The Top Seven NHL Players Of All-Time
While taking a break from the online casino games, look to the NHL, which is one of the most competitive and exciting sports leagues in the world, and it is also home to some of the greatest athletes ever. Throughout its history, the NHL has seen some of the most talented players hit the ice.
From the early days of Gordie Howe and “The Great One” Wayne Gretzky and the current group of superstars like Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, the NHL has showcased some of the best athletes of all time. The below list looks at the top 10 NHL players of all time.
- Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed “The Great One,” is the greatest NHL player of all time and the NHL’s all-time leader in points, goals, and assists. Gretzky led the NHL in points for 10 consecutive seasons and won four Stanley Cups.
He won nine Hart Trophies and five Lester B. Pearson Awards. Gretzky changed the game with his ability to think and see the ice better than anyone else. His number 99 is the only number in the NHL that is retired league-wide.
- Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux, or “Super Mario,”, was an offensive legend who won two Stanley Cups and six Art Ross Trophies. Lemieux also won three Hart Trophies and captained the Pittsburgh Penguins to their first two Stanley Cup victories. He finished his career with 1,723 points in just 915 games.
Lemieux was forced to briefly retire due to being diagnosed with cancer but came back and finished his career all with the Penguins. Some say if he played a full career, he might’ve ended up closer to Gretzky with his goals and points totals.
- Bobby Orr
Bobby Orr, also known as “Number 4,” is considered the greatest defenseman ever and the only player to win eight straight Norris Trophies. He scored 270 goals and had 645 assists, and was a key component of the Bruins’ two Stanley Cup victories.
He also won two Hart Trophies and the Calder Trophy. One of the original “offensive-defensemen,” Orr forever changed the position with his speed, offensive style and aggressive play.
- Gordie Howe
Gordie Howe, also known as “Mr. Hockey,” is one of the toughest and most complete players ever. Howe won four Stanley Cups with the Red Wings and scored 801 goals in his career and fourth all-time in points with 1850. Mr. Hockey was the player who held the records before Gretzky broke them. He also won six Hart Trophies and six Art Ross Trophies.
Howe was also a physical force, racking up 2,418 penalty minutes in his career. These days, if a player gets a goal, assists, and gets in a fight, it is considered a “Gordie Howe Hat-Trick,” which is something he was known to do.
- Mark Messier
Mark Messier is another NHL legend who was the second player in NHL history to reach 1,000 points and the first to reach 1,000 assists. He was a two-time Stanley Cup champion and a six-time NHL All-Star. During his career, Messier won five consecutive Stanley Cup titles with the Edmonton Oilers, four with Gretzky and one without.
He also won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s Most Valuable Player in 1990. His sixth cup came with the Rangers after he guaranteed a win in the Eastern Conference finals Game 6.
- Alex Ovechkin
Alex Ovechkin, or “Ovi” as hockey fans know him, has been one of the best players in the NHL for over a decade. In his 17 seasons, Ovechkin has won the Hart Trophy three times, Rocket Maurice nine times (a league record), and one Stanley Cup. He is currently the second all-time leader in goals, with 812 and counting.
Ovechkin has also scored 50 goals in a season nine total times, which is tied with Mike Bossy and Gretzky for the most 50-goal seasons in NHL history. He is easily considered the best Russian NHLer ever, as he was the first Russian-born player to reach the 700-goal mark.
- Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby, or “Sid the Kid,” is another modern legend that has made his mark in the history of the NHL. Crosby has won the Hart Trophy twice, the Art Ross Trophy four times, and the Conn Smythe Trophy once. He is also the youngest player to reach 500 career points, and he currently ranks fourth all-time in points with 1,197.
He is the only player to score a goal in every regular season game of his career, and he is a 3-time Stanley Cup champion. Crosby is undoubtedly one of the best players the NHL has ever seen and goes head-to-head with Ovechkin as the best in his generation.
