My research has shown who the greatest ice hockey players ever were using spreadsheets, algorithms, statistics, and slide rules. Just kidding! Even the definition of an algorithm escapes me. I do know my hockey, though. So I’ve created a very subjective ranking of the best 10 hockey players based only on my strong beliefs. Disagree with my selections? You receive a five-minute major for engaging in combat.

1;Alex Ovechkin

The only person at work who is a hockey fanatic is Alex Ovechkin. He actually said once that Ovechkin was “the greatest human being in the world.” I believe he was joking. However, “Ovie” has shown that he is an excellent hockey player. After joining the Washington Capitals for his NHL debut in 2005, Alexei Ovechkin regularly led the league in scoring and won the Maurice Richard Trophy several times (2008–09, 2013–16, 2018–19, 2020).In addition, he has won the Hart Memorial Trophy three times (2008–09, 2013) as the NHL’s most valuable player. In 2018, he (finally) won the Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. In addition to all of that, he has a vibrant personality that delights fans with anecdotes and antics (such as donning a fisherman’s hat during a skill competition at the 2009 All-Star break). And the colleague, too? I work for him.

2;Jacques Plante

Hockey’s appearance was altered by Jacques Plante. in the true sense. Face masks are attributed with becoming popularized by the Canadian goaltender from Montreal. After taking a slap shot in 1959, he required 21 facial stitches. He was tied for first place and had to play again as the team’s lone goalie. But unless he could put on a face mask, he wouldn’t take the ice. History is what’s left.

Aside from his equipment, Plante was an excellent goalie who helped Montreal win five straight Stanley Cups in the years 1956–1960. He was awarded the league’s most valuable player in 1962 and the league’s finest goalie seven times, winning the Vezina Trophy in 1956–1960, 1962, and 1969.

3;Steve Yzerman

Am I a Michigan native? Indeed. Am I prejudiced? Without a doubt. But this is my list, and Detroit Red Wings player Steve Yzerman is on it. He contributed to the revival of Detroit as Hockeytown by turning the Dead Wings into one of the most dominant teams in the league. He brought three Stanley Cups (1997–98, 2002) to a community that sorely needed something to celebrate as the longest-serving captain in NHL history. Apart from his offensive and defensive prowess, he was also respected for his poise and understated leadership.

 

4;Terry Sawchuk

Terry Sawchuk is widely regarded as the best goalie in hockey history. He won four Stanley Cups and four Vezina Trophies (1952–1953, 1955, 1965) during the course of a 21-year career, three with the Red Wings (1952, 1954–1955, and one with the Toronto Maple Leafs (1967). In addition, he has 447 career victories, including a record-breaking 103 shutouts, which remained in place until 2009. He made his stamp on hockey, but the sport made its mark on him as well. Before putting on a face mask, he reportedly needed 400 stitches (see number 9). The image that was produced in 1966 when Time magazine had a makeup artist replicate all of his facial injuries is not very attractive (google it). Sawchuk, who battled melancholy and alcoholism for a long time, passed away at the age of 40 in 1970 following a struggle with a colleague during intoxication that left him with deadly internal injuries.

5;Jean Béliveau

Jean Béliveau, regarded as one of the best centers in the league, won ten Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens (1956–60, 1965–66, 1968–69, 1971). In 1956 and 1964, he set a league record with 507 goals in his career. He was also twice awarded MVP of the league. Béliveau was so amazing, in fact, that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1972 instead of the usual three years after retiring.

6;Maurice Richard

The record books were altered by “The Rocket.” The right winger was the first player to score fifty goals in a single season and the first player to reach 500 goals overall. Maurice Richard won eight Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens during the course of his 18-year career (1944, 1946, 1953, 1956–60). He was also well-known for playing rough and having a short fuse. An icon to French Canadians, his 1955 ban (for fighting) set out riots in Montreal among his supporters.

7;Mario Lemieux

Even at 6 feet 4 inches (1.9 meters) tall, Mario Lemieux showed remarkable quickness and dexterity. He played for the Pittsburgh Penguins for 17 years, winning two Stanley Cups (1991–1992) and amassing an incredible 690 goals in his career despite missing many due to a Hodgkin cancer diagnosis. “The Magnificent One” retired in 1997, and after taking over as the team’s primary owner two years later, he assisted the Penguins in emerging from bankruptcy. A few seasons were spent as a footballer before he made his final retirement in 2006. Lemieux became the first individual to win the Stanley Cup as both a player and an owner when Pittsburgh won the cup again three years later.

8;Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr holds the record for the most James Norris Memorial Trophy victories (1968–75), making him one of the top defensemen in the game. He became the first defenseman to lead the NHL in scoring (1970) while he was a member of the Boston Bruins, and he won three MVP awards in the league (1970–1972). Two Stanley Cups were also won by him (1970, 1972).

9;Wayne Gretzky

“The Great One” changed the game with his speed and skill. Breaking long-standing records, Wayne Gretzky scored an incredible 894 goals. Along with winning nine (!) NHL MVP awards (1980–87, 1989), he also won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers (1984–85, 1987–88). He helped make ice hockey more popular in the US after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988, which opened the door for the sport’s growth.

 

 

10;Gordie Howe

To you, that is “Mr. Hockey.” With 801 goals in his NHL career, Gordie Howe set a record at the time. He also won four Stanley Cups (1950, 1952, 1954–1955) while playing for the Red Wings’ “Production Line.” “Mr. Elbows” was not just a scorer but also a playwright with grit. Not that I support fistfights, but Howe was able to fight his battles without the assistance of an enforcer, unlike certain other players (cough, Gretzky, cough). The “Gordie Howe hat trick,” which combined a goal, an assist, and a fight in one game, was made popular by him. Howe continued to play until the age of 100. Okay, so he was 52, but in hockey years, that’s equivalent to 100.

 

 

 

 

 

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