Top 10 Best NHL Players of All Time

[frisco]

Your choices are reasonable, of course, but can I ask why Messier over, say, Connor McDavid? Even as this forum's resident Messier fan, I find that odd.

15 point per/game seasons. Six Stanley Cups and it is pretty safe to say none of his teams would've won without him on there. Absolutely ferocious, intimidating competitor. 1887 points. 295 playoff points. Three Canada Cup titles. Iconic leader. Come to think of it, I'm amending my list to:

Gretzky
Lemieux
Orr
Howe
Jagr
Crosby
Messier
Hull
Richard
Beliveau

I just don't see what Beliveau brought to the table that Messier didn't, and Messier had elements in this game that Beliveau did not.

I don't know why he doesn't get a lot of cred on these boards. I mean, he had a average run with Vancouver in his late 30's which is an odd thing to focus on, but when people talk about dominant physical forces Peter Forsberg's name comes up more often than Messier which is absolutely laughable.

Offensively, he was in the shadow of Gretzky and Mario but the man was a powerhouse. I remember the Russians just playing in total fear of Messier both skill-wise and physical prowess. How can someone keep him out of the top ten?

BTW, I'd love to find room for Eddie Shore and Hasek, who are probably 11-12 on my list.

My Best-Carey

 

[Calderon]

Is Crosby the only player beside the big four who'd make everyone's top 10? Maybe Bobby Hull? It's a little bit of a generation thing as well with someone like Shore being mentioned more frequently by older posters. If Ovie manages to break the goal record this season with a 82+ points I think many will view him a bit more favorably as well. Then there's the difficulty of ranking goalies and not everyone has Hasek as their best all time...

 

[sensfan4lifee]

Your choices are reasonable, of course, but can I ask why Messier over, say, Connor McDavid? Even as this forum's resident Messier fan, I find that odd.




Do people really not know what his name is...??

I put last names for everyone i dont see the issue

 

[jigglysquishy]

I put last names for everyone i dont see the issue

That's not his last name

 

[BraveCanadian]

After number 4 it gets real tough because there are about 20 players you could make a reasonable case for..

Gretzky
Orr
Howe
Lemieux

Beliveau
McDavid
Crosby
Hull
Harvey
Richard


HM to so many.. Morenz, Hasek, Roy, Shore, Bourque, Jagr and on and on.. if I did it tomorrow the list would be different.

 

[Namba 17]

For me its hard to rate top10 nhl players.
That's why:
I have Gretzky as clear #1
Then I have Howe Lemieux and Orr as #2-4. Too hard for me to put them in order, they have about similar value to me.
Then I have Hasek as #5.
Then there are another 3 players whome I cant rate in order:
Morenz, Beliveau and Bourque for #6-8
And then another bunch of players, who are on the same next tier to me:
Bobby Hull, Maurice Richard, Ovechkin, Jagr, Harvey, Lidstrom, Shore, Crosby, Roy

 

[VanIslander]

Mario Lemieux (1993)
Dominik Hašek (1998)
Wayne Gretzky (1984)
Sergei Fedorov (1994)
Peter Forsberg (2003)
Jaromír Jágr (1999)
Sidney Crosby (2011)
Eric Lindros (1995)
Brett Hull (1991)
Sergei Makarov (1989 [sic])

Another non-Habs top 10. With Lindros!

 

[jigglysquishy]

Another non-Habs top 10. With Lindros!

With only one season mentioned before 1989. It's a pretty obvious pattern

 

[Crosby2010]

Gretzky
Howe
Orr
Lemieux
Crosby
Beliveau
Harvey
Hull
Jagr
Bourque

HM - Richard, Hasek, McDavid (he'll get there soon), Ovechkin, Roy

Goalies are a wild card. I don't know who is clearly #1, if there is any. Plante and Sawchuk have their cases too.

 

[Albatros]

Another non-Habs top 10. With Lindros!

I was thinking about Roy, but ultimately that was just playoff runs and series. Even so he's not unworthy though. In the 1970s the whole league was simply a lot weaker, in my opinion peaked in the mid-1990s hence players mainly from that era.

 

[Calderon]

Another non-Habs top 10. With Lindros!

That list is clearly based on wholly different criteria, though. That's a peak condition list with a time frame of what, a lone season? With that criteria it gets murky very fast, like, someone like Pat LaFontaine (1993) could easily be mentioned.

 

[Albatros]

LaFontaine like Brett Hull was very lucky to play with whom he did, one could even argue Mogilny was better in '93.

 

[Hippasus]

Is Crosby the only player beside the big four who'd make everyone's top 10? Maybe Bobby Hull? It's a little bit of a generation thing as well with someone like Shore being mentioned more frequently by older posters. If Ovie manages to break the goal record this season with a 82+ points I think many will view him a bit more favorably as well. Then there's the difficulty of ranking goalies and not everyone has Hasek as their best all time...

I counted three posters, including myself, who don't have Crosby in there, and five that don't have Bobby Hull. There's too many great players in history and open criteria for this list after the big four for that.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Beliveau, Crosby, and Hull are going to be the three most popular skaters outside the Big Four

 

[dr robbie]

Top 4 in order:
99
4
9
66

Then it's a log jam for the next 6, but would probably include some order of the following for me this morning:
Le Gros Bill
Harvey
Sid
Roy
Rocket
Golden Jet

 

[The Panther]

I had neither Hull nor Crosby in my top-10.

Previously (some years ago?), I likely would have had Hull in there somewhere, but over the years I've cooled on him a bit. This is not because I know a lot about his playing days -- I've never seen him play a single game in my life (well, I did watch most of one 1976 Canada Cup game on YouTube once -- Hull look good). But I've come to the opinion that Hull was not the kind of guy who tilted the ice for the whole team a great deal. That isn't to say he wasn't one of the all-time greats because he was... but his team had very little playoff success (basically none) when he was in his prime, and one of his own teammates has called him out on not being a team player.

At this point, I can't really see Hull being ranked above Ovechkin. And Ovechkin is bubbling outside my top-10 also, so Hull is definitely not in there.

As for Crosby, he's probably very close. I'm guessing if I tried to make a list of #'s 11--20 he's in there somewhere, but I don't know where. Maybe Crosby, Hull, and Ovechkin are all in that 11 to 15 range somewhere...

 

[10Ducky10]

Gretzky
Orr
Howe
Lemieux
Harvey
Crosby
Dryden
Datsyuk
Rocket
Sawchuk

McD after his career is over if he keeps dominating and wins a cup.

 

[Sentinel]

I'll post Top 20. Just cuz.

1. Wayne Gretzky (C)
2. Gordie Howe (RW)
3. Bobby Orr (D)
4. Mario Lemieux (C)
5. Dominic Hasek (G)
6. Phil Esposito (C)
7. Alexander Ovechkin (LW)
8. Sydney Crosby (C)
9. Bobby Hull (LW)
10. Jaromir Jagr (RW)
11. Connor McDavid (C)
12. Eddie Shore (D)
13. Jean Beliveau (C)
14. Sergei Makarov (RW)
15. Guy Lafleur (RW)
16. Nicklas Lidstrom (D)
17. Doug Harvey (D)
18. Patrick Roy (G)
19. Raymond Bourque (D)
20. Mark Messier (C)

 

[VanIslander]

Top 10 has 9, 99, 4 and 66.

On this we all agree.

That leaves 6 spots.

I contend you include the two greatest goalies because they are 1A, 1B, after decades of analyses. And to have a top-10 list without the extremely important position of goaltender would be foolish.

That leaves 4 spots.

Given the multiple Habs dynasties, at least one from the Canadiens ought to be included (or two or three).

That leaves 3 spots, at most.

And there certainly should be someone (if not two) from the last quarter century, unless regression is your outlook on recent hockey history.

So, whether Sid, OV or McD, you gotta admit at least one contemporary player makes the list.

That leaves two spots.

And could a hockey history greatest list leave off everybody in the first half century of our sport? (This is a maÿbe among those who don't respect Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Muhammad Ali and Kareem Abdul-Jabar).

That leaves 2 or 1 spot. I hope most think just 1 left.

So,... a top ten list is a pretty short menu with a few options and a wide-open dessert choice.

 

[The Panther]

I contend you include the two greatest goalies because they are 1A, 1B, after decades of analyses. And to have a top-10 list without the extremely important position of goaltender would be foolish.

I agree. That's why I listed Plante and Hasek.

 

[Wee Baby Seamus]

Without thinking too heavy on it

Gretzky
Orr
Howe
Lemieux
Crosby
Beliveau
McDavid
Harvey
Bourque
Ovechkin

My top 7 is, I think, locked in. Cluster of guys just outside is Hull, Jagr, Richard, Hasek.

 

[carjackmalone]

The Number 5 conundrum I’ve seen Béliveau ,Hull ,Richard ,Hasek,Harvey occupy the spot on different lists but what about Lafleur and his Peak,He has the Numbers and the cups and higher scoring avg then Béliveau,Richard and Hull.


Has any other Right Wing other then the flower ever had 6 consecutive 1st team all star selections?

Mike Bossy gets no respect for the number 5 spot as well he and Lafleur could easily be a 1A 1B

 

[Sentinel]

I still believe Beliveau is overrated. 2 Harts, 1 Art Ross, routinely eclipsed by his own teammates. I don't see how you can put him above Espo, Ovy, Crosby, Hull, Jagr, McD, and Shore, with their multiple trophies. And his peak (1955-56, I presume) is not that high, only 9 points above Howe, with two teammates in the Top5.

Mike Bossy gets no respect for the number 5 spot as well he and Lafleur could easily be a 1A 1B

Bossy? How? Zero Harts (his highest finish was #3), zero Art Rosses, only two goal leads. He barely cracks my Top25.

 

[carjackmalone]

7 straight post season all star finishes

4 cups

 

[Michael Farkas]

But I've come to the opinion that Hull was not the kind of guy who tilted the ice for the whole team a great deal.

You might want to re-consider the whole "watching the games" thing haha - Hull might pop as much or more than any O6 player...