Players on Whom Public Opinion Has Changed Drastically Since Retirement...

[Staniowski]

You were correct (and The Panther incorrect), I was saying that Lemieux surpassed Gretzky as the current best player in the NHL.

What i said about Lemieux reaching a level no player has ever reached wasn't my personal opinion. I specifically said there are many people who thought that (and there certainly were), and there are still many people who think that.

Just one other thing about Gretzky/Lemieux....

I think Lemieux is the best scorer (goals and assists) in hockey history. If they played the same seasons, and both were equally healthy, I think Lemieux would outscore Gretzky most of the time.

But being the best scorer doesn't necessary mean he was the better player.

 

[MadLuke]

If they played the same seasons, and both were equally healthy, I think Lemieux would outscore Gretzky most of the time.

To go into the does not mean the best player (without going into gretzky impressive even strength, +/-, etc...), just scoring, do you feel the same for tourney and playoff ?

Scoring went down obviously, but 1997 Gretzky scored more points than younger 2001 Lemieux in the playoff and he was playing with Jagr... 93 Gretzky outscored Lemieux after the 2 first round...

In a short window, when you need to be "on" every game, every period, can see Gretzky getting on top more time, a 60%-40% type of split.

 

[Frank Cannon PI]

But being the best scorer doesn't necessary mean he was the better player.

I don't disagree with what you're saying.

In the same environment, in what ways do you think Gretzky would have an edge over Lemieux?