The best "hockey players" of all time?

[VMBM]

Bobby Clarke was certainly a versatile player, but could he "score an end to end goal, check you through the glass and then beat up your tough guy"??? Sorry if I'm nitpicking...

I'm not sure if Vyacheslav Fetisov ever did ALL of those things either, but he definitely had the skills for it.

 

[Leafs Forever]

Howie Morenz deserves mention.

 

[Blades of Glory]

Bobby Clarke was certainly a versatile player, but could he "score an end to end goal, check you through the glass and then beat up your tough guy"??? Sorry if I'm nitpicking...

I'm not sure if Vyacheslav Fetisov ever did ALL of those things either, but he definitely had the skills for it.

Clarke could definitely score an end to end goal and he sure as hell could put you though the glass.
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[VMBM]

Clarke could definitely score an end to end goal and he sure as hell could put you though the glass.
Posted via Mobile Device

Alrighty, I've just missed such, er, occasions then. The goals I've seen him score have been more of the "banging in a rebound & redirecting a shot" variety...

 

[Steelhead16]

Bobby Clarke was certainly a versatile player, but could he "score an end to end goal, check you through the glass and then beat up your tough guy"??? Sorry if I'm nitpicking...

I'm not sure if Vyacheslav Fetisov ever did ALL of those things either, but he definitely had the skills for it.

That's what made Clarke great. He could do and did whatever needed doing on any given night. If he needed to control the slot to open the ice for linemates, he did that. If he needed to knock the snot out of someone, he did that. If he needed to score an end to end goal, he did that. The thing I liked the most about him and his leadership was that he would pick up the slack from anyone on the team who was maybe having an off night. Every team needs one of these guys.

 

[raleh]

I've watched a lot of hockey in my life, but I've never seen a goaltender who could score an end to end goal, make a defensive play for the puck, check you through the glass and then beat up another team's tough guy.

Please post the youtube link if you've got one ...

Charlie Rayner. Scored a goal on an end to end rush, perfected the poke check (defensive play for the puck), and was a giant.

He's your goalie.

 

[Boxscore]

That's what made Clarke great. He could do and did whatever needed doing on any given night. If he needed to control the slot to open the ice for linemates, he did that. If he needed to knock the snot out of someone, he did that. If he needed to score an end to end goal, he did that. The thing I liked the most about him and his leadership was that he would pick up the slack from anyone on the team who was maybe having an off night. Every team needs one of these guys.

Bobby Clarke was a helluva player.

 

[ck26]

Charlie Rayner. Scored a goal on an end to end rush, perfected the poke check (defensive play for the puck), and was a giant.

He's your goalie.

I've heard he was a pretty adventurous wanderer, and I've heard the poke check bit (also heard it about a handful of other goalies ...) and I knew he was relatively big for his era, but you're the first to claim he did what common knowledge suggests Ron Hextall did 40 or so years later; be the first goalie to score. Any specifics on the date / opponent / situation for this?

Regardless, the only thing more painfully obvious to me than the statement "Chuck Rayner would make a fine goalie for that club" is the statement "pretty much anyone would make a fine goalie for that club."

 

[raleh]

I've heard he was a pretty adventurous wanderer, and I've heard the poke check bit (also heard it about a handful of other goalies ...) and I knew he was relatively big for his era, but you're the first to claim he did what common knowledge suggests Ron Hextall did 40 or so years later; be the first goalie to score. Any specifics on the date / opponent / situation for this?

Regardless, the only thing more painfully obvious to me than the statement "Chuck Rayner would make a fine goalie for that club" is the statement "pretty much anyone would make a fine goalie for that club."

He never got one in the NHL. I believe he had one trickle by the post. It was when he was playing for the Navy team. I've also read that he played the point on the PP for the Rangers once or twice, which didn't work out too well. But no, you're right. He never scored an NHL goal.

 

[therealkoho]

I would have so much fun coaching this team I'd probably get fired for just sitting down giggling to myself behind the bench instead of actually coaching them, although to be fair this isn't a lineup that needs just a whole lot of coaching:

Ted Lindsay - Jean Beliveau - Gordie Howe
Busher Jackson - Phil Esposito - Stan Mikita
Brendan Shanahan - Bryan Trottier - Lanny McDonald
Toe Blake - Bobby Clarke - Jerome Iginla
Mark Messier

Doug Harvey - Bobby Orr
Eddie Shore - Larry Robinson
Ray Bourque - Denis Potvin
Chris Chelios​

I'm sorry but the Golden Jet would eat any of those LW's for lunch and wouldn't break a sweat doing it

Bobby Clarke was certainly a versatile player, but could he "score an end to end goal, check you through the glass and then beat up your tough guy"??? Sorry if I'm nitpicking...

I'm not sure if Vyacheslav Fetisov ever did ALL of those things either, but he definitely had the skills for it.

are we talking bobby clarke who played with the Flyers?

Bobby played the game on the edge and with a lot of flair but "checking you through the glass and beating up your tough guy" wasn't in his bag of tricks

 

[JaymzB]

Jean Beliveau.

 

[Steelhead16]

I'm sorry but the Golden Jet would eat any of those LW's for lunch and wouldn't break a sweat doing it



are we talking bobby clarke who played with the Flyers?

Bobby played the game on the edge and with a lot of flair but "checking you through the glass and beating up your tough guy" wasn't in his bag of tricks

You are right about Hull and yes that Bobby Clarke. He could do all of those things. He didn't have too all that often but he certainly could hit and fight when need be.

His fight card included Pete Stemkowski, Derek Sanderson, Stan Mikita, Dave Maloney, Espo, Tiger Williams, and Brad Park (although Park jumped him from behind so it wasn't really much of a fight).

Wasn't a great fighter but he did what needed done when it needed doing.

 

[Crosbyfan]

You are right about Hull and yes that Bobby Clarke. He could do all of those things. He didn't have too all that often but he certainly could hit and fight when need be.

His fight card included Pete Stemkowski, Derek Sanderson, Stan Mikita, Dave Maloney, Espo, Tiger Williams, and Brad Park (although Park jumped him from behind so it wasn't really much of a fight).

Wasn't a great fighter but he did what needed done when it needed doing.

What was his fight card without having teammates jump in to help? Seriously, I can't remember him fighting on his own unless everyone on the ice was paired off, with his teammates trying to join in.

...not to mention putting anyone through the glass. Did he do anything "tough" without his sick?

 

[Crosbyfan]

I'm sorry but the Golden Jet would eat any of those LW's for lunch and wouldn't break a sweat doing it



are we talking bobby clarke who played with the Flyers?

Bobby played the game on the edge and with a lot of flair but "checking you through the glass and beating up your tough guy" wasn't in his bag of tricks

Shanahan? I don't think so.

 

[ck26]

I'm sorry but the Golden Jet would eat any of those LW's for lunch and wouldn't break a sweat doing it

Bobby Hull's a fine choice but let's tap the brakes just a bit here. Lindsay didn't have the physical skills / athleticism, but was double-tough and is the kind of personality I'd want captaining my team. Toe Blake was a worker-bee (as superstar hockey legends go) and I've always understood him to have a better defensive game, other than those physical skills (speed and strength help when you're playing defense too). Busher Jackson's game was fast and strong and mean, and some accounts say he had a screw loose, which fits the theme. And there's nobody in hockey history, let alone on the left wing, who would "eat Shanahan for lunch" ... at least not without Shanahan punching his way out of the guy's stomach a few minutes later. He's easily one of the best power forwards of all time -- young Shanny could have filled in on the left wing for the Charlestown Chiefs and they wouldn't have missed a beat.

 

[therealkoho]

Shanahan? I don't think so.

Well I do and so would anyone who saw him play, he was dominating and considered the best player in the league for a lot of years, Shanny was good no doubt but never really dominant

Bobby Hull's a fine choice but let's tap the brakes just a bit here. Lindsay didn't have the physical skills / athleticism, but was double-tough and is the kind of personality I'd want captaining my team. Toe Blake was a worker-bee (as superstar hockey legends go) and I've always understood him to have a better defensive game, other than those physical skills (speed and strength help when you're playing defense too). Busher Jackson's game was fast and strong and mean, and some accounts say he had a screw loose, which fits the theme. And there's nobody in hockey history, let alone on the left wing, who would "eat Shanahan for lunch" ... at least not without Shanahan punching his way out of the guy's stomach a few minutes later. He's easily one of the best power forwards of all time -- young Shanny could have filled in on the left wing for the Charlestown Chiefs and they wouldn't have missed a beat.

Perhaps you've never seen clips of Bobby, beating the beejeezus out of none other than the leagues heavy-weight champ John Ferguson, not once but twice within a 3 week period, all the while doing so with a broken jaw, that Fergy funny enough broke with a cross-check. Mr Hull was very tough and perhaps the strongest guy in the league as well and I am including Tim Horton, Gordie and Reg Fleming

Bobby in the room circa 63

 

[WingsFan95]

Aside from the obvious.

Pavel Datsyuk and Jere Lehtinen.

I mean all time, obviously today those guys get the credit, although Lehtinen gets shortchanged.

 

[Iain Fyffe]

There is something of an idea that players in those days were steak-and-potatoes-eating, beer-gut-bearing guys who didn't work out more than they absolutely had to to play the game, rather than the physical specimen Hull clearly was based on that picture.

 

[Crosbyfan]

Well I do and so would anyone who saw him play, he was dominating and considered the best player in the league for a lot of years, Shanny was good no doubt but never really dominant



Perhaps you've never seen clips of Bobby, beating the beejeezus out of none other than the leagues heavy-weight champ John Ferguson, not once but twice within a 3 week period, all the while doing so with a broken jaw, that Fergy funny enough broke with a cross-check. Mr Hull was very tough and perhaps the strongest guy in the league as well and I am including Tim Horton, Gordie and Reg Fleming

Bobby in the room circa 63

Not claiming Shanahan was as good a hockey player.

Hull was not in Shanahans class as a fighter though, and no I have never seen the clips of him "beating the beejezus" out of Fergy.

Perhaps you can be so kind as to provide them, and we can all have a good laugh at your definition of what kind of beating that actually was?

That said he was a pretty strong guy. Maybe not as strong as Horton, Howe, or Fleming but pound for pound more powerful.

 

[therealkoho]

Not claiming Shanahan was as good a hockey player.

Hull was not in Shanahans class as a fighter though, and no I have never seen the clips of him "beating the beejezus" out of Fergy.

Perhaps you can be so kind as to provide them, and we can all have a good laugh at your definition of what kind of beating that actually was?

That said he was a pretty strong guy. Maybe not as strong as Horton, Howe, or Fleming but pound for pound more powerful.

Ahhh I see now.........there is a bit of a misperception here

When I said that Hull would eat any of their lunches, I meant entirely as a hockey player not pugillistically. While those other guys stack up pretty well as all time players, Bobby Hull was the best LW I ever saw play and quite possibly flat out the best ever. There are many others in the hockey world who share that opinion.

I looked couldn't find, what are you suggesting? that it didn't happen?

"perhaps the strongest guy in the league" is not definitive of being hands down "the strongest guy" in the league. It is saying that one could argue it.

 

[CJV123]

As with the time I first saw him play, I consider Bobby Orr to be the perfect hockey player. And I despise the Bruins, mind you. Orr could do everything.

 

[Bert Marshall days]

Trottier.


Did it all.


Some did parts.

 

[Bijelo]

Top twenty-three:

1 - Sergej Makarov
2 - Mario Lemieux
3 - Wayne Gretzky
4 - Bobby Orr
5 - Jari Kurri
6 - Mark Messier
7 - Dominik Hasek
8 - Chris Chelios
9 - Vladislav Tretiak
10 - Jaromir Jagr
11 - Martin Brodeur
12 - Phil Esposito
13 - Sidney Crosby
14 - Aleksandr Ovetjkin
15 - Teemu Selänne
16 - Brett Hull
17 - Roman Josi
18 - Zdeno Chara
19 - Martin Prochazka
20 - Ivan Hlinka
21 - Daniel Sedin
22 - Zigmund Palffy
23 - Pavel Bure

 

[Fatass]

All time:

1 - Sergej Makarov
2 - Mario Lemieux
3 - Wayne Gretzky
4 - Bobby Orr
5 - Jari Kurri
6 - Mark Messier
7 - Dominik Hasek
8 - Chris Chelios
9 - Vladislav Tretiak
10 - Jaromir Jagr
11 - Martin Brodeur
12 - Phil Esposito
13 - Sidney Crosby
14 - Aleksandr Ovetjkin
15 - Teemu Selänne
16 - Brett Hull
17 - Roman Josi

Did Makarov put up 100+ point seasons while being plus 70 and dominating from D?
Orr was far more impactful offensively and defensively than Makarov. And Gretzky had the puck so his defensive was controlling the play.

 

[Albatros]

Esa Tikkanen, didn't drop the gloves much but got going when the going got tough otherwise.