The most aesthetically pleasing player?

[tarheelhockey]

When he was going 100%, Alex Semin was just incredible to watch. Not "effortless", because the effort and power were part of what was so impressive. He looked like he was playing the game with a different toolbox than anyone else on the ice.

 

[hypereconomist]

When he was going 100%, Alex Semin was just incredible to watch. Not "effortless", because the effort and power were part of what was so impressive. He looked like he was playing the game with a different toolbox than anyone else on the ice.

Likewise for Nik Zherdev. Such a skilled player when he was trying

 

[tmmr]

For sheer speed, beauty, power, excitement: Bobby Hull, Guy Lafleur. Bure's up there too. For the more nuanced aesthetic of stickhandling/playmaking: Mikita, Gretzky, Patrick Kane.

 

[scott clam]

For sheer speed, beauty, power, excitement: Bobby Hull, Guy Lafleur. Bure's up there too. For the more nuanced aesthetic of stickhandling/playmaking: Mikita, Gretzky, Patrick Kane.

it's really too bad there isn't more quality footage of Bobby Hull. You read articles about him from back in the day, and you just picture a superman on skates.

 

[greyraven8]

For goal, Hasek was always entertaining to watch.

I'd also throw Irbe in there.

 

[tmmr]

it's really too bad there isn't more quality footage of Bobby Hull. You read articles about him from back in the day, and you just picture a superman on skates.

His speed was such that opposing teams didn't want him to get open, which is why during much of his NHL career they would assign a "shadow" to do nothing but follow him around and stay close. His lethal slapshot got most of the attention, and rightly so, but he had the quickest release wrist shot I had ever seen up to that point. Brett and Bobby probably had the quickest release with wooden sticks. The quick release is easier now with the light whippy composite sticks.

 

[scott clam]

His speed was such that opposing teams didn't want him to get open, which is why during much of his NHL career they would assign a "shadow" to do nothing but follow him around and stay close. His lethal slapshot got most of the attention, and rightly so, but he had the quickest release wrist shot I had ever seen up to that point. Brett and Bobby probably had the quickest release with wooden sticks. The quick release is easier now with the light whippy composite sticks.

Yeah lol it's funny the way genetics work.

 

[Troubadour]

I forgot to mention Hemsky. He probably gets overlooked as he has so little to show for it, but his skating/hands/smoothness/elegance combo was pretty rare. I'm probably gonna catch some flak, but he at times appeared as natural and effortless as mmm... Mario.

 

[Ghetty Green]

Pavel Datsyuk and Vitali Yachmenev

 

[Dread Clawz]

Coffey was pretty smooth on his skates back in the day, kind of effortless.
Denis Savard was fun to watch, and another fantastic skater.
Jagr's stickhandling in his younger days.
Of course Gretzky and Mario.

Yeah, Lemieux was pretty badass. There have been a lot of electrifying players....Bure, Mogilny, Fedorov, Datsyuk, Kovalev. But the main man for me was Jagr in his prime with that stickhandling and strength. It was just amazing and I doubt we'll ever see anything like it again. To me there's no better domination when you can stickhandle through an entire team and then make the goalie look like a fool. And then he would do his patented salute. He just crushed teams mentally.