Hockeys Greatest skating player!!!!!!

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soulok*

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Throughout history ...... there have been many phenomenol skaters to have graced the Ice. Some had uncanny outside speed. .. some sheer acceleration...while others graced through defenders and forwards at top speed as if they were floating on the Ice. There was power ... speed .... fluidity.....acceleration.....lateral movement......and effortlessness. This poll should once and for all end the debate who was the greatest all around skater in the history of hockey at HF boards but unfortunately debates will always exist.. Note ... this is all around skating ability .. not just sheer speed or sheer acceleration or smoothness.......so place your votes and if theres someone u cant choose point him out. And say why.
 

Chilly Willy*

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Jason MacIsaac said:
How the hell do you have some of those players and no Niedermayer.


Yeah i don't get that either, i guess some people forgot his Olympic performance where he was skating circles around players and was like a 4th forward out there on rushes.


I voted for Pavel Bure, seen him play from the start here in Vancouver and well i've seen Coffey, Fedorov, Niedermayer and other players...no one could just blast off like the Rocket. Pavel would be behind a player 4-5 feet in a foot race and end up infront of him about 6-7 feet, never seen a player do it.

There is Konstantin Koltsov in pittsburgh, he can skate but everyone can skate. Bure did things with his speed, once Koltsov learns how to use his talents he'll be considered in polls like this for sure. Till then, Pavel rules all in skating.
 

soulok*

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there were 30 or 40 phenomenol skaters that could have been a part of the poll ... but unfortunately hf boards only regulates 15 choices. Yes i did miss Niedermayer but hes still in the prime of his career he will be added in future polls. But theres no denying the credentials of the skaters in this poll. Every single one of these skaters in their primes could skate with niedermayer and some easily better him.
 

mattihp

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Aug 2, 2004
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soulok said:
there were 30 or 40 phenomenol skaters that could have been a part of the poll ... but unfortunately hf boards only regulates 15 choices. Yes i did miss Niedermayer but hes still in the prime of his career he will be added in future polls. But theres no denying the credentials of the skaters in this poll. Every single one of these skaters in their primes could skate with niedermayer and some easily better him.
Selänne? :dunno:

He had some speed in his first three years in the league, but his acceleration or top speed was not even close to the other ones on the poll...
 

mattihp

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Jason MacIsaac said:
Messier, Modano, Mogilny, Federov, Anderson, Bondra and Hull aren't at Niedermayer's skating level.
And neither was The Flash in his prime

EDIT: The Golden Jet beats Niedermayer though.
 

soulok*

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like i said I missed him accidently. Hes a great skater no doubt so if u like him just put his name down well juss add it up how many of u put his name down. And as for your comment on the federov's, Messier's of the world as inferior skaters to nierdermayer in there primes is an opinion. It is in no shape or form a fact. I have a hard time beleiving Niedermayer is more dominant then Federov in his prime. Sergie federov beat Paul Coffey one year in the faqstest skating competetion and Coffey is generally considered the greatest. Where my vote goes.. Paul Coffey with the Oilers in the eighties.
 

soulok*

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To put it more bluntly. Niedermayer is Bobby Orr and Paul Coffey to a lesser extent. so if Orr and Coffey are there why put Neidermayer in the same Poll. What were trying to do is add a variety of skaters in this Poll which we have done. From smooth skating to acceleration to power to sheer speed. Its all there.We tried to get as much variety as we could because only 15 options are available at hf boards so intead of whining about neidermayer place your votes and wait for results
 

GravityGrave

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Feb 5, 2005
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My votes would go to Coffey and Fedorov; Coffey defined smoothness, while Fedorov might be the most technically "perfect" skater I've ever seen. Both have all the traits - top end speed, lateral (Fedorov has perhaps the best lateral moves out there) mobility, and effortlessness. Even if they may not be the best in all catagories of skating, all around I think they're the total package.

That said, Bure is unquestionably the most explosive skater I've seen, and arguably the most effective at using his speed in game situations. In the categories of acceleration and agility he's untouchable, high end speed from point A to B he's right up there (albeit not the fastest, despite his reputation).

I think someone like Paul Kariya, maybe Russ Courtnall or even a Marian Gaborik deserve mention, if only to represent different styles of skaters as you are trying to do.
 

#66

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Jason MacIsaac said:
How the hell do you have some of those players and no Niedermayer.
Thats a great call. Niedermayer and Federov are IMO the best skaters in the game today. Some others that have to be on the list are Dennis Savard, Sergei Makarov, and Al Iafrate. Also some nonstars like Paul Ranhiem and James Patrick should be included. BTW James Partick is the best backwards skater I've ever seen.
 
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Macman

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May 15, 2004
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I voted for Coffey buy how can you have a list without Jay Bouwmeester? The guy is the greatest skating big man ever and definitely in the Coffey, Orr, Niedermayer class.
 

bossy22

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Mar 14, 2004
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I voted Coffey. What criteria did you use for your candidates?

You should consider adding Bob Bourne from the Isle's dynasty teams. In the early 80's I doubt there was anyone in the league as steady and fast on his skates than him.
 

Macman

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bossy22 said:
I voted Coffey. What criteria did you use for your candidates?

You should consider adding Bob Bourne from the Isle's dynasty teams. In the early 80's I doubt there was anyone in the league as steady and fast on his skates than him.

No offence, but Bob Bourne? He was hardly in the class of Lafleur, Coffey, Anderson and or several others at that time. Bourne certainly wasn't slow but he wasn't the smoothest guy out there.
 

#66

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Macman said:
No offence, but Bob Bourne? He was hardly in the class of Lafleur, Coffey, Anderson and or several others at that time. Bourne certainly wasn't slow but he wasn't the smoothest guy out there.
He was fast but I have to agree with Macman. I think it had more to do with him churning his legs and hustling than being a great skater.
 

Darth Milbury

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Jason MacIsaac said:
Messier, Modano, Mogilny, Federov, Anderson, Bondra and Hull aren't at Niedermayer's skating level.
Neidermayer is a great skater, but all of the above were his equal and some were clearly superior.

And, btw, I put Lidstrom ahead of Niedermayer.

Skating is a complex skill. There are many facets, flat out speed, agility, balance, acceleration. Some of the most impressive players I've seen in my thirty years of watching hockey include Marcel Dionne, Brian Leetch, Brian Trottier (not flat out speed, but agility, balance, and acceleration), Joe Sakic (0 - 60 in like two steps), and Bob Gainey. Those are only a handful of great skaters that I was privledged to watch, and that is far from being an inclusive list.
 

Darth Milbury

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#66 said:
He was fast but I have to agree with Macman. I think it had more to do with him churning his legs and hustling than being a great skater.
Disagree. He was a great skater. He wasn't in the class of some of the guys above, but he was wonderful skater. The thing about Bourne is that he lacked elite skills in any other area, so his skating jumped out. Most of the players were are discussing here where stars on multiple dimensions, and it is hard to seperate that out and judge them in terms of pure skating ability.
 

#66

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Darth Milbury said:
Neidermayer is a great skater, but all of the above were his equal and some were clearly superior.

And, btw, I put Lidstrom ahead of Niedermayer.

Skating is a complex skill. There are many facets, flat out speed, agility, balance, acceleration. Some of the most impressive players I've seen in my thirty years of watching hockey include Marcel Dionne, Brian Leetch, Brian Trottier (not flat out speed, but agility, balance, and acceleration), Joe Sakic (0 - 60 in like two steps), and Bob Gainey. Those are only a handful of great skaters that I was privledged to watch, and that is far from being an inclusive list.
Coming from NJ, I've seen alot of Trottier too and I don't remember seeing him knocked over. I seen pretty much every other NHL player take some pretty hard hits and lay on the ice dazed for a while. Considering Trottiers stye and robust play I always thought that it was amazing.
 

Hal 9000*

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Paul Coffey

You can talk about speed as much as you want, a player in a skills compatition may be 1/10th of a second faster...so what. Bure could burst out quickley, that's good also. But let's face it, Paul Coffey could literally skate through an entire team with complete puck control and without lifting his feet of the ice. Anyone who has ever played knows that that is undoubtedly the most difficult thing to accomplish.
 
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