OFF SEASON FUN: ... List your top-10 players of all time (MUST INCLUDE AT LEAST 1 NON-NHLer,... pre-NHL, Euro... even if only a 'potential 10th')
- Thread starter VanIslander
- Start date
Laphroaig
Registered User
DitchMarner
TheGlitchintheSwitch
Mike C
Registered User
Orr/Gretzky---you pick the order
Howe/Lemieux---you pick
Tretiak
Everyone else who's ever played
Howe/Lemieux---you pick
Tretiak
Everyone else who's ever played
buffalowing88
Registered User
Gretzky
Orr
Lemieux
Howe
Hull
Beliveau
Crosby
Harvey
Roy
Kharlamov
In order
I'd think McDavid makes the list a lot more difficult in a year or two.
Orr
Lemieux
Howe
Hull
Beliveau
Crosby
Harvey
Roy
Kharlamov
In order
I'd think McDavid makes the list a lot more difficult in a year or two.
Mike C
Registered User
Love Hull on there at 5.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
The premise was "one non-NHLer..." so,... a pre-NHL player, a Euro, a Soviet, whomever... 1 in 10 of the best MAY have never player in the NHL. Call your shot.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Ah, I get it now.
Orr
Howe
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby
Hull
McDavid
Shore
Richard
Taylor
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My list goes like this:
1. Gretzky. Undisputable #1 to me. Prime for prime (or peak for peak) Orr can take a stab at him maybe (I still probably have Gretzky #1 there) - but even if, he beats him in the long run
2. Orr. Insane prime/peak consistency.
3. Lemieux. I still think Lemieux was simply better than Howe, and so I place him above. He has a longer career than Orr, but the "intermittance" doesn't help his greatness. I'd have loved to see Lemieux healthy at his best for ~5-6 years, even if it took away from longevity as it does with Orr. It would probably raise his stock.
4. Howe. I won't argue too much with those who rank him higher, but he's #4 for me
5. Crosby. Best resume outside of the big 4. He has it all - including absolutely incredible elite consistency. Careers are peaks and valleys...but he doesn't really have valleys. He had some years injured, but never a bad year. His worst year is better than anyone else's worst year 19 years in. Great playoffs, peak, etc - very full and strong resume
6. Roy. I'm very big on playoffs - and the 3 smythes are important, but also the incredible success/consistency in playoffs his whole career, even outside of those 3 smythes.
7. Beliveau. Incredibly full career, similar to Crosby in some ways, but Crosby was simply better/more consistent
8. Jagr. Insane peak/prime and very strong longevity on top of it. Very strong individual playoff performer too, even if he doesn't exactly have a "smythe worthy run".
9-11 Bourque/Hasek/Ovechkin in some order - I don't know which order. I fluctuate. Today I'm feeling Hasek/Ovi/Bourque, but I shift.
As for your condition of "must include"....well no. Because they don't make my top 10 if so, sorry.
1. Gretzky. Undisputable #1 to me. Prime for prime (or peak for peak) Orr can take a stab at him maybe (I still probably have Gretzky #1 there) - but even if, he beats him in the long run
2. Orr. Insane prime/peak consistency.
3. Lemieux. I still think Lemieux was simply better than Howe, and so I place him above. He has a longer career than Orr, but the "intermittance" doesn't help his greatness. I'd have loved to see Lemieux healthy at his best for ~5-6 years, even if it took away from longevity as it does with Orr. It would probably raise his stock.
4. Howe. I won't argue too much with those who rank him higher, but he's #4 for me
5. Crosby. Best resume outside of the big 4. He has it all - including absolutely incredible elite consistency. Careers are peaks and valleys...but he doesn't really have valleys. He had some years injured, but never a bad year. His worst year is better than anyone else's worst year 19 years in. Great playoffs, peak, etc - very full and strong resume
6. Roy. I'm very big on playoffs - and the 3 smythes are important, but also the incredible success/consistency in playoffs his whole career, even outside of those 3 smythes.
7. Beliveau. Incredibly full career, similar to Crosby in some ways, but Crosby was simply better/more consistent
8. Jagr. Insane peak/prime and very strong longevity on top of it. Very strong individual playoff performer too, even if he doesn't exactly have a "smythe worthy run".
9-11 Bourque/Hasek/Ovechkin in some order - I don't know which order. I fluctuate. Today I'm feeling Hasek/Ovi/Bourque, but I shift.
As for your condition of "must include"....well no. Because they don't make my top 10 if so, sorry.
Decent list and reasons here although I would switch Howe and Mario and Hasek should be in there somewhere but goalies.........nevermind night shifts are messing with my brain I see Hasek there.
McDavid has to be close as well and for non NHL I dunno Tretiak, Kharlamov or Fred "Cyclone" Taylor maybe?
Yes....Hull is probably next. Harvey/Richard to follow
Hull going to WHA hurts him in my book. I think if he had stuck around the NHL and performed very highly for longer I might slot him a bit higher. Still not sure he'd be above Jagr though.
So as I say above, Hull, Harvey & Richard follow to round out my top 14.
I think those 10 players make up my list of viable candidates for #5 all-time. We always say there's a whole bunch of names, to me those are the 10 names. Anyone else is a tier below.
I'd probably have McDavid today just outside that top 14, so 15th.
And a lot of this is lazyness on my part. I'm simply too lazy to spend too much brain powers deciding how 9 full seasons of McDavid should compare to ~15-20 full seasons of other guys since it's apples and oranges....because I know if I just wait a few more years, his lack of longevity won't matter anymore. So if someone was to be super offended with me having McDavid as low as 15th - fine, not something I'd argue about too much if he's higher for you.
I've stated often enough that McDavid has done a lot in the past few years to impress me. At this point I'd say I'm 95% sure (almost typed 99%) that he will surplant Crosby at #5 all-time, and I even am open to the possibility he could finish higher than 5th.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
Wow, I'm having a hard time getting this right.
You are correct, I forgot Makarov played in the NHL.
Let's replace him with Cyclone Taylor.
The OP perhaps could have been more clear but hey that's what discussion boards are about fleshing stuff like this out.
Dennis Bonvie
Registered User
VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
Seriously? The headline says MUST HAVE ONE OF TEN NON-NHLer. Yet some can't fathom that.
Great hockey by Soviets, Czechoslovakians, WHLers, pre-NHLers (yes, there was Stanley Cip hockey a quarter century before the league)... there MUST BE a .... POSSIBLE 10th guy on anyone's honest top-10 all time list who ain't an NHLer. Find at least one you might think worthy.
VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
well you could have given an example instead you listed who wouldn't be on your list, just not the way it's usually done.
VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
Because this thread is not about me.
The idea was to let others set the stage and then i'd contribute my list.
It's funny to see that naming a 10th POSSIBLE greatest hockey player ever on a HISTORY board.... could be baulked at?!
The Soviets owned the ice multiple times.
The WHA poached several greats.
There were pre-NHL greats.
Certainly a shout out to one of ten would be apt, eh?
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VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
My top 5 has...
Gordie Howe
Wayne Gretzky
Dominik Hasek
Mario Lemieux
Bobby Orr
...
Those roll off the tongue easily. No need to rank them. They are each arguably #1.
Then come the Habs... my childhood dream team ... i am initially Dryden, then Savard then Langway (bye bye... i'll go with ya to Washington).
6 through 10...
Uh.... uh... i wanna list 5 Habs... and i arguably can . .. but i will make one big controversial decision:
6. Maurice Richard
7. Patrick Roy (no Beliveau, ... sorry)
8. Raymond Bourque
9. THAT GUY YOU KNOW TODAY.
10. THAT GUY GRETZKY CALLED THE BEST PLAYER HE EVER PLAYED AGAINST.
Bobby Hull didn't make the final cut.
Doug Harvey hasn't either. They and Beliveau used to be chalk. But chalk can be erased.
Gordie Howe
Wayne Gretzky
Dominik Hasek
Mario Lemieux
Bobby Orr
...
Those roll off the tongue easily. No need to rank them. They are each arguably #1.
Then come the Habs... my childhood dream team ... i am initially Dryden, then Savard then Langway (bye bye... i'll go with ya to Washington).
6 through 10...
Uh.... uh... i wanna list 5 Habs... and i arguably can . .. but i will make one big controversial decision:
6. Maurice Richard
7. Patrick Roy (no Beliveau, ... sorry)
8. Raymond Bourque
9. THAT GUY YOU KNOW TODAY.
10. THAT GUY GRETZKY CALLED THE BEST PLAYER HE EVER PLAYED AGAINST.
Bobby Hull didn't make the final cut.
Doug Harvey hasn't either. They and Beliveau used to be chalk. But chalk can be erased.
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VanIslander
A 20-year ATDer on HfBoards
Ok. I'm done here.
(Florida has a couple of candidates for "the best of this century"... which should become a thing to not disrespect history.)
Gordie said Rocket.
Wayne said Fetisov.
All's good
(Florida has a couple of candidates for "the best of this century"... which should become a thing to not disrespect history.)
Gordie said Rocket.
Wayne said Fetisov.
All's good
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Sure that's fair but It could have been top 10 all time then the best non NHL Eruo and/or pre NHL guy but whatever I just made a passing comment as I was a bit confused if we should state a Euro and a non NHLer but heck a lot of threads go off in interesting directions so it's not a huge deal.
I'm also burning the candle at both ends with work and negotiations and a family trip so my posting has been, let's say more erratic than usual,,,
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