The best players YOU've ever seen...

[Guest blueadams]

Something to take our minds off the lockout. Who were the best players that YOU ever saw. Not the greatest players of all-time, but the greatest players that you actually saw play. Being born in 1987, this is my list:

FORWARDS:

M. Lemieux-----W. Gretzky-----J. Jagr

J. Sakic-----M. Messier(A)-----S. Yzerman

P. Forsberg-----P. Datsyuk-----S. Fedorov

L. Robitaille-----S. Crosby-----B. Hull

B. Shanahan

...E. Lindros, P. Bure, T. Selanne, A. Ovechkin, J. Iginla, J. Toews, C. Giroux, S. Stamkos, A. Kopitar, E. Malkin, I. Kovalchuk, R. Nash, H. Zetterberg, C. Neely, A. Moginly

DEFENSEMEN:

N. Lidstrom-----R. Bourque

P. Coffey-----C. Chelios(A)

C. Pronger-----S. Weber

B. Leetch

...A. MacInnis, S. Stevens, S. Niedermayer, D. Doughty, E. Karlsson, D. Keith, R. Suter

GOALIES:

D. Hasek

P. Roy

M. Brodeur

...G. Fuhr, E. Belfour

HEAD COACH:

S. Bowman

Missed:

...Being born in 1987, I saw nothing but the tail-ends of some real great careers: G. Lafleur, M. Bossy, B. Trottier, M. Dionne, G. Perreault, J. Kurri, P. Stastny, B. Gainey, L. McDonald...D. Potvin, L. Robinson, B. Salming...B. Smith

Edited September 14, 2012 by blueadams

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Too lazy to create a whole team, but I'm pretty sure Lidstrom is the best I've ever seen.

Best goalie would be Hasek or Roy.

Best forward would likely be Lemieux.

[Hockeytown Red Wings 245]

Lidstrom was probably the best but his excellence is understated.

As far as wow factor, probably seeing Sergei Fedorov in his prime.

[kipwinger 8,756]

Lidstrom is the best defenseman I've ever seen...by a country mile. Datsyuk isn't the best forward all around, but he is bar none the best stickhandler I've ever seen. All things considered I'd say that Sergei was the best all around forward I've ever seen, as I didn't really get a chance to see Stevie in his prime.

[Guest Johnz96]

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urbandictionary.com%2Fdefine.php%3Fterm%3DDatsyukian&ei=fiVSUO2mJ4680AHq9oCQBA&usg=AFQjCNGdwP2ZcTebCcCsO4pDD0KUVBifHg&sig2=4gB9aIx6HFYHoMquf3i45Q&cad=rja

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

Sergei Fedorov is the best player I've ever seen with my own 2 eyes.

[Guest Johnz96]

Sergei Fedorov is the best player I've ever seen with my own 2 eyes.

I think you're being nostalgic Fedorov was great but Datsyuk is better

[kipwinger 8,756]

We must be thinking about two different Sergei Fedorovs because the one I'm thinking of had ten 30+ goal seasons, two 100+ point seasons, a Hart Trophy, and three Stanley Cups.

Datsyuk is slicker, not better.

Edited September 13, 2012 by kipwinger

[Guest Johnz96]

Goalie equipment was smaller then. The last time Fedorov scored 100 points was 95-96 when he was 10th in the league for scoring and the top 2 had 161 and 149 points and there were 12 100 point scorers (There have been about 12 100 point seasons for NHL players during Datsyuk's career. Datsyuk should have won a few Hart's but because he is the best forward defensively doesn't score as much as he would if he were a little less defensive. I am pretty sure Datsyuk was among the top 5 scorers in the league more often than Fedorov.

It was a lot easier for us to win Cups then with no cap

Edited September 13, 2012 by Johnz96

[Guest irishock]

Add Shanahan to the lineup.

Goalie equipment was smaller then. The last time Fedorov scored 100 points was 95-96 when he was 10th in the league for scoring and the top 2 had 161 and 149 points and there were 12 100 point scorers (There have been about 12 100 point seasons for NHL players during Datsyuk's career. Datsyuk should have won a few Hart's but because he is the best forward defensively doesn't score as much as he would if he were a little less defensive. I am pretty sure Datsyuk was among the top 5 scorers in the league more often than Fedorov.

It was a lot easier for us to win Cups then with no cap

Basically this. Back then every player's numbers were inflated as hell. Plus I didn't like the way he left the team to sign with the one that swept us.

We won a cup with Pavel as our best player (sorry Hank, but Pavel did more during the entire season), I don't think we would win a cup in the 90's with no Yzerman.

Edited September 13, 2012 by irishock

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Close thread.

[Guest Johnz96]

Add Shanahan to the lineup.

Basically this. Back then every player's numbers were inflated as hell. Plus I didn't like the way he left the team to sign with the one that swept us.

We won a cup with Pavel as our best player (sorry Hank, but Pavel did more during the entire season), I don't think we would win a cup in the 90's with no Yzerman.

The numbers are actually deflated now because of Bettman and the inflated as hell goalie equipment to restrict skill and talent for the sake of parity (parody)

[dats13owns 157]

2002 Olympics Czech Rep vs Can - Lemieux, Yzerman, Jagr, Pronger, Neidermayer, Hasek, Brodeur... The rest of the gang.

I've only been to 3 NHL games, but... Ovechkin, Selanne, Lids, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and the rest of the 11-12 squad.

I also got to see Scott Gomez around his one year anniversary of futility.

Also, this thread is fun... But a line thread? Really?

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

2002 Olympics Czech Rep vs Can - Lemieux, Yzerman, Jagr, Pronger, Neidermayer, Hasek, Brodeur... The rest of the gang.

I've only been to 3 NHL games, but... Ovechkin, Selanne, Lids, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and the rest of the 11-12 squad.

I also got to see Scott Gomez around his one year anniversary of futility.

Also, this thread is fun... But a line thread? Really?

Hey, I just noticed that blueadams started this thread.

Now the line thing makes sense.

[LeftWinger 5,131]

Well...I am going to go non-homer other than mentioning Yzerman in his 80's prime and Fedorov in his 90's prime...

I was born in 70, so I have had the honor of seeing a ton of great players in their prime...cannot list them all, but just saying Lemieux, Gretzky, Jagr, Brett Hull, Coffey, Ray Bourque, Sakic, Forsberg...the list goes on. It was a pleasure seeing these guys all in their primes. Just seeing the 80's Oilers fly around the ice was amazing. When I think back at all the greatness I was able to witness in this, the best sport on the face of the Earth and think what Bettman is/has done to this sport, I am disgusted...three work stoppages in his tenure? Time to go... Other than the hockey hotbeds, I am not sure teams will survive another lockout....when mentioning all these great players, I cannot help but think how Gary Bettman is just a skid mark on the jocks of these players who brought the NHL from the likes of "Slapshot" to the mainstream and Bettman has ruined it...

Anyhow, one of the best to watch was Jagr in his prime....Crosby doesn't hold a pubic hair to Jagr's talent at the same age...

[LeftWinger 5,131]

Something to take our minds off the lockout. Who were the best players that YOU ever saw. Not the greatest players of all-time, but the greatest players that you actually saw play. Being born in 1987, this is my list:

FORWARDS:

S. Crosby-----W. Gretzky-----P. Datsyuk

P. Forsberg-----M. Lemieux-----J. Jagr

B. Shanahan-----S. Yzerman-----S. Fedorov

L. Robitaille-----M. Messier(A)-----B. Hull

J. Sakic

...E. Lindros, P. Bure, T. Selanne, A. Ovechkin, J. Iginla, J. Toews, C. Giroux, S. Stamkos, A. Kopitar, E. Malkin, I. Kovalchuk, R. Nash, H. Zetterberg, C. Neely, A. Moginly

DEFENSEMEN:

N. Lidstrom-----R. Bourque

P. Coffey-----C. Chelios(A)

B. Leetch-----A. MacInnis

C. Pronger

...S. Stevens, S. Niedermayer, S. Weber, D. Doughty, D. Keith, E. Karlsson, R. Suter

GOALIES:

D. Hasek

P. Roy

M. Brodeur

...G. Fuhr, E. Belfour

HEAD COACH:

S. Bowman

Missed:

...Being born in 1987, I saw nothing but the tail-ends of some real great careers: G. Lafleur, M. Bossy, B. Trottier, M. Dionne, G. Perreault, J. Kurri, P. Stastny, B. Gainey, L. McDonald...D. Potvin, L. Robinson, B. Salming...B. Smith

I honestly do not know how you even put Crosby on that line, let alone in your lineup. All due respect to his talents, at their repsective ages, he cannot compete with Sakic, let alone bumping Bure and Selanne out of a lineup. These guys played in a clutch and grab era, if you took a 24 year old Sakic/Selanne or Bure and put them in today's NHL and put Crosby back in the early 90's NHL, first of all, Crosby would have been knocked out of the league already via his 100th concussion, he also would not have been able to get anywhere with two extra hands on his stick. Bure in 2012 at 24 years old? Sheesh, 90 goals not out of the question...

[Guest The Axe]

Best Offense = Lemieux

Best Defense = Pronger

Best all around forward = Fedorov/Messier tie

Best Goalie = Brodeur

Best Fighter = Kocur

Best all around defenseman = Lidstrom

[toby91_ca 620]

I honestly do not know how you even put Crosby on that line, let alone in your lineup. All due respect to his talents, at their repsective ages, he cannot compete with Sakic, let alone bumping Bure and Selanne out of a lineup. These guys played in a clutch and grab era, if you took a 24 year old Sakic/Selanne or Bure and put them in today's NHL and put Crosby back in the early 90's NHL, first of all, Crosby would have been knocked out of the league already via his 100th concussion, he also would not have been able to get anywhere with two extra hands on his stick. Bure in 2012 at 24 years old? Sheesh, 90 goals not out of the question...

I think you are a bit off here. I'm not ready to place Crosby too high on the heap....but if you want to start comparing him and what he has accomplished at the same age to other greats, he holds up very well.

In terms of eras, I think the guys you mentioned played in higher scoring eras actually. Sure, they played in the clutch and grab era, but that didn't come until the late 90's and into the 2000's. Scoring in 2012 is back down to sad levels.

I think Crosby would have done pretty well in clutch and grab era as one of his strengths is playing in traffic. I actually think risk of concussion then would have been lower, so I'm sure what angle you are coming from there.

[GMRwings1983 8,803]

Best Offense = Lemieux

Best Defense = Pronger

Best all around forward = Fedorov/Messier tie

Best Goalie = Brodeur

Best Fighter = Kocur

Best all around defenseman = Lidstrom

Best fighter I would say Brashear.

Although, with fighters it's different, because with youtube videos, I've seen just about all of Probert or Wilson's fights.

You can't just watch a video of Gretzky or Howe's highlights to understand how great they really were. You have to watch them in a game format to see their dominance.

But for my era, watching live fights, I'd say Brashear.

[RusDRW 155]

Makarov-Larionov-Krutov

[Guest Johnz96]

Bobby Orr

[kipwinger 8,756]

Goalie equipment was smaller then. The last time Fedorov scored 100 points was 95-96 when he was 10th in the league for scoring and the top 2 had 161 and 149 points and there were 12 100 point scorers (There have been about 12 100 point seasons for NHL players during Datsyuk's career. Datsyuk should have won a few Hart's but because he is the best forward defensively doesn't score as much as he would if he were a little less defensive. I am pretty sure Datsyuk was among the top 5 scorers in the league more often than Fedorov.

It was a lot easier for us to win Cups then with no cap

You've got a fairly credible point with the goalie pads thing. However, Fedorov played just as defensively responsible as Datsyuk does, so your argument's logic holds true for him as well. Also, Fedorov played eight seasons with the Wings before winning a cup, it's not like he walked on to a Stanley cup contender and reaped the benefits (and the cups) that Mike Illitch paid for. As a matter of fact I'm pretty sure Datsyuk joined a team full of Hall of Famers and reaped the benefits (and the cup) that Mike Illitch paid for did he not?

Again, I love the guy, he's wicked good, but he's not better than Fedorov.

Edited September 14, 2012 by kipwinger

[Wingsfan72 198]

Ovi, Datsyuk, Nash

Lidstrom

Haha. In my fist NHL game, Oct 22 2005 Jason Williams scored a hat trick so I guess technically I should list him.

[Nev 1,085]

Hmm, I've seen 2 NHL games. Det v Van in '93, so take your pick from Lidstrom, Fedorov, Yzerman, Coffey, Konstantinov and Bure. The one who stands out in my memory is Bure. Van lost 5-1, but he was soooo much quicker than anyone else on the ice it was unreal.

Then 2001 I saw Van v Pho, so the Sedins, Naslund, Bertuzzi, Roenick and Tchachuk.

Seen lots of ex and fringe NHLers in the British leagues, Jim Paek probly the most famous.

[Uncle Danny 155]

Going to ignore Wings players, just because there were so many on that 2002 team that could make this list.

Best players I've seen in person (no order):

Gretzky, Messier, Stevens, Leetch, Francis, Crosby, Malkin, Brodeur, Pronger (f*** that guy), Macinnis, Iginla, several I'm sure I'm forgetting in my old age

PS: As much as I love Datsyuk (which is a lot), Fedorov was a far superior player. He was, quite simply, phenomenal in his prime.