Who would make your Top 50 Womans hockey players lists

[Leaf Lander]

I haven't seen anyone do a top woman's hockey player list here on hf boards yet so imo it's time to start that conversation.

Who would you put in your top 50 list? Past and current players ...thank you

Click to read more...

 

[Bear of Bad News]

Some good lists referenced in this first post:

Collected research into women's hockey history

So it looks like we won't be doing the top 40 women this year, but hopefully we pull it off next year. I'd like to consolidate all research into one thread for easier reading. Feel free to post any and all research into the subject here. I'll update the OP to include a categorized collection...

forums.hfboards.com

 

[VanIslander]

Wickenheiser
James
Granato

.... must be in any top-10 convo.

They would be on my Mount Rushmore circa. 2002.

Botterill.
Ruggiero.

I avoid the NHL PR goalie...

 

[Leaf Lander]

Danielle Goyette

Anyone in the hockey hall of fame

 

[jigglysquishy]

1. Hayley Wickenheiser
2. Marie-Philip Poulin
3. Jayna Hefford
4. Riika Nieminen
5. Jenni Hiirikoski
6. Angela James
7. Angela Ruggiero
8. Jennifer Botterill
9. Caroline Ouellette
10. Noora Raty

HM. Danielle Goyette, Hilda Ranscombe, Molly Engstrom

I think we should work towards a top 40.

 

[mattihp]

Kim Martin for sure. Had she been 5'10 she would have had a career in men's leagues. Technically excellent.

Maria Rooth needs to be there too. Lethal goalscorer with maybe the best collection of shots.

Denise Altmann should maybe be a candidate too. I always felt she was really skilled, but scored more points because she was sneaky and resourceful. Can't believe her totals, she never looked nearly as good a player as her results.

 

[VanIslander]

Poulin i dunno. It's the generation after i know so well.

Hefford!!!!!! I missed her... a mental block because i hated her guts.... (2 names on that top 10 list i dunno... probably cuz i stopped watching in '08).

1. Hayley Wickenheiser
2. Marie-Philip Poulin
3. Jayna Hefford
4. Riika Nieminen
5. Jenni Hiirikoski
6. Angela James
7. Angela Ruggiero
8. Jennifer Botterill
9. Caroline Ouellette
10. Noora Raty

HM. Danielle Goyette, Hilda Ranscombe, Molly Engstrom

 

[jigglysquishy]

Poulin was a top 3 forward in both the 2010 and 2022 Olympics.

She was a three time MVP in the CWHL and arguably the best foward in three or four World Championships.

Even this year she was a top scorer in the PWHL.

She's been the de facto best forward since Wickenheiser got old.

Her biggest problem is she coasts half the season. But when it's an important game she's absolutely elite.

 

[VanIslander]

No one else mentioned Granato (the first on my trio off my lips, based on memory) ... sister and brother Tony, her here and he in the NHL, that family did great, basically American Sutter brother like...

 

[Leaf Lander]

We can add Hillary Knight

she continues to rewrite the history books. A year after breaking the record for most all-time goals at the women’s worlds, she surpassed Wickenheiser’s mark for most career points at the tournament. her career total to 89. Her awareness and strength on the ice continue to make her lethal in front of goal

Poulin, Fillier top TSN's Top 25 players in women's hockey | TSN

She may not have scored another golden goal at the last world championship, but Canadian star Marie-Philip Poulin is still the definitive choice for the best women’s hockey player on the planet.

www.tsn.ca

Also if I was running the woman's league and wanted to use past players to help market the new league. Get pics of those old players in their uniforms even if they have to do it in a old timers game for female players. There is little to choose from

 

[Professor What]

So, I'm going to give this a bump and ask a question to those who have some knowledge of the subject. Who would be the must have players on a list like this? You know, the ones that if they weren't there, the list would just be dismissed.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

granted I dont follow women's hockey nearly enough to effectively debate it, but as a casual observer I feel like you gotta have Amanda Kessel in the Top 10

 

[GlitchMarner]

Where would Cassie Campbell rank? She's a big name here... but what she actually that good?

 

[jigglysquishy]

Where would Cassie Campbell rank? She's a big name here... but what she actually that good?

Not really.

She played three seasons in the NWHL (ages 25,26,30)

1999 - 28 points in 29 games. The best forward was Caroline Ouellette with 60 points in 27 games. There were only 8 teams and she finished outside the top 20 in points.
2000 - 35 points in 34 games. The league leaders were all around 50-60 points.

I don't have stats for 2004.

She was never named to any IIHF all-star team.

If you look at those late 90s Team Canada rosters, she mostly played as a second line winger.

 

[jigglysquishy]

So, I'm going to give this a bump and ask a question to those who have some knowledge of the subject. Who would be the must have players on a list like this? You know, the ones that if they weren't there, the list would just be dismissed.

My top 15, in order (I haven't updated since Christmas)

1) Hayley Wickenheiser
2) Marie-Philip Poulin
3) Jayna Hefford
4) Riika Nieminen
5) Jenni Hiirikoski
6) Angela James
7) Angela Ruggiero
8) Jennifer Botterill
9) Caroline Ouellette
10) Noora Raty
11) Hilda Ranscombe
12) Danielle Goyette
13) Cammi Granato
14) Molly Engstrom
15) Hillary Knight

Other names floating around in the 15-30 range

Natalie Darwitz
Briana Decker
Geraldine Heaney
Charline Labonte
Monique Lamoureux
Dawn McGuire
Natalie Spooner
Kim St-Pierre
Shannon Szabados

Others too
Cindy Curley
Amanda Kessel
Albertine Lapensee
Sarah Tueting
Krissy Wendell-Pohl

There are other names too, but my top 15 should be names on everyone's top 25. And my 15-30 list should be fairly popular too. It's after that it can get tricky as you are picking depth players.


The 2023-24 PWHL season is still in swing, but Marie-Philip Poulin is the MVP in a fairly crowded field.

Caroline Harvey will skyrocket these lists. She's only 21 and is a top offensive player in World Championships, while playing defense.

 

[Professor What]

My top 15, in order (I haven't updated since Christmas)

1) Hayley Wickenheiser
2) Marie-Philip Poulin
3) Jayna Hefford
4) Riika Nieminen
5) Jenni Hiirikoski
6) Angela James
7) Angela Ruggiero
8) Jennifer Botterill
9) Caroline Ouellette
10) Noora Raty
11) Hilda Ranscombe
12) Danielle Goyette
13) Cammi Granato
14) Molly Engstrom
15) Hillary Knight

Other names floating around in the 15-30 range

Natalie Darwitz
Briana Decker
Geraldine Heaney
Charline Labonte
Monique Lamoureux
Dawn McGuire
Natalie Spooner
Kim St-Pierre
Shannon Szabados

Others too
Cindy Curley
Amanda Kessel
Albertine Lapensee
Sarah Tueting
Krissy Wendell-Pohl

There are other names too, but my top 15 should be names on everyone's top 25. And my 15-30 list should be fairly popular too. It's after that it can get tricky as you are picking depth players.


The 2023-24 PWHL season is still in swing, but Marie-Philip Poulin is the MVP in a fairly crowded field.

Caroline Harvey will skyrocket these lists. She's only 21 and is a top offensive player in World Championships, while playing defense.

Posts like this (I hope there are more to come) give those of us who don't know so much a good place to start researching. We've talked about doing a top 40. Would that involve a preliminary list of 50 or 60?

Either way, I could use as many names being tossed out as people care to bring up.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Top 60 initial list would be pushing it. Top 40 or top 50 lists feel more right.

Maybe a top 30 with top 40 initial lists?