The Hockey News annual Top 50 Player rankings for 2023-2024

[S E P H]

There is no rationale for Sidney Crosby to be ranked ahead of players who are better offensively over the past 2 seasons, and significantly younger, while also contributing more than Crosby defensively and on the PK.

But you do you Canada.

I love it when these lists have Crosby in like the top 10 and Ovechkin not coming close to the top 30. I'm like, if Ovechkin beats Gretzky's record, he is by far and away one of the best players of all time and better than Crosby.

 

[wetcoast]

In 2004, Don Cherry was VOTED by millions of Canadians as the 7th greatest Canadian of all time - not just in hockey, but of ALL Canadians ever! According to you, this was AFTER his sharp decline. So what was he, #1 before that?!?

His passion for hockey is legendary and let's face it Canada isn't exactly the mecca for well known people countrywide.

Subsequently, Cherry maintained a HUGE following - almost exclusively among Canadians. Over a million Canadians were tuning in to Cherry's nativist rants whenever he was on TV - right up until his firing a few years ago.

This is a real slight on the part of Don Cherry being on HNIC and having an almost exclusive Canadian audience opposed to all those Russian, Swedish and Finnish international sports commentators that had multinational appeal that are so famous that I can't even recall any of their names or anything they said eh.

For decades, many Canadians simply denied that Don Cherry was nativist, or they just supported him anyway. That argument somehow became overwhelmed within public perception, but the evidence was always there. His 2019 comments finally got him fired, but they were actually quite consistent with his schtick while he was firmly Canada's #1 most popular hockey personality.

That's the thing it was mostly a schtick and every group of people in his age bracket across the hockey world had their prejudices right?

I learned very early on in University that some people applied the current (whatever the time frame) moral lens back on the previous generation only to have that same lens put them under scrutiny to the next generation's progress.

For years, Cherry had his own sticky thread at the top of this very forum - right up until his firing IIRC. That wasn't that long ago. No other Canadian hockey commentator has had that. Yet you want to pretend he wasn't recently popular in Canada?!?

You are in denial.

Denial is this Canadian bias crap, it's almost as embarrassing as your Crosby is a crappy 2 way player thread I refereed to up thread, just a completely different universe being described from the reality most of us can clearly see.

I don't think so, there's no media monster or hype machine like Toronto. Do you remember the insanity this year for marners point streak ? It's all they talked about for months like he had just broke Gretzky record

Montreal is a as is Vancouver as well but Toronto does have a huge hockey market so it is what it is.

But the point is that there are also a lot of other markets that aren't Arizona.

 

[wetcoast]

I love it when these lists have Crosby in like the top 10 and Ovechkin not coming close to the top 30. I'm like, if Ovechkin beats Gretzky's record, he is by far and away one of the best players of all time and better than Crosby.

that's great if you think that with the goals record, just don't be surprised when the majority of the hockey world takes the more complete player.

Also it's not an all time ranking it's current and Ovi is 37 going into next season.

I fully expect when Crosby is 37 2 years from now he won't be ranked as high as this year.

 

[leafsfan2point0]

underrated? i am not sure.

but definitely underpaid.

Lol. For real though - He’s hated big time.

 

[YippieKaey]

Someone needs to explain to me how Stone is better than Marner. Marner selke finalist with 99 points. Stone can barely play due to his back. I know he likely gets a "won a cup overrated" bump but come on.

Also funny how Matthews can be absolutely elite and by far and away best goal scorer in the league for 3 straight seasons after already having the highest goal / game since entering the league, and all it takes is 1 underwhelming season he was hurt (and still scored 40 goals and 85 points in 74 games) and people pretend he is a scrub. The salt is real with Matthews.

He was listed at 5 dude.

 

[TBF1972]

Lol. For real though - He’s hated big time.

by whom?

the toronto fan base?

i don't care about matthews. it is just comical to see a fan base putting him on a podestal

talking about mcdavid tier

until the next early out in the playoffs or contract negotiation

than turn the page and shit on him

 

[KillerMillerTime]

THN’s Yearbook just arrived in my mailbox today, and as an annual tradition so did their annual ranking of the top players in the NHL.

Due to copyright (and site) rules, I’m unable to post the entire list. But I will post the top 15 for discussion purposes. Please purchase a copy on newsstands or digitally (through zinio for example) if you would like to see the full list and read the blurbs for each player.

1. Connor McDavid
2. Cale Makar
3. Leon Draisaitl
4. Nathan MacKinnon
5. Auston Matthews
6. David Pastrnak
7. Matthew Tkachuk
8. Adam Fox
9. Jack Hughes
10. Andrei Vasilevskiy

11. Jason Robertson
12. Sidney Crosby
13. Roope Hintz
14. Mark Stone.
15. Jack Eichel

Thoughts? These are always sure to cause debates and ruffle feathers.

I take Heiskanen and McAvoy over Robertson, Eichel, and Hintz. No slam dunks mind you but they are elite #1D.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I agree, but the Knights did just win the Cup, so I'm not surprised two of their players made the top 15.

But I would like some Hintz as to why Roope is ranked so high.

I take Heiskanen and McAvoy over Hintz and Eichel.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

I need someone to explain to me how Roope Hintz is a better player than Nikita Kucherov, Mikko Rantanen, Brayden Point, etc.

He isn't. Heiskanen is more valuable than he and Robertson on his own team and McAvoy is more valuable than Hintz, Robertson, Eichel and Stone. Not a knock on any of them just that those two are elite #1 D.

 

[AvsGuy]

I'm not sure where I'd honestly rank him league-wide (#19 seems low), but after a 55 goal, 100+ point season, you gotta be kidding to say Mikko Rantanen isn't better than Roope Hintz or Mitch Marner

 

[Breakers]

If I'm doing a top 50 list

I'm not including 7 goaltenders like they did.

Also that Ullmark ranking ain't it when in the description they bring up stats that favor Saros?

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Still can't believe Kucherov was 22

 

[AvroArrow]

With all due respect, Jack Eichel has no f***ing business being in the top 15, or Vasi at this point. Vasi is there solely on reputation, Eichel maybe cause of the recent cup run. Kucherov needs to be in the top 15, maybe top 7.

 

[jcs0218]

With all due respect, Jack Eichel has no f***ing business being in the top 15, or Vasi at this point. Vasi is there solely on reputation, Eichel maybe cause of the recent cup run. Kucherov needs to be in the top 15, maybe top 7.

Vasileyskiy was by far the biggest reason Tampa Bay lost to Toronto in the playoffs.

Tampa Bay outplayed Toronto for most of the series, but Vasilevskiy gave the series away.

 

[SeanMoneyHands]

Robertson over Crosby lol.

 

[Esq]

Fox over Hedman. Right.

 

[Dingo]

Kucherov somehow criminally underrated for life.

Second best offensive force, when playing, of the McDingle Era.

 

[Brooklyndevil]

Fox over Hedman. Right.

I agree. Fox is a bit too high on the list. At least this year’s Fox.

 

[blundluntman]

Friendly reminder that The Hockey News didn't even have Kucherov in their top 10 at the beginning of this season.

 

[Beau Knows]

I love it when these lists have Crosby in like the top 10 and Ovechkin not coming close to the top 30.

Seems like TNH's prediction was pretty accurate, at least for those two players.