Who is the best player you saw live?

[BadgerBruce]

Bobby Hull.

Saw him live just twice, once against the Toronto Toros at the old Varsity arena in late-1973 and then in game 2 of the 1974 Summit Series against the Soviets.

Single most impressive and entertaining player I’ve ever seen live. Supremely confident, pure alpha. Carried himself as though there was absolutely no doubt that he was the best player on the ice, and then he proceeded to prove it. I cannot imagine what he would have been like at his peak ten years earlier, but the mid-30s Bobby Hull I saw was really something else.

 

[Adam da bomb]

Sidney Crosby/Federov/ McDavid.

 

[paracord]

Mario Lemieux.

 

[Esq]

Beyond Gretz, Messier, Lidstrom and Fedorov...

When healthy, Cam Neely was an absolute beast.

 

[GIN ANTONIC]

The two that always stick out to me are hilarious examples.

2006-2007 season (i think) I went to a Leafs v Sabres game in Toronto and I remember Maxim Afinogenov just being an absolute madman on the ice with the puck. It was amazing to watch him play around that time

And then the other one is that my wife and I, along with two other Canes fans were at the David Ayres game right before COVID hit. So, not the 'best' player by any means but by far the most impressive thing I've seen in pro sports.

 

[ManofSteel55]

Connor McDavid. I didn't get to any Oilers games when Gretzky was playing (too young and my parents rarely traveled to Edmonton then), so its easily McDavid for me. I saw a Caps-Flames game in Calgary once (rooting for the Caps), and Ovechkin was playing, but he was playing with a wrist or shoulder injury so he was basically invisible.

For non-active players, that's a tougher one. Pavel Bure maybe? Chicago era Roenick? Although I think Bure was better. I didn't make it to many games at all as a kid.

The most dominant performance I have ever watched live was Mike Comrie, representing the AJHL All Stars, in the Viking Cup tournament in Camrose, Alberta. I don't recall the year. But he was far and away the best player in that tournament. I had a debate with my dad after the tournament about whether he would be good enough for the NHL. Dad thought he was too small. I was right, ha ha.

 

[McFlash97]

Gretzky, McDavid, Coffey, Draisaitl, Fedorov

 

[STL fan in MN]

I watched both Gretzky and Lemieux in person numerous times growing up but it was Pavel Bure that I recall doing stuff that made me literally say “wow”. Never seen anything like it since.

 

[thekernel]

I could easily say my fair share of Canucks (Sedins, Luongo, Hughes), but one opposing player who sticks out in my memory was Vladimir Tarasenko. My seats were basically ice-level that night, so I got to see in real-time just what a beast of a shot he used to have. Watching the game up close, you realize that everyone is so much faster and stronger than they look on TV, so when Tarasenko got space to rip it, man, I was blown away by how much power he could get on it.

 

[Bizz]

Prime Joe Thornton.

Dominant every time he stepped on the ice.

 

[MartinS82]

Mogilny was amazing to watch in person. The speed he had....my god

This is my answer too. I've seen Gretzky dozens of times, Lemieux, Crosby, McDavid etc...

But live, the player that looked like he was playing at a different speed, was Mogilny when he was with Buffalo. I remember watching him and being in shock at how fast he was.

 

[HabsDood]

Ray Bourque, talked to him at the Verdun Auditorium, he was injured, I was getting a hot-dog.. Think I was 10 yo, i'm 57

 

[REALTALK81]

I didn't get to watch a game live until I was older. Leafs beat the Wings in OT with Clark scoring it. Lots of HOF players in that game. Got great seats and met the Baumer after he scrapped Probert. Signed my program but I lost that. Watched the other variations since but my favorite was Dougie.

 

[Oilslick941611]

I saw a team Canada vs team USA World Cup pre tournament game in Ottawa in 2004. I’ve been looking for the lineups because I remember Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic, mike modano and Bret hull playing in the game but it was 20 years ago so I’m trying to jog my memory.

 

[FiveTacos]

Seeing the three Norris finalists Lidstrom, Pronger, and Niedermayer all on the ice literally at the same time during the '07 playoffs was pretty incredible, might never happen again in my lifetime.

And speaking of Norris guys, prime Brian Leetch was absolutely riveting to watch.

 

[Son of Nogatco]

Al Iafrate

 

[Jack Spider]

I could easily say my fair share of Canucks (Sedins, Luongo, Hughes), but one opposing player who sticks out in my memory was Vladimir Tarasenko. My seats were basically ice-level that night, so I got to see in real-time just what a beast of a shot he used to have. Watching the game up close, you realize that everyone is so much faster and stronger than they look on TV, so when Tarasenko got space to rip it, man, I was blown away by how much power he could get on it.

I had a similar experience. I saw Daniel Sprong being the trigger man for Seattle. They must have had 5 power plays that game. I think most of us had no idea who that guy was, but he was giving the show that night.

 

[pikkuvaimo]

Crosby

 

[Derailed75]

Ron Francis
Rod Brindamore
Ovi
Patrick Cane

 

[RussianBum86]

Crosby
Kucherov
McDavid
Mackinnon
Lindstrom
Datsyuk
Marty st. Louis
Vinny Lecavalier
Hedman
Ovi
My top 10

 

[tsujimoto74]

Hasek. Those were the good old days.

 

[Winger74]

I watched both Gretzky and Lemieux in person numerous times growing up but it was Pavel Bure that I recall doing stuff that made me literally say “wow”. Never seen anything like it since.

Pavel was like a hockey rockstar. I have seen Jagr, Forsberg, Lidström, Messier and many other great players, but Pavel was something else, he did fantastic things and was incredibly cool on top of that.

 

[Thrasymachus]

Crosby playing street hockey xD

 

[Machinehead]

At the time I saw them, either Jagr with the Rangers or Crosby in the mid 2010's.

Haven't seen McDavid yet.

Also, he was no longer in his prime when I saw him, but if you told me Pronger is 7'7", I would believe you. Holy shit was that dude's body everywhere.

 

[elmaco]

Hasek