Since the NHL was founded back in 1917, fans have seen a plethora of talent come and go. There have been many great things in the past, many of which are still talked about today. There are many players in the league today who will be considered one day at the same time, such as Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Alex Oviechkin, and many others.
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Both now and in the past, there have been many great players of many different nationalities. The United States has produced a lot of great talent, as have many European countries. With that said, many would argue that Canada leads the charge in terms of NHL Legends, and looking at the league’s own scoring leaderboard, it’s hard to argue with this claim.
Here are the top 5 Canadians to tie the knot.
5. Mark Messier
While the most common player thinks that when he remembers the oilers in Edmonton of the Oilers’ 1980s Wayne Gretzky, he also strongly supported them to support him. At the top of the linebacker was Mark Mark, who managed to win a ridiculous six bowls in his entire career, five of which came with the Oilers, and the last one with the New York Rangers.
His trophies are a far cry from the lifetime hardware he picked up during his 1,756 game career. He was awarded the Connent Smythe in 1984, and also has two jokes. B The Pearson Trophies (now known as the Ted Lindsay Award), and two Harts.
Messite’s 1,887 career points are third all-time, while his 694 goals are ninth. While his offensive skills were impressive, they were far from his only asset. Every time he got on the ice, the opposing players had to keep their heads up, as he had the ability to flatter anyone with a check, and he was not afraid to drop the gloves, as evidenced by his minutes atone for the gloves. On top of all that, he was one of the best leaders the game has ever seen, which is why the Mark Messary Leadership Award has been an annual trophy given since 2007.
4. Gordie Howe
You can’t have a list of the top 5 Canadian players of all time without including Mr. Hockey himself. Before guys like Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky, it was Gordie Howe who was recognized as the best you could do. While there were several things that made him special, it was mainly his distance, as he appeared in 1,767 career NHL games, and qualified for an additional 419 in the World Hockey Association (WHA).
Weewi won four cups in his career, while also winning 15 ART ROSS and Hart Trophies. His 801 Goals Trail is the only Wayne Gretzky in NHL history, while his 1,850 points are fourth. While his numbers are impressive, however, the one thing he is particularly remembered for today is the ‘Gordie Hone Trick’, accomplished when a player records a goal, assist, and game in the same game.
As mentioned before, the longevity of the time is something to marvel at. While his performances were adequate, what makes it interesting to note that he was worth at least one game at different levels in 33 posts. It’s safe to say it won’t be the same again.
3. Bobby Orr
In today’s NHL, there are few defensemen who put up the highest point total, and we all have Bobby Orr to thank for that. Before ORR entered the league, defensemen were all about keeping the puck out of their net, and they were never much of a threat to put the offense on the board. That all changed when Orr arrived, as he finished his career scoring north of 100 points on six separate occasions.
Perhaps the stat that most proves how dominant Orr is is that his 1.393 points per game (PPG) fifteen times in NHL history. If it weren’t for the knee injury, he would undoubtedly be the highest devisnseman of all time, as he recorded 270 goals and 915 points in only 957 games.
By the time his career was wrapped up, Orr was finished with two Stanley Cups, eight titles, three Harts, two conp smythers, conch choss and ross, last but not least, both. What makes his many accolades all the more impressive is that he only had eight seasons where he played north of 60 games. He has been unfairly protected for a long time, and may remain so forever.
2. Mario Lemieux
There are some out there who would argue that Mario Lemieux is the greatest player of all time. Like ORR, his total should be much higher than that, but a back injury, along with a diagnosis of Hodgkin’s disease in his head, limited him to 915 games.
In those 915 games, he posted a point-per-game mark of 1.883, which is second in NHL history. His 1,723 points are eight all-time, despite playing in fewer games than anyone around him in those parts. Don’t forget, his 690 goals rank 11th.
Lemieux was able to raise the Stanley Cup twice as a player, when he started at home ross beautiful ross, four Lester B., three Harts, two conp smyther, Connect Smyther. Had he not been forced to miss three straight seasons from 1997-2000, there is a serious argument that he might have been able to surpass, or at least beat, Gretzky’s Careel.
1. Wayne Gretzky
If it wasn’t obvious enough before clicking on the article, it was made very clear by reading the entire list that would be at the top. You don’t get the name ‘The Great One’ easily, yet it is perfect for Gretzky, who is not only the greatest Canadian, but the best player of any hockey playing nation.
To this day, Gretzky remains the only player to record 200 points in a season, something he did four times, with the best coming in 198 years, he also has the highest average in a season with 92, which came in 1981-82. While there are a lot of statistics that prove that they are the best of all that they do, perhaps the most talked about is that if you remove all his career goals in the history of the NHL, as he works the highest points of the NHL’s career, as he works the highest points of Jaromir Jagr’s 1,921, he lives in the second.
As far as accolades go, none of Akek’s list comes anywhere close to Gretzky’s. Besides his four Stanley Cups, he won 10 art trophies, nine harts, five Lester B., five ladies, and two smythers. Suffice it to say, there is a reason he is widely recognized as, not only the greatest hockey player to ever live, but one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Most of the arguments
As with any kind of list like this, there will be many different opinions. While most agree that gretzky is yours, there are good arguments to be had for others. Whether you’re adding someone who doesn’t open, or simply swapping out those who appear on this list, I’m interested in hearing your thoughts. Leave a comment below to give your voice.
