To echo what has already been said to one member's ignorant comments, some people think they are elitests when it comes to making picks that come from out of left field. Sometimes the obvious choice player makes for the obvious vote, because it's well deserved. Not saying your pick is any less valid, but don't knock others for their pick.
I never saw Jack Stewart play, nor did 99 percent of the forum members on hockeysfuture. btw That 99 percent is probably more like 100. So I go based on what I know beyond the stats and little-to-no in-depth analysis's of a player. Back then the game didn't have the expanded audience it has today, due to decades of fan growth and available media outlets. Brendan Shanahan is not a random fan pick. He's one of the best power forwards in the game. He played some of his best years in Detroit, playing a huge part in a few of those Cup wins. It seems logical that he would be voted over a player who's last NHL game was in 1952. As someone who obsesses about the game and its history, I am aware of players today and yesteryear. Having said that it goes to say, I prefer to take the stronger and more talented player. The guy who was conditioned for a bigger faster game. One that has seen decades of evolution from Jack Stewart's time. You say an educated fan should know those players. An educated fan should also know the game has evolved since those players time. You can't compare a Joe Malone to a Sidney Crosby, because one is clearly superior to the other despite how dominate one may have been in their era.
I'll take it further... I am a Vladimir Konstantinov fan. After Steve Yzerman he's my all-time favorite Red Wing and the defenseman I cherish more than any other in the game. His dominating performance in the 1997 Cup Final against Philadelphia where he was Eric Lindros and John Leclair's shadow, will not be forgotten. He made their life miserable and made it difficult for either one to produce, and was one of the major factors why those two stars were held to one point each in that Final. However, as tempting as it was to vote for him, I had to go with who I felt deep down inside was the better Wing in his time with Motorcity. Maybe things would have been different if Vladimir's career wasn't cut short.
I am not saying you're not allowed to have an opinion and go with a Jack Stewart or Norm Ullman as your pick. It's not always who would be better today, but who had the biggest impact in the franchise's history. I get that. However, to talk down or make it be known how much more educated your opinion is vs another's comes off rather insulting.
