his finesse and speed, “The Great One” revolutionized the game. Apr 11, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; New England Patriots former player Ty Law (far left) and Boston Bruins former player Bobby Orr … His magical stickwork drew audiences from other venues to the Olympic hockey … Kidding! That’s just insane. His career spanned from the end of World War Two to the heart of the Cold War, playing 32 seasons of professional hockey between the NHL and the World Hockey Association. To boot, Jagr is still a productive and sought-after NHL player at age 43 thanks to his dedication to training and fitness. In fact, he once claimed that Ovechkin was “the world’s greatest human being.” I think he was kidding. Where will Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin be ranked? Overall Time on Ice Goals Assists Points per 60 All Situations per 60 Even-Strength per 60 Power-Play per Game Shots Defensive Faceoffs; Rk Name Born Pos GP G A Updated hourly with news and features from over 150 writers worldwide. The Montreal Canadien goalie is credited... Steve Yzerman. Players in boldface were active when the list was published in early 1998. Hockey” wrote the NHL record books before Gretzky took it over, putting up some incredible numbers before the offensive explosion of the 1980’s and in a time where defenders were essentially allowed to maul attackers. A typical enforcer from the goon-hockey era of the 70s, Rick Jodzio played just one season in the NHL. A hockey fan growing up today and looking at Grant Fuhr’s career stats might scratch their head and wonder what in the world he was doing on a list of the greatest hockey players of all time. During his 18 years with the Montreal Canadiens, Maurice Richard won eight Stanley Cups (1944, 1946, 1953, 1956–60). Lemieux will always be remembered as one of the most dominant to ever grace NHL ice, and also one of the most charitable off of it thanks to the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which strives to fund cancer research in the hope of finding an ultimate cure. The 10-time all star won numerous individual trophies and was named to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009. In 1959 he was hit by a slap shot and needed 21 facial stitches. Time on Ice. Additionally, he led the team which won the London World Cup 1986. While with the Boston Bruins, he became the first defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring (1970), and he was named the league’s MVP three times (1970–72). The rest is history. “Mr. Speaking of the 100 greatest NHL players of all time, here’s another one: Ted Lindsay, the 5’8”, 163 pound left wing. Ric Charlesworth . Amonte could play in all situations and always showed up to play, rarely missing games. After being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, he helped popularize ice hockey in the United States, paving the way for the game’s expansion. Number 2: Patrick Roy. Call 'em hockey goons if you dare, enforcer type skaters are often one of the most popular players on their respective teams both with fans and with their teammates. May 10, … Bobby Orr is widely regarded as the game’s best defenseman—evidenced by his record-setting eight James Norris Memorial Trophy wins (1968–75). His career totals would be impressive for a man of any size: Over 1,000 games played and 851 career points accrued. Known for his toughness, Howe’s name lives on in hockey jargon through the “Gordie Howe Hat Trick“, where a player records a goal, an assist, and a fight.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-box-4-0')}; Before we even discuss Lemieux’s NHL career, let’s just put this out there: he had 282 (!!!) He is the gold standard of defensemen, holding the record for most points and assists in one season by a defenseman with 139 and 102, respectively. Before Wayne Gretzky rolled around, Howe was and remains the only other play in NHL history to record 800-plus goals. He received a reported 400 stitches before finally donning a face mask (see number 9). Indian field hockey player Dhyan Chand is widely regarded as the greatest field hockey player of all time. … points in only 70 games in his last season of junior for the Laval Voisins. Don’t agree with my picks? Maurice Rocket Richard is the BEST hockey player ever, he is the first player to score 50 goals, he is the first player to score 50 goals in 50 games, he is the first player to score 500 goals, he won 8 stanley cup and there's even a trophy to his name give to the best … Overall. Led Big Bad Bruins to two Stanley Cup championships; played 21 seasons in … And for that, he was nicknamed 'The Wizard'. But “Ovie” has proven himself a great hockey player. He scored more than 1000 goals in his career from 1926 to 1948. He helped transform the Dead Wings into one of the game’s most-dominating teams, restoring Detroit as Hockeytown. Long suffering from depression and alcoholism, Sawchuk died in 1970 at the age of 40 after a drunken fight with a teammate resulted in fatal internal injuries. 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Although I don't like the G.O.A.T, it's refreshing to watch a sport where this debate is non-existent. He is currently still holds a record holder for being the second on the all-time list for his playoff points, of 295, and during the regular season games, played a total of 1,756 games. As the team’s only goalie, he had to return to the game after getting sewn up. Johnny Bucyk. Sidney Crosby may have a chance of cracking it one day and some are already talking about Connor McDavid becoming one of the all-time greatest, but for now, these guys are the hockey Gods, the Mount Rushmore of the NHL, the greatest of All-Time. The archives of THW contain over 30 000 posts on all things hockey. An idol among French Canadians, his suspension (for fighting) in 1955 caused fans to riot in Montreal. Over 3 million monthly readers now come to THW for their hockey fix. In addition to being an all-around player who could score and play defense, he earned respect for his class and quiet leadership. He's maybe the most underappreciated of the Chicago Blackhawks during their mini-dynasty from 2010 until 2015 when they won three Stanley Cups in six years. Orr is the ultimate “what could have been” story in NHL history. He split his time in 1977 and 1978 between the two expansion teams, the Colorado Rockies and Cleveland Barons. The arguments against Gretzky’s place as the best hockey player of all-time are everywhere: he played in the right era, on the right team, in the right system, bad goalies, etc. He is also a six-time Stanley Cup champ, five of which were won against the Oilers and one with the Rangers. Everything, except stay consistently healthy. Others have come close, but no one did it to the degree and with the same longevity as Gretzky did, making him the greatest hockey ever. Fans also regard him as the best athlete in Olympic history. He was also known for his aggressive play and hot temper. However, he refused to take the ice unless he could wear a face mask. In fact, Béliveau was so awesome that he didn’t even have to wait the customary three years after retiring before being voted into the Hockey Hall of Fame (1972). QuantHockey stats table: NHL All-Time Points Leaders. Maurice Richard (left) and goalie Jacques Plante (right) of the Montreal Canadiens defending the goal during the 1956 Stanley Cup playoffs. My only coworker who follows hockey loves Alex Ovechkin. A Hall-of-Famer, 12-time All-Star, winner of two Hart Trophies and three Art Ross Trophies, Bobby Hull is essentially on every top-10 players list you’ll find. While he left his mark on hockey, the game also left its mark on him. Wayne Gretzky; Bobby Orr; Gordie Howe; Mario Lemieux; Maurice Richard; Doug Harvey; Jean Beliveau; Bobby Hull; Terry Sawchuk; Eddie Shore; Guy Lafleur; Mark Messier; Jacques Plante; Ray Bourque But this is my list, and Steve Yzerman of the Detroit Red Wings is on it. Yet no player has ever dominated his own era like Gretzky did, and it’s hard to imagine that anyone ever will. A somewhat similar poll to determine the Greatest Ice Hockey Athlete of All Time was conducted on the ESPN Sport Science website in 2013 - looking for the greatest athlete, not player, from the sport of ice hockey.. Ice hockey Greatest. The answer is at once easy and complicated, like all truths tend to be. Many people have called Terry Sawchuk the greatest goalie in hockey. There’s always something to discuss in the hockey world, so why not spark a little debate with the five greatest hockey players of all time? Oh, and the coworker? Sadly, his career was hampered by recurring bouts of bad health which forced him to retire for three seasons in his prime. The best players in field hockey have proven that they can be great competitors all while staying true to the team spirit of the game. Ranking the Top 10 NHL Hockey Players of All Time 1. He scored a then record 507 career goals and was twice named the league’s MVP (1956, 1964). 5. To put his records into perspective, consider that Jaromir Jagr, turning 45 in less than a month, is No. Much like Gretzky, Orr was able to think the game on entirely different plane than the rest of the competition. Thing is, more than half of his brilliant career was spent … Wayne Gretzky. As part of the Western Hockey League’s 50 th Season celebrations, a panel of historians selected the top 125 players in WHL history this past September. In 1966 Time magazine had a makeup artist recreate all his facial injuries, and the resulting image isn’t pretty (google it). Jacques Plante changed the face of hockey. Ric Charlesworth, the former Australian hockey player, is considered as one of the greatest players of all times. Besides health, Lemieux was sick of the clutching and grabbing that had taken over the game, marking the first step towards the NHL eventually revising its rules in the 2005 lockout. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-3-0')};With the draft in the rear-view mirror and many of the free agents locked up around the league, the well of topics around the National Hockey League is starting to resemble water levels in the state of California. All that and he has a colorful personality, entertaining fans with amusing quotes (“Russian machine never breaks”) and stunts (wearing a fisherman’s hat during a skill competition at the 2009 All-Star break). Is it though? Definitely. After making his National Hockey League (NHL) debut in 2005 with the Washington Capitals, Ovechkin frequently led the league in scoring, winning the Maurice Richard Trophy, for most goals scored, five times (2008–09, 2013–15). Founded in 2009, The Hockey Writers is a premier destination for news and information on everything hockey. Wayne Gretzky (left) of the Edmonton Oilers and New York Islander Denis Potvin battling for the puck, 1988. Wayne Gretzky. Canadian former ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky is "the greatest hockey player ever," according to The... 2. With six MVP trophies in the span of a decade, Howe defined dominance in his era. For a … Three years later Pittsburgh won another Stanley Cup, making Lemieux the first person to win the cup as both a player and an owner. In 2014 he rightly found himself inducted to the Hall of Fame. He scored 50 shorthanded goals along with an eighth-best 94 game winners. The Top 50 WHL Players of All-Time countdown will conclude next Wednesday, May 4th at the 2016 WHL Awards in Calgary, as the top-three are announced. He returned as a player for several seasons before his last retirement in 2006. Considered one of the game’s best centers, Jean Béliveau won 10 (yes, 10) Stanley Cups (1956–60, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1971) with the Montreal Canadiens. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. I mean, he remains the greatest goalie of all time, at least in my opinion and those of many others. Sign up for our regular 'Hockey History Newsletter' for all the best and most significant pieces from the THW Archives. Orr’s influence went beyond the ice though, as he was a prominent name that led the charge against crooked player agent Alan Eagleson. A quick look at Jagr’s track record should quell any rancor though. Using algorithms, spreadsheets, statistics, and slide rules, I have determined the best hockey players ever. The Montreal Canadien goalie is credited with popularizing face masks. Bobby Orr is Greatest Hockey Player of All-Time. Amy Tikkanen is the general corrections manager, handling a wide range of topics that include Hollywood, politics, books, and anything related to the. Gordie Howe broke into the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings in 1946. The 59-year-old Canadian is widely revered as one of the best ice hockey players of all time after an illustrious 20-season career in the NHL. In 1997 “The Magnificent One” retired, and two years later he helped the Penguins climb out of bankruptcy after becoming the team’s majority owner. He also won two Stanley Cups (1970, 1972). Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. This name might come as a surprise to some being so high on the all-time list. On top of that, he ignited interest for the sport in California thanks to this stint with the Los Angeles Kings, eventually turning the Golden State into one of the fastest growing hockey hotbeds in the United States. Is it though? Alex Ovechkin, 2009. Equipment aside, Plante was also a stellar goaltender, helping Montreal win five consecutive Stanley Cups (1956–60). Jacques Plante. Wayne Gretzky shattered long-standing records, notably scoring an unprecedented 894 goals. He recorded some truly startling stat lines throughout his career, coming oh-so close to cracking 200 points in the 1988-89 season with 85 goals and 114 assists. He was voted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000, his number 7 is retired by the Stars, and in 2009, he was voted by Minnesota fans as the greatest ever player from the state. Ted Lindsay | Source: NHL. Along with other NHL legends like Mario Lemieux, Bobby Orr, Mark Messier and Maurice Richard, these hockey greats dominated the league during their time. 59. He’s my boss. These best field hockey players are the perfect example of what comes from hard work, a good team spirit, and a dedication to the betterment of the game. I don’t even know what an algorithm is. … So, relying solely on my deeply held opinions, I’ve come up with a very subjective list of the top 10 hockey players. Serge Savard, D 1966-1983 | Montreal, Winnipeg 1,040-106-333-439. In 1962 he was named the league’s most valuable player, and he was a seven-time winner of the Vezina Trophy (1956–60, 1962, 1969), as the league’s best goalie. Enjoy! 6 Jaromir Jagr He holds the record for most goals in a single season with a mind-boggling 92 red lights, and also the record for the fastest to 50 goals in a season in a ridiculous 39 games. (Indeed, fans are arrested nightly at hockey rinks all over the continent for imitating, albeit often drunkenly and with far less flair, the very behavior occurring in real time below them.) Not the most physically gifted, “The Great One” was able to dominate thanks to his Jedi master-like perception and anticipation of the game. There’s always something to discuss in the hockey world, so why not spark a little debate with the five greatest hockey players of all time? 10 Best Hockey Players of All Time Alex Ovechkin. As the longest-serving captain in NHL history, he brought three Stanley Cups (1997–98, 2002) to a city that desperately needed something to cheer about. During a 21-year career he won four Stanley Cups—three with the Red Wings (1952, 1954–55) and one with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1967)—and four Vezina Trophies (1952–53, 1955, 1965). He ranks top 20 all-time in both goals and assists by a USA-born player. I think he was kidding. Elbows” was also known for his gritty play. This post about the greatest hockey players ever was first published in July 2015 by former THW writer Felix Sicard. Forsberg wasn’t just a points machine though; he could do it all – attack, defend, roughhouse – everything. “The Rocket” rewrote the record books. Canadian professional ice hockey player Bobby Orr is widely regarded as … India was the most dominant team in Hockey during his career. Bobby Orr. We can’t imagine the list changing anytime soon. Spending 15 years with the Chicago Blackhawks (plus short stints at the end of his career with Winnipeg and Hartford) Hull was a scoring machine. The right winger was the first player to score 500 goals and the first to light up the lamp 50 times in a single season. if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-box-1-0')};report this ad. He could easily be sniffing 800-plus career goals if he hadn’t taken a three-year sabbatical in Siberia. Pete Dougherty. Originally drafted by the Buffalo Sabres in the ninth round of the 1974 Amateur Draft, Jodzio spent his seven-year career in eight different leagues including the WHA. Many will follow in the footsteps, or skate strides, of these all-time best NHL players but few will ever reach the level of greatness that these talented men have. Yes. Check out the list of top NHL fighters below and vote up the ones you'd fear most. And Howe played until he was 100. OK, really he was 52, but that’s like 100 in hockey years. Ring in the new year with a Britannica Membership. From this list, WHL fans voted at Top50.whl.ca to select the Top 50 WHL Players of All-Time. My only coworker who follows hockey loves Alex Ovechkin. Flags of players born outside of Canada (regardless of nationality) are included next to their names. Hockey” to you. Jaromir Jagr Let's walk through the top 25 players in NHL History. Lemieux was the first of his kind once he arrived in the NHL; a giant with a six foot four, 200-pound frame that could stickhandle in a phone booth and skate like the wind. In this video we are taking a look at the 10 greatest field hockey players of all time. In addition to being a scorer, “Mr. 2014 NHL Draft Top 10: Where Are They Now. Not that I’m condoning fisticuffs, but, unlike some players (cough, Gretzky, cough), Howe didn’t need an enforcer to fight his battles. Am I biased? He inspired the “Gordie Howe hat trick,” which was a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game. We aim to share with you some of the gems we’ve published over the years. Five scoring titles, three Lester Pearson’s (now Ted Lindsay), and one Hart, Jagr has all the individual accolades of a first-ballot Hall of Famer.if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-thehockeywriters_com-medrectangle-4-0')}; If it hadn’t been for Mario Lemieux, Jagr would have easily gone down as the greatest “big man” in hockey history; an indomitable force that could combine brute strength, size, and splendid skill to give the opposition fits. Although players such as Doug Harvey had blazed the path for defensemen to rush up in the play, Orr took that philosophy to an entirely new level.

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