Dipsy Doodle
Rent A Barn
- May 28, 2006
- 76,590
- 21,129
Who are the most loved players in your native country
- Thread starter hannes_ko
- Start date
Pentothal
Listen with one ear
I really believe that Sundin is more loved than Lidström by the casual fans and that Mats and Forsberg are in a class of their own when it comes to popularity in recent times. Tre Kronor captain and hero for so long. Lidström was busy with the play-offs so often so people didn't get to see him as much.
pappyline
Registered User
For sure Orr, Gretzky, & lemieux were loved by many in canada. Not so sure about the others you have listed. As a kid growing up in Ontario, players such as Howe & Hull were favorites of a lot of people. In the 60's Hull was the idol. The toughest ticket to get at MLG & the forum was when hull & the hawks came to town. The big Leaf favorite of that era was Davey Keon
MXD
Original #4
- Oct 27, 2005
- 50,824
- 16,555
Unless Quebec has left Canada, Richard is up there, way ahead of everyone on this list not named Gretzky.
pappyline
Registered User
MXD
Original #4
- Oct 27, 2005
- 50,824
- 16,555
Yeah, you're probably right actually.
But if you'd do a Canada-wide poll, I highly suspect Richard to be extremely high on it (if the repondants aren't allowed more than one "answer", that is).
I still shudder from that name.
In Finland Raimo "Raipe" Helminen, Matti Hagman, Arto Javanainen, Pekka Rautakallio, Jarmo Myllys and such good old WC names. Oh and Ville Peltonenen "never forget 95"
Ladislav Scurko
Registered User
In England i must say David Longstaff. Not many Brittish people know about hockey, but about 100 Britts got his name in the back of their heads.
Simoneau
Registered User
United States.
I am going to have to say, right now it has to be Ryan Miller. In my town, no one liked hockey. Yet after the olympics were over you couldn't stop hearing about Ryan Miller.
In Miller We Trust.
I am going to have to say, right now it has to be Ryan Miller. In my town, no one liked hockey. Yet after the olympics were over you couldn't stop hearing about Ryan Miller.
In Miller We Trust.
vadim sharifijanov
Registered User
- Oct 10, 2007
- 28,866
- 16,365
canada is tough because it's such a big country that produces so many hockey players, and because NHL success (often with these players playing in the united states) is usually favoured over international play.
but i do often think about the individual provinces and who their biggest heroes are. with quebec, you have obvious names-- richard, beliveau, lafleur, roy-- because historically the greatest french canadian players have played for the habs.
out west, where i'm from, it's a little trickier. when pat quinn became GM of the canucks, he made a point to bring home BC guys like ronning, the courtnalls, and ryan walter. non-BC but western canadian guys like smyl and linden are also beloved and thought of as local sons in BC.
this is maybe vancouver-centric of me but i always got the sense that sakic was the most beloved BC player in BC, partly because he played so much of his career in the same division as vancouver, and partly because there haven't been a lot of superstars from the lower mainland (kariya is one, but i never heard too much about him growing up). the first NHL game i ever went to, in the old pacific coliseum, canucks vs. nords, sakic scored the winner in overtime. as fans filed out, i remember a lot of people weren't all that upset, and talking about how great burnaby joe was. this would change ten years later when sakic regularly tortured us during the canucks-avs rivalry, but you would always still hear people say, "if anyone was going to beat us, i'm glad it was sakic." 2002 helps sakic's case too of course.
but then someone in kamloops might say recchi or niedermayer, and there are a lot of neely supporters too.
but i do often think about the individual provinces and who their biggest heroes are. with quebec, you have obvious names-- richard, beliveau, lafleur, roy-- because historically the greatest french canadian players have played for the habs.
out west, where i'm from, it's a little trickier. when pat quinn became GM of the canucks, he made a point to bring home BC guys like ronning, the courtnalls, and ryan walter. non-BC but western canadian guys like smyl and linden are also beloved and thought of as local sons in BC.
this is maybe vancouver-centric of me but i always got the sense that sakic was the most beloved BC player in BC, partly because he played so much of his career in the same division as vancouver, and partly because there haven't been a lot of superstars from the lower mainland (kariya is one, but i never heard too much about him growing up). the first NHL game i ever went to, in the old pacific coliseum, canucks vs. nords, sakic scored the winner in overtime. as fans filed out, i remember a lot of people weren't all that upset, and talking about how great burnaby joe was. this would change ten years later when sakic regularly tortured us during the canucks-avs rivalry, but you would always still hear people say, "if anyone was going to beat us, i'm glad it was sakic." 2002 helps sakic's case too of course.
but then someone in kamloops might say recchi or niedermayer, and there are a lot of neely supporters too.
Last edited:
Franck
eltiT resU motsuC
For the older generation of players in Canada, I'd say Howe, Orr and Beliveau would be at the top. Richard I think is a bit of a polarizing figure, obviously loved in Quebec more than anyone else, but not nearly as popular in the rest of the country.
Johnny Bower is another older guy who should get some mention as well.
Johnny Bower is another older guy who should get some mention as well.
unknown33
Registered User
- Dec 8, 2009
- 3,942
- 150
Yep. Hand is the one with the MBE from Liz Windsor, the 4,000+ career points and the what might have been mystique.
He's Scottish, but being their masters, we English always take credit for our friends over the border when they're successful.
zorz
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2010
- 4,029
- 4
In CZE, Jagr is numer 1. Arguably the most popular athlete ever here. Hasek has many lovers, but also haters. Besides these two, the most valued are players, who have made a lot in national team, like Reichel, Vyborny etc. (honorable metion - Vokoun after this season). You have to rock in national team if you want to be popular at home.
MXD
Original #4
- Oct 27, 2005
- 50,824
- 16,555
If one of the guys that you mentionned (+Gretzky) end up drawing more than 100 000, they MIGHT be considered more popular than Richard.
Calderon
Registered User
- Mar 24, 2006
- 1,148
- 748
Why isn't Gordie Howe more popular in Canada? Barely got mentioned twice in this thread so far. I reckon it cannot be just his age as Richard was born seven years earlier yet is more popular (did MR's popularity rise after his death?).
As for Finland, Saku Koivu is surely up there. I really didn't like him for a long time, since he played for the biggest rival of my favourite team in Finland at the time (TPS/Jokerit), but his tireless resilient efforts in the blue-white jersey finally won my heart. Beating cancer maybe got him a few sympathy points on the top. Personally my favourite Finnish hockey player has always been Teemu Selänne. He played for my team, got his autograph in person when he returned to Finland after the brilliant rookie season, always delivered at the highest level both in the NHL (well except those few infamous years with the bad knee) and for Team Finland, a likable guy etc.
As for others... yah Helminen is okay I guess, I respect his long career and records in the national team but in the end he was chosen in the team a couple times mainly for the sake of breaking another record imho (although admittedly it's not like we ever had an abundance of elite playmakers to take over Helminen's spot). Peltonen did score the crucial hat trick but I don't really care for the guy that much. For some reason I always kept the guys who made it in the NHL in much higher regard.
As for Finland, Saku Koivu is surely up there. I really didn't like him for a long time, since he played for the biggest rival of my favourite team in Finland at the time (TPS/Jokerit), but his tireless resilient efforts in the blue-white jersey finally won my heart. Beating cancer maybe got him a few sympathy points on the top. Personally my favourite Finnish hockey player has always been Teemu Selänne. He played for my team, got his autograph in person when he returned to Finland after the brilliant rookie season, always delivered at the highest level both in the NHL (well except those few infamous years with the bad knee) and for Team Finland, a likable guy etc.
As for others... yah Helminen is okay I guess, I respect his long career and records in the national team but in the end he was chosen in the team a couple times mainly for the sake of breaking another record imho (although admittedly it's not like we ever had an abundance of elite playmakers to take over Helminen's spot). Peltonen did score the crucial hat trick but I don't really care for the guy that much. For some reason I always kept the guys who made it in the NHL in much higher regard.
Calderon
Registered User
- Mar 24, 2006
- 1,148
- 748
Oh, why is Hasek hated by some Czechs?
He's probably my all time favorite hockey player.
zorz
Registered User
- Mar 8, 2010
- 4,029
- 4
Oh, why is Hasek hated by some Czechs?
Mainly because of his inline hockey incident ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dominik_Hašek - paragraph under "personal life" chapter).
Ad
Upcoming events
-
-
-
2024 NHL Draft Lottery Team that wins #1 pick - PICK ONLY ONE TEAMWagers: 10Staked: $12,250.00Event closes- Updated: