One of the most physical and fast-paced sports around, Ice Hockey has produced some fierce competitors over its long history and here are the five greatest players to have taken to the rink.
1. Wayne Gretzky
Where to even start with Wayne Gretzky? The NHL record book might as well be renamed “The Memoirs of Wayne Gretzky”, as he basically wrote it himself throughout his career. The only player in NHL history to record 200 points in a single season, Gretzky achieved the feat a whopping four times during his career. He holds the record for most goals in a single season with a mind-boggling 92 red lights, and also the record for the fastest to 50 goals in a season in a ridiculous 39 games. On top of that, he ignited interest for the sport in California thanks to this stint with the Los Angeles Kings, eventually turning the Golden State into one of the fastest-growing hockey hotbeds in the United States. The arguments against Gretzky’s place as the best hockey player of all-time are everywhere: he played in the right era, on the right team, in the right system, bad goalies, etc. Yet no player has ever dominated his own era like Gretzky did, and it’s hard to imagine that anyone ever will. Not the most physically gifted, “The Great One” was able to dominate thanks to his Jedi master-like perception and anticipation of the game. Others have come close, but no one did it to the degree and with the same longevity as Gretzky did, making him the greatest hockey ever.
2. Bobby Orr
Canadian professional ice hockey player Bobby Orr is widely regarded as the best defenseman in NHL history. He played ten seasons for the Boston Bruins and two seasons for the Chicago Black Hawks in NHL. He is the only defenseman to win the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies. Bobby holds the record for most points and most assists in a single season by a defenseman. He won the Norris Trophies as the NHL’s best defenseman a record eight consecutive times and also achieved Hart Trophies as the league’s most valuable player for three consecutive times. Orr retired in 1978 at age 30 due to his repeated injuries in the left knee. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at the age of 31 and became the youngest player to achieve that.
3. Gordie Howe
It doesn’t take long when delving into the history books to find the legendary Gordie Howe, nicknamed ‘Mr. Hockey’, who some may feel should be at number one. Howe enjoyed an incredible 32 professional seasons, with 26 of those in the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings and six in the World Hockey Association (WHA). The Canadian, who passed away at the age of 88 in 2016, won four Stanley Cups, six league MVP awards and was top scorer on six occasions. Playing his last game in 1980, Howe’s record of 801 goals, 1049 assists and 1850 total points were all NHL records that stood until Wayne Gretzky came along. Howe, a 23-time NHL All-Star, still holds the NHL record for seasons played while his all-time games played record of 1,767 was only surpassed in 2021 by Patrick Marleau. The Floral-born star is the only player to have played in the NHL across five decades, while he was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.
4. Mario Lemieux
Before we even discuss Mario Lemieux’s NHL career, let’s just put this out there: he had 282 (!!!) points in only 70 games in his last season of junior for the Laval Voisins. Lemieux was the first of his kind once he arrived in the NHL; a giant with a six-foot-four, 200-pound frame that could stickhandle in a phone booth and skate like the wind. He recorded some truly startling stat lines throughout his career, coming oh-so-close to cracking 200 points in the 1988-89 season with 85 goals and 114 assists. Sadly, his career was hampered by recurring bouts of bad health which forced him to retire for three seasons in his prime. Besides health, Lemieux was sick of the clutching and grabbing that had taken over the game, marking the first step towards the NHL eventually revising its rules in the 2005 lockout. Lemieux will always be remembered as one of the most dominant to ever grace NHL ice, and also one of the most charitable off of it thanks to the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which strives to fund cancer research in the hope of finding an ultimate cure.
5. Maurice Richard
Canadian former ice hockey player Maurice Richard died on 27th May 2000. He played 18 seasons for the Montreal Canadians in the NHL and is widely regarded as the best winger in NHL history. Maurice was the first player to score 50 goals in one season of the NHL in 1945. He is also the first player to score more than 500 career goals, and he retired as the record holder of leading goal scorer with 544 goals. Maurice was a member of the All-Star Games thirteen times and was included in 14 post-season NHL All-Star Teams. He won the Hart Trophy in 1947 as the NHL’s most valuable player. Maurice led his team to victory in eight Stanley Cup championships, including a record five consecutive wins between 1956 and 1960. He was inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
