flipp
Registered User
- Jan 11, 2010
- 165
- 90
When ranking the greatest hockey players of all time, we may overlook the unique challenges faced by those not from North America. A possibility is that these players deserve higher rankings due to the additional obstacles they've overcome.
Historically, non-North American players had to adapt to a different style of play on smaller rinks with more physical contact. They also grapple with language barriers, have to leave behind their families and support systems at a young age, They must also prove themselves in unfamiliar systems with less margin for error, often having fewer opportunities to showcase their skills compared to their North American counterparts.
These factors would of course not affect rankings of NHL performance but could potentially affect rankings of the best hockey players of all time. In the latter all-time rankings, NHL performance acts as a crucial input, but other factors should also be considered. I am not sure how much it should affect rankings, but at least to some extent. For instance, in a group of players with roughly equal performance in the NHL, the non-American would be ranked higher. A concrete example would be Forsberg and Malkin ranking higher than Sakic and Yzerman.
Do you agree?
Historically, non-North American players had to adapt to a different style of play on smaller rinks with more physical contact. They also grapple with language barriers, have to leave behind their families and support systems at a young age, They must also prove themselves in unfamiliar systems with less margin for error, often having fewer opportunities to showcase their skills compared to their North American counterparts.
These factors would of course not affect rankings of NHL performance but could potentially affect rankings of the best hockey players of all time. In the latter all-time rankings, NHL performance acts as a crucial input, but other factors should also be considered. I am not sure how much it should affect rankings, but at least to some extent. For instance, in a group of players with roughly equal performance in the NHL, the non-American would be ranked higher. A concrete example would be Forsberg and Malkin ranking higher than Sakic and Yzerman.
Do you agree?
