So who else is totally ramped up for a new NHL season? Hopefully a return to close to normalcy. And in that spirit…
Set to Manitoba’s own Tom Cochrane’s great hockey song “Big League”.
This is my list of the top 20 hockey players of all time. First off, the guy you think is missing, well he came in at #21. Maybe I’ll do a 20-50 list down the line.
The criteria for greatness is career accomplishments as a hockey player. That is how I balance longevity vs peak for example. This is not just NHL, this includes their entire career including international, WHA, amateur etc. Obviously the better the league the greater the accomplishment.
One of the biggest debates is how much playoff success, specifically Stanley Cups come into play. To me, they are an accomplishment so can add to the player’s greatness, but I don’t take away from another player who has not won. Sometimes it’s not that players fault for his team’s fortunes, and it’s not a players credit for their team winning. I mean would you put Claude Lemiuex ahead of Marcel Dionne for example?
As for International play, to me it is lower than the NHL but has to be taken into account. While there are no Iron Curtain players on this list, there would be around 5 or 6 in a list of the Top 50; all Soviets who never had the chance to play in the NHL. International games were also a good measuring stick of players against their peers for players without much playoff success; like Marcel Dionne and Dale Hawerchuk for example.
Finally, while it is tough to compare eras, I do give bonuses for players who I feel changed the game or position; eg) Bobby Orr, Doug Harvey, and Patrick Roy. I appreciate the professionalism, skill, and dedication to modern players, and have a tough time ranking highly players before about 1940. Comparing eras is tough, not only because of the level of competition, changes in rules and the number of teams, but also because of my own personal ability to “eye ball” them in their prime. However, one measuring stick I use is how many all-star places they have (not all-star games, but 1st and 2nd teams). Regardless of Stanley Cups, various skill sets, league scoring averages, number of teams, etc, if you are a 1st or 2nd team all star than you were the best at your position.
I don’t feel that these choices are exactly daring, and they are somewhat similar to the list at HF Boards which have a committee doing these lists; a group of people who know more than I do. However, my criteria and opinions are what makes my list different from their list.
If you have a different opinion I would love to see your list!
Now, Game On!!
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