Players who are remembered for what they DIDN'T do

[vivianmb]

With Dionne I think it has to do more with him playing in an era that very few people on here actually saw him play during. PPG player, 700 goals, 4th all time on the scoring list. 4x post season all star ,Lady Byng 2x ,Pearson award 2x, Art Ross Trophy. The only thing unfortunately he didnt do was win a Cup. He was on some pretty average teams in his career.

He was one of the best players in the league for a number of years. Unfrotunate most people dont realize how good he actually was.

thats gospel. it was dionne, lafleur,perrault , and trotts/bossy when i was young ...you know pre great one days.

 

[mouser]

Paul Coffey

He gets remembered for not being good defensively, rather than being the absolute beast that he was offensively.

One of the all-time classic quotes:

``A guy that can skate like he can, has all that talent, why can't he play defense?'' - Scotty Bowman

 

[Blades of Glory]

Marcel Dionne was first name to pop into my head when I read the thread title.

 

[Randall Graves*]

Wayne Gretzky has never gotten enough credit for his goalscoring ability imo.

 

[ck26]

Between the lockout and injuries, I feel like Forsberg could have done a lot more with himself, though I'd hardly blame him for it.

I think we'll look back at the 90's at a handful of players -- Sergei Fedorov and Mike Modano are the two obvious ones that come to mind -- and rue the defensive, trapping style of hockey. Modano scores 50/season four or five times and is probably pushing 1800 pts if he doesn't play for Dallas. Fedorov scored 56 goals for fun, then never broke 40 while the Wings were winning titles.

None were disappointments, but I think all three -- a healthy Forsberg and a liberated Fedorov and Modano -- would have loved the 80's ...

 

[kovy1335]

One of the all-time classic quotes:

``A guy that can skate like he can, has all that talent, why can't he play defense?'' - Scotty Bowman

Haha I love Paul Coffey and this quote single handedly made me hate Scotty Bowman. Not that I liked him much before... he didn't do a whole lot for the Penguins.

Coffey may not have had the "complete" game of a Nik Lidstrom or a Larry Murphy, but d*mn if he wasn't beautiful to watch.


Alex Kovalev will probably be remembered for his inability to be productive away from Pittsburgh.

 

[Sonny Lamateena]

[exaggeration]Yeah, right. I guarantee you there are people on this board who don't even know who Stephane Matteau is.[/exaggeration]

That's easily the most ridiculous statement I've ever heard, considering Brodeur was a rookie in 1994, led the Devils to the Cup the next year, won 2 more after that, and has several Vezinas.

I was joking, but their is some truth in it. Moments on the ice are what is remembered not trophy's awarded in Toronto. When lists are made of the NHL's greatest moments or even sports greatest moments, the Messier guarantee and the double overtime Matteau call are the highest ranking moments involving Martin Brodeur. It's possible to be a hall of fame athlete who will own one their sports greatest records and to be most remembered for a negative moment, just ask Barry Bonds.

 

[arrbez]

Between the lockout and injuries, I feel like Forsberg could have done a lot more with himself, though I'd hardly blame him for it.

I think we'll look back at the 90's at a handful of players -- Sergei Fedorov and Mike Modano are the two obvious ones that come to mind -- and rue the defensive, trapping style of hockey. Modano scores 50/season four or five times and is probably pushing 1800 pts if he doesn't play for Dallas. Fedorov scored 56 goals for fun, then never broke 40 while the Wings were winning titles.

None were disappointments, but I think all three -- a healthy Forsberg and a liberated Fedorov and Modano -- would have loved the 80's ...

Mike Modano would increase his production by 50% if he wasn't playing for Dallas?

 

[EpochLink]

Mike Liut will be remembered for his massacre of a choke job in Canada Cup 1981 finals against the Russians, even though he was one of the best goaltenders in the early 1980's and throughout that decade, where he was the backbone to St.Louis and Hartford playoff runs...hell he won the Lester B. Pearson in 1981 where Gretzky finished runner up and finished second runner up to the Hart Trophy that year as well..which he lost to Gretzky, add a first team all start to his credit as well..

Wasn't his fault he let in 8 goals, the forwards and defensemen gave up on the guy and he was NEVER ever given a shot on Team Canada Cups again..

 

[jiggs 10]

With Dionne I think it has to do more with him playing in an era that very few people on here actually saw him play during. PPG player, 700 goals, 4th all time on the scoring list. 4x post season all star ,Lady Byng 2x ,Pearson award 2x, Art Ross Trophy. The only thing unfortunately he didnt do was win a Cup. He was on some pretty average teams in his career.

He was one of the best players in the league for a number of years. Unfrotunate most people dont realize how good he actually was.

Exactly. He was like the Jagr of his generation (without the Cup wins). Great player, goal scorer, playmaker, etc. But for some reason (usually named Lafleur or Gretzky), he was not quite the #1 player in the NHL at any time. Spent most of his career in the #3 spot (not bad for a 19-year career!), scored over 700 goals (# 2 all-time at the time of his retirement behind some guy named Howe), but because he played on the West Coast on some pretty bad Kings' teams, the media never picked up on him like true hockey people did. I always thought he was one of the best all-around players to ever play (at the time), and couldn't figure out why no one seemed to like him as a player. Oh well.....

 

[VanNistelrooy]

Alain Côté for the goal he did'nt score. There indeed was a penalty.

 

[vancityluongo]

Daniel Alfredsson.

 

[krudmonk]

Selanne
2002
WCSF
Game 7
wraparound