Hockey Night in Canada by the numbers, 19

[auxlepli 17]

Steve Yzerman selected as best number 19.

http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/hnic/bythe.../number_19.html

Here's the list for No. 19:

1. Steve Yzerman, Detroit Red Wings

2. Joe Sakic, Colorado Avalanche

3. Larry Robinson, Montreal Canadiens

4. Bryan Trottier, New York Islanders

5. Jean Ratelle, New York Rangers

6. Rick MacLeish, Philadelphia Flyers

7. Butch Goring, Los Angeles Kings

8. Paul Henderson, Toronto Maple Leafs

9. Joe Thornton, San Jose Sharks

10. Brad Richards, Tampa Bay Lightning

[BeeRYCE 2]

Pretty unanimous IMO.

Pretty accurate list overall, although I'd probably put Thornton ahead of Henderson.

Edited November 23, 2007 by BeeRYCE

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

Yzerman and Sakic are like 1A and 1B...

[eva unit zero 271]

Yzerman and Sakic are like 1A and 1B...

No. Sakic was and is great..but Yzerman was better. Yzerman was good enough to be the best player in the league over a full season when Mario and Wayne were in their primes.

[toby91_ca 620]

No. Sakic was and is great..but Yzerman was better. Yzerman was good enough to be the best player in the league over a full season when Mario and Wayne were in their primes.

I think it is way closer than some people may think. I give the edge to Yzerman due to some bias and some intangibles, but Joe very close and I wouldn't complain about it being 1A and 1B.

During the years that both players played in the league at the same time:

Yzerman:

Regular season = 1,159gp, 528g (0.46gpg), 1,345pts (1.16ppg)

Playoffs = 170gp, 59g (0.35gpg), 154pts (0.91ppg)

Awards = Pearson, Conn Smythe, Selke, Masterton

Sakic:

Regular season = 1,237gp, 574g (0.46gpg), 1,489pts (1.20ppg)

Playoffs = 162gp, 82g (0.51gpg), 178pts (1.10ppg)

Awards = Pearson, Conn Smythe, Hart, Byng, +/- award,

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

The only people who always try to compare Sakic to Yzerman are those trolls who happen to be divealanche fans. Anyone else who knows that hockey existed before the year 1996, realizes that Yzerman was a better player than Sakic in their primes. Stevie scored 60 goals twice, how many times has Sakic done that? How many times did Sakic score over 150 points in a season, or even come close for that matter? Even if he passes Stevie in all time numbers, that doesn't mean s***, because Ron Francis is 4th all time in scoring, yet how many people have him ranked in the all time top 10? I look at who was better in their primes, and Yzerman was by far a better player.

[CrossoverThrash 0]

doesnt sackic himself look up to Stevie?

[BeeRYCE 2]

doesnt sackic himself look up to Stevie?

Yes, but Stevie himself looked up to Trottier.

Sakic is a good player, former MVP, playoff MVP and other awards, but it's very hard to put him over Yzerman. Yzerman single handedly turned a franchise around in the early 90's turning the "Dead Wings Era" directly to the "Yzerman Era." At this point, Yzerman had a longer career, and if it wasn't for his injuries, he probably would have retired with a higher point per game than Sakic (in which Sakic has the edge on Yzerman as of now). I just see Yzerman as a better two way player, and not from a biased standpoint, but from a hockey enthusiast's standpoint.

I guess you can put Sakic and Yzerman in whatever order you chose, I'd say Yzerman, but they are definitely the top two. With all that said though, I think Trottier should be ahead of Robinson, he has the slighter edge, IMO.

[HomeNugget 2]

I think Trottier should be ahead of Robinson, he has the slighter edge, IMO.

i agree. the only reason Robinson is ranked higher on this list is because he played for montreal. if Trottier had the exact same numbers but played for the leafs, CBC would have him ahead of Robinson.

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

The only people who always try to compare Sakic to Yzerman are those trolls who happen to be divealanche fans. Anyone else who knows that hockey existed before the year 1996, realizes that Yzerman was a better player than Sakic in their primes. Stevie scored 60 goals twice, how many times has Sakic done that? How many times did Sakic score over 150 points in a season, or even come close for that matter? Even if he passes Stevie in all time numbers, that doesn't mean s***, because Ron Francis is 4th all time in scoring, yet how many people have him ranked in the all time top 10? I look at who was better in their primes, and Yzerman was by far a better player.

The two guys are much more similar than you give Sakic credit for. There is a lot to be said for points scored, but it doesn't tell the entire story. Give Sakic some credit. If he had played for the Wings, and Stevie for the Av's, everyone here would be screaming about how much better he was/is than Stevie. Both are great players in their own right. Both have multiple Cups. One could argue that Stevie had much better teams surrounding him in his Cup years than Sakic did.

Again, not bashing Stevie, just giving Joe some love.

[BeeRYCE 2]

The two guys are much more similar than you give Sakic credit for. There is a lot to be said for points scored, but it doesn't tell the entire story. Give Sakic some credit. If he had played for the Wings, and Stevie for the Av's, everyone here would be screaming about how much better he was/is than Stevie. Both are great players in their own right. Both have multiple Cups. One could argue that Stevie had much better teams surrounding him in his Cup years than Sakic did.

Again, not bashing Stevie, just giving Joe some love.

Sakic and Yzerman are apples and oranges, I just like oranges better.

You can't say the two cup winning Avs teams weren't stacked either, the 95/96 team not as much, but the 00/01 team? That team was pretty nuts. The edge I'd give to Sakic when it comes to the two is the fact that Sakic has been an offensive threat longer than Stevie was.