Best Hockey Players of All Time

The NHL has retired just one number. No one in the league will ever don a #99 jersey again. I'd like to think they knew what this other-worldly talent did for the game. To try to expound on his accolades here would be redundant, as it seems many here know the true brilliance of this guy as a hockey player, and as a humble human being. Greatness of this level is not generational, or even once in a lifetime, in fact, I'm fairly confident they'll never be another hockey player with his skill set, ever. It was a blessing for me to watch his entire NHL career, and I fondly remember watching him play with much better hockey minds than me, guys way up in the NHL foodchain. We were all in awe of Wayne Gretzky, he hit the ice and we were silent, as there was a fairly good chance we would see something that had never been witnessed before. The puck on his stick almost certainly meant a scoring chance, those ridiculous point totals were not by accident. Hey, I'm just happy to be among those that ...more

Okay. If you don't know who Wayne gretzky is, get a life, do some research, and pray that the hockey gods forgive you for your jawdropping cluelessness. You can name all the cups you want, all the team's you love, all the players you worship and defend with your life. But at the end of the day, all your precious players? Gretzky could have puckhandled his way through them all without a thought. Some guys get into the nhl from talent. Some guys are just really hard workers. But Gretzky? He was talented, and had thousands of hours more of practice over everyone else who ever played. That's why he was, and will always be, The Great One.

Hands down, THE best player ever. Orr was hands down THE best defenseman. Mario, well some whine that he was just injured too much or could have...blah, blah, blah. Take a look at the BEST amazing goals ever scored...hmm. Whose name keeps coming up? TSN even says there were so many amazing Gretzky goals, they could not just show one. Mario, well we remember one. Orr, one. Some say he wouldn't have gotten all those assists, except he played with such "skilled players"...well just look at the passes he made. Many of those passes were like "the puck had eyes" as was quoted over and over and over at the time. I don't remember hearing that about the other two. I saw both of them play. Also, staying healthy and giving 100% EVERY SINGLE game is an amazing feat in itself. Before he got to the NHL, naysayers said he would never make it in the NHL. Things would be different. Wrong. They say "He played in an era where there were just a lot of goals scored". Wrong. There are no Mike Bossys, no ...more

The most highly skilled playmmaker and scorer ever. Best passer, he could anticipate how plays would develop. Hi innovative playmaking from behind the net stymied many defense and goal tenders. Many of his goals were "garbage" goals by capitalizing on some one elses hard efforts. Many were tap-ins from the side of the net. However, his fear of playing physically and reliance on goons to protect him knocks him way down in my estimation. Definitely a top fiver, but nor the best ever.

Most dynamic of all the superstars. Skated better, handled the puck better, saw the ice better, was tougher and gutsier than anyone of his time. A defensemen who could win scoring titles? - who does that?! A player that could kill a penalty on his own, rush the length of the ice and either score or set someone up and still make it back on D to block a shot if needed. Only Orr. As Mr. Hockey said "I've never seen a player dominate both ends of the ice like that young man did". There will never be another that could do as much - only his knees prevented him from doing it longer. If Gretz is the The Great One,
#4 is the Greatest One!

Orr revolutioned the game in a way no ever did- not Gretzky-not Howe-not Hull. I once heard this analysis from a respected NHL player who played against all those players. Howe could do everything but not at top speed. Hull would always perform at top speed but he couldn't do everything. Orr could do everything- and at top speed. Orr invented the offensive defenceman. Before he came along, 10 goals and 30 assists were considered big numbers. At his peak and while still reasonably healthy, Orr put up 46 goals and more than 100 assists. In an era when the game wasn't as wide open as Gretzky's era. Plus Orr played defense and played it as well as anyone. And he could fight he had to. A much more complete player than Gretzky. And arguably Orr's supporting cast wasn't as strong as Gretzky's. At age 27, Orr won his second scoring title, his final healthy season. If he had stayed healthy it's mind boggling the numbers he would have put up. Gretzky played till he was 38. All things considered ...more

Bobby Orr could and did do it all! As a DEFENSEMAN, Orr was at the top of the charts offensively, winning the Art Ross trophy twice and being in the top two scorers several times. He was such a magnificent skater, he was able to get back and cover on defense, if caught up ice. Hockey aficionados in his era would jokingly state that the Vezina trophy should be given to Bobby, as well, because he blocked that many shots every year! No hockey player who ever lived was able to control all three zones like Orr. He could do everything that Gordie Howe could do, but at a faster speed. Bobby Orr also has the best plus/minus in NHL history! Cjl

So if your new to hockey and you are checking our stats and stuff you don't really recognize just how skilled bobby was. Yes, he won a crap ton of awards and he is in the hall of fame but it is more than that. He had skill,class,and awareness defensively and offensively. He bought a lot to the game of hockey in terms of setting a legacy for great offensive defenceman. I think he would of had pretty damn good stats had he decided to be a forward too! Always will be #1 in my mind because Gretzky has the stats to back him up but Orr will always have the class and skill to give himself a shot at being known as the best ever, even better than "the great one"

It is either Orr or Lemieux based upon pure skills alone they are both far better than Gretzky. If people were allowed to check Gretzky his numbers would have been different. If he didn't have protectors on his own team the same could easily be said. Plus, Gretzky's teams were FAR BETTER than Mario's and it was not mostly because Wayne made them better, they were better on their own than the Pens. Of course, everyone knows Wayne's records would have been matched at least if not surpassed if Mario had played longer and healthier. Imagine how many points he would have had in seasons he played hurt or sick. Not to mention the shortened career. Gretzky should be third. I would even consider Howe 3rd and Gretzky fourth. Howe was more physical and a better all around player, so was Mario. Orr changed the game and redefined defensemen. He made people chasing him look silly. All of the fastest skaters of the time admitted they feared having to try to keep up with him and even worse if Orr got ...more

Gritty, fast, athletic, and using a wicked shot makes Mario Lemieux "The Magnificent One." Overall, the best player ever. Super Mario has great stats, but some very serious life issues hampered what could have made him the statistical leader in more categories. Also, at times, Lemieux had below-par players around him and had to fend for himself. He responded by being the most exciting player to watch. With abilities that left him leagues ahead of competitors. Watch his old footage for yourself. Compare him to anybody then. It'd be hard to deny he was the best after seeing him in action in comparison with the other legends.

The top 3 on this list are the unquestioned 3, and you could pretty much argue for any order amongst them from 1-3. I believe it was Lemieux at the top, as he was the most incredible combination of size, strength, pure skill, and that rare and incredible hockey sense that only the very greatest are possessed of. If Mario had had the opportunities of Gretzky (not just the long and prosperous career in good health, but also to have played from the beginning on a team like Gretzky's 1980's Oilers) I think it's pretty clear and undeniable that the record books would have a different tilt.

None better! If you say Gretzky, its because you either never saw both play or forgot just how hostel the media was to his being bumped to second, its also why Gretzky won a few extra Hart trophies at guess who's expense? Look, I felt the same way at first but then I just could not believe what I was seeing every time I saw him play on a team that without him was dead in last place! His behind the net goals, his speed, his reach, his moves by HoF defensive players.
Truly the only professional athlete in a team sport who looked like he was playing against kids but their was no other league to go to! And BS if you say Jordan, I never got that feeling at all and Babe Ruth would be the only other athlete.
To make it even more amazing was to learn he was playing with real physical issues to top it off. I just cannot imagine someone playing at a level so far above anyone else and yet not reaching even close to what might have been!
Now throw a healthy Mario onto a HoF loaded team ...more

Howe had the unique ability to define how a game was to be played on any given night. Any style /speed his skill set allowed him to play any way the opponents wanted to play. Probably the one thing about Howe was that while he was the most dominant player he was not dynamic in the sense of the other great players. You had to watch him play over a period of time to witness how much bettor he was than his contemporaries. Their would be even a higher appreciation of his extraordinary skill set if there was video and or tape of him during his prime.

Scotty Bowman. You know him? At a luncheon he was asked who the best was and without hesitation said Howe. In an era of 5 decades, he defined the all around player. He could score, he could defend, he could pass, he could skate. The Russians when just starting to take ice hockey seriously, used Howe as their model. As far as Gretsky goals, look at the number of goals scored when Howe played and the overall number per game was far lower than in Gretsky's time. So, based on the lower totals, Howe scored more goals based on overall production.

People tend to think that Gordie was just a guy who played a long time to get his numbers, but what you have to remember was this was a 6 team era when Gordie was at his peak, the talent he played again was not watered down, third lines on these teams would be good first lines in todays era and they played fewer games, Gordie still dominated and for that reason he is the greatest ever.

My opinion is until the great one their was no better, then howe, hockey was a tough sport, very physical, which the so called great one could not play, he didn't like getting knocked around or beat up, yes he had skill no doubt but howe woulda just beat him off his puck sorry Wayne fans but hockey was no place for a ballerina sissy boy and the rules shouldn't of changed to suit the lil girl!

The rocket never got the recognition he deserved at the time. Lets not forget that when Maurice started his career, the nhl was on the verge of folding. He rejuvenated the interest in profesional hockey. Besides being a pure goal scorer, he was fearless and had a mean streak that struck fear in even the most feared fighters of the time.

Maurice Richard not only was an excellent player, but he had to endure the racism against the French-Canadians. He continually played brilliantly (like many others may have) BUT he also had another task; not letting the others get to him. It was a difficult time. Trust me, Richard should win, hands down, #1.

A true legend
He retired in 1960 and people still talk about him
A movie was made of his life.
Go read Ted Lindsay, his greatest opponent comments.
I summarize: if they play this game in a hundred years there will never be a player like Rocket
between the blue line and the net.
in a league of his own

Maurice richard at number 12? You guys seriously don't like hockey. Probably third best in the nhl and in the top five all time. And how come frank mcgee the best player ever isn't in the top 100? If only everybody knew as much as me

Steve Yzerman had something that Crosby will never have... Class! I will never say that Crosby isn't talented or doesn't deserve to be ranked high on this list but he can never be compared to Stevie, Wayne, Bobby or Gordie. I think a lot of people have voted based primarily on who currently on top and whos name they hear the most.

Possibly the best two way player of all time. His work ethic, hockey smarts, and leadership put him in the top 10 for sure. When looking and measuring his skill level, he seemed to excel in every facet of the game, his shot from in the slot was great as was his passing ability, they called him "Stevie Wonder" for a reason.

All-around talent, class, and commitment to the greatest hockey team ever. He was a hero to me and the rest of Detroit while growing up. Even at away games, Stevie would be cheered by their fans because they respected him that much. Now that's powerful, and speaks about the character of that man. The Captain.

Honestly I think Yzerman because not only did he bring good luck to the Red Wings, he was a great leader and lead the team to victory. He was kind and well mannered also a awesome at hockey. Our team was dead until they drafted the young healthy Yzerman!

Most dangerous goal scorer ever. Had the hardest shot of all time, along with unmatched speed and strength. One of the complete players ever. his all around skill was underrated. Scored 913 regular season goals and 1018 overall along with 2017 points in total. Had 1808 points during 23 years of regular season play. RIP Bobby Hull.

Most exciting player ever! Nobody brought the fans out of their seats like Bobby Hull did.. His end to end rushes and 60 foot slap shots(sailing along at 120mph)mot only made him the most exciting player ever, but the most dangerous goal scorer in history. RIP Bobby.

"The perfect mesomorph"--Time magazine, March 1, 1968. Had the fastest shot ever, his slap shot was clocked at 118.3 mph. His wrist shot was timed at 105.7 mph. And his backhand shot sailed along at only 96 mph. Fastest timed NHL skater ever at 29.7 mph with full hockey equipment on. The skates in those days were as heavy as lead weights. None of the modern players can touch those marks. Just think what Bobby Hull would do in todays game with the graphite sticks and lightweight skates that are now used. Not to mention the state of the art workout gyms that every NHL team has. Even though Hull had muscles growing out of muscles he never took steroids to get that way. And he was one of the most complete players ever. He didn't need a body guard to protect him.

Should be in the top five players on any list Hull played 23 years at a high level an scored 1,018 total goals. Three times in the old six team league he scored 50 or more goals.
Rocket Richard by contrast played 18 years, scored 626 total goals and only scored 50 goals once--in in 1944-45 when the competition was weaker because of World War II.
Bobby Hull scored 77 goals and had 65 assists at age 36 in the World Hockey Association competition that was at least as good as the Rockets. Richard was 23 when he scored his 50 goals.
As for Sidney and Alex being rated ahead of Hull it shows that modern fans really don't know very much about the Legends of Hockey. Alex couldn't cut it as a left wing anymore--that's why he was moved to right wing. Bobby Hull was the best left wing ever.
And Sidney isn't near the goal scorer that that the Golden Jet was. Nor is he better in other areas of the game than Bobby Hull.
These two present day players don't deserve to be rated above one ...more

#1! Best player on the ice, currently speaking. And definitely one of the best players of ALL TIME! Anybody that says different, or calls him a cry-baby, has no knowledge of the NHL and hate on him because he doesn't play for their team. I can guarantee, anybody who speaks negative about Crosby, would be wearing his jersey, cheering him on, if he played for their favorite team. Numbers don't lie. (stats) He also does a lot for his community, visits a lot of children's hospitals's, and gives a lot of kids hope. He has earned his spot on this list. Keep in mind, he's not even 30 yet. If he stays healthy, and keeps up what he's been doing since day 1, He will be #1

Best player in the history of the game. He routinely draws 2-3, even 4 players on him at a time and still manages puck protection, goal-scoring wizardry, while engineering goals for his team. His ingenuity, athleticism and skill is mind-boggling. Check out this guy's highlight reels on YouTube and find someone better. You can't. Crosby is a once-ever talent. I followed him from youth hockey when he was an 11-14 year old kid dismantling 16-19 year old players. It was self-evident that he was going to become one of the greatest players of all time.

He beats my team every time but as I'm not a pathetic loser who claims the W/Ls of my team as my own personal achievement and bemoans the Ls as affronts to my ego, so I stomach the embarrassment and disappointment, because he puts on such a great show. There is something electrifying and viscerally inspiring about Crosby's play. He does things that no other player can do. He does things with guys hanging on his back, attacking his legs ...more

Sidney's skill on the ice I think amazes many people, and the fact that even after all the injuries he had that he came back and worked even harder for every game, he seemed to have thought through his errors and tried to fix them the next games... He even watches what he does wrong on DVDs of the past games and makes mental changes when he gets injured, and I think the hate between Sidney and Ovechkin is unnecessary considering they both have different methods on the ice...

A hockey robot. Never says or does anything other than what you would want to see out of your team captain and the face of the nhl. Inhuman drive to win. Selfless scorer who either finds the back of the net or a teammate with a better look. Unrivaled passer, puck protector, and winner. Has proven himself in every arena and every level, from his two Olympic golds to his three Stanley Cups, to his innumerable personal awards.

This list is idiotic, nobody still playing in the NHL should be in the top 30 except for maybe Martin Brodeur certainly not Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin, How could any of these guys be rated above Mark messier2nd all time in scoring and perhaps the best 2 way player of all time...

The best leader in hockey history. A great two way player. He admitted to adding extra padding in the playoffs because he would be hitting and getting hit more. He was one of the best amped stanley cup playoff competitors.

The Moose, The Messiah or whatever you want to call him, was the best leader of all time. During the Oilers era, Gretz admits he wore the C but Mark lead the team to victory. Messier has to be in the top 3 or at least 5.

8 and 87 are not better. He should be 5th. 2nd all time in points. He has a award named after him and is the best captain to put on a Jersey in any sport. Gave the Rangers a cup with some help but come on the Mouse is better then sid and the great 8. And the great 8 still has not won a cup.

I find it funny that on this same site, Roy isn't even ranked greatest goaltender of all time in the top 10 goaltenders (he's 2nd behind Brodeur), yet he's on this list and Brodeur isn't. Roy MAY have been slightly better than Brodeur at stopping the puck but Brodeur blew him out of the water in puck handling and passing. Also, if there's one stat that scared me about Roy, it was that he was below.500 in career games 7s.

Best Goalie in the History of the sport, and far to low on this list for someone who did so much.

He has to be the BEST goalie ever in the history of the NHL.

4 cups in 3 different decades. Only 3 time Conn Smythe winner. Once in each decade. His performance in the 93 playoffs winning 10 consecutive overtime games is the greatest sustained effort in hockey history.

Is this a joke? He has beaten almost every single NHL record in history and he's only 12? Come on, he should switch places with Lemieux!

Will people ever top comparing Crosby and Ovechkin? They are both very talented players but hey aren't the same in how they are talented. Ove Is not the Lebron James of ice hockey. Sid isn't the greatest to ever live. They're very, very, skilled. Amazing players. Out of the two I would just have to go with Sid. Only because of how much hate he gets for bing such a talented player, he shocks me of what he can do with te puck, every time.. Don't hate Ove at all though, he amazes me every time he hits the ice. But they aren't the same in how they amaze me, they shouldn't be compared in how they play, they both play very differently.

You look at this man's career so far and it is just no doubt better than crosby's. From a talent perspective he is top 3 of all time. It just amazes me how durable and how reliable Ovi is. He has put up incredible numbers for many more games than crosby has. The combination of durability and talent are what will make Ovi go down as one of the best to ever grace the ice...

He has the speed of light and is awesome.
He has dangles and is tough and doesn't get concussions all the time and he fights like a man.
And it doesn't madder about stats just because a player has better stats doent mean you can trash talk another player because that player can crush you any day.!

There's nothing about the "Finnish Flash" I didn't like. He is one of those guys who is very good. Scored 50 goals in a season with the Winnipeg Jets. He also played against the great one Wayne Gretzky in a game. He got his 1000th point, 500th and 600th goal with the Anaheim Ducks. He won a Stanley cup in 06-07 and in that same year, he got the game winner in game 5 in Detroit. I am glad that the LA Kings did something nice for him before his last games. Teemu Selanne would (the next night) skate with his friend and former teammate JS Gigigure (who help the Ducks win their 1st Stanley Cup) on the rink.

It's amazing how he still can keep playing on such a high level - he must soon have some kind of record as a NHL pro in years. His dedication to icehockey is one of a kind. And it does not seem like anyone is going to break his rookie year record of 76 goals - and that was only a beginning.

The guy is past 40, and old man and still one of the best players in the world. Beast! Also comes from a great hockey country, Finland

I have never before seen offensive hockey as what Selanne did show at Olympics 2006. Truly amazing!

Jean Beliveau is too good of a player to be this far down. He should higher than Crosby and Ovechkin at the least. I don't think Crosby and Ovechkin deserve to be on this list, but Rocket Richard does.

A reliable and highly skilled centerman. Always a force to be reckoned with on the ice, he could move quickly for a big man, handle the puck, pass and shoot with great skill.

He was a real gentleman and a great player. He is somebody all hockey players should strive to be like.

Belliveau should be rated higher, Crosby and Ovechkin do not have the years behind them to be even rated. Lets see were thet are in another five years

How many rules did the NHL change for Patrick Roy? Did Marty ever pout like a baby and quit the team - wrecking an organization and their ability to win for decades? People keep talking about how Marty won because of the team around him. Look at Roy's teams... they weren't slouches. Patrick was a true pioneer and gifted as a player, so he should be on this list. But, not higher than Marty. Stats don't lie.

He was the best goalie of all time. Who has the most wins as a goalie? Marty. Who has the most shutouts? Marty. Games played? Marty. He even had a rule made because of his style of play. He is simply the best goalie to ever play the game. Yes, Roy is good, but not as good as Marty!

Good goaltender, but he also had great defencemen in front of him, and played in a clutch and grab system that was accepted back then. Patrick Roy was a much better goalie. Just look at what he did in Montreal. Singlehandedly won cups for montreal.

He holds every important record for goaltenders. He is the only person with over 600 wins, and no one will come CLOSE to his records for years. The. Best. Goalie. To. Ever. Play.

Paval datsyuk is probably one of the best hockey players of all time because he is an amazing shooter he makes the best plays and his puck control is amazing even better than others in the top ten.

Smartest hockey player of all time hands down no contest. Unbelievable defense along with the best hands the league has ever seen and barely takes any penalties. we will never see another player like pavel

712 takeaways since 05-06. That's crazy. He's good in his own way, for some reason he usually seems to be overlooked. Now off to promote darren helm

Hands down way better than Selanne, should be in top 10 for several reasons:
Size, the low level he was picked, being bowlegged and pigeon toed enabled him to turn on a pin head, and ability to shoot from any angle

Bossy it at least top 10. He had over 500 goals in less than 1,000 games in his career. If he continued his insane pace, he would be been the highest goal scorer in NHL history. It wouldn't have been that high, but it would have been much higher. He was always one of the best players in the league and I still stand by him being underrated.

I can see people rating their fair share of people above Mike Bossy. But not this many. He's AT LEAST top 10 material. Holds the record for most goals per game all time, and even the Great One's goals per game doesn't threaten his record. So ranking Ovechkin 7th and Bossy 33rd makes absolutely no sense.

Mike Bossy had "the touch". No matter where he was near the net, he could turn and spin, and know exactly in his mind where the open corners were. He feel around the net was second to none.

Bossy is the best pure goalscorer of all time. 2nd player ever to score 50 goals in 50 games. Most people will say Gretzky or Richard, but when you look at pure skill it goes to Bossy.