I have mixed feelings about considering Gretzky a rookie in his first NHL season. He did play professional hockey for a year previously, and it was in a league with some very top flight players and that was probably gaining on the NHL, but it was still a league that was somewhat below the NHL, so in a sense, it might not have been too different from an AHL that was jacked up by some stars. He also hadn't previously been eligible under the previously existing NHL age rules. So, in one sense, the rules were what they were, but they were also a little inconsistent.
In Selanne's case, I have a little harder time viewing him as a "true" rookie, though I'll also readily acknowledge that it might not really be fair for me to see it that way. He did win it with the rules that were put in place after Makarov's win, so it was legitimate, but he still had much more professional experience than a player who fits the natural image of a rookie does. Still, it's a legitimate position to include them, so I'm not bashing anyone that does.
Anyway, I'm going to go in other directions, just to play it safe, so to speak. At forward, I'll go with Ovechkin, though Bossy is very tempting. I think it's hard to find real separation, and I'd be interested in how others see the direct comparison between the two of them. At defense, I'm going with Orr. Bourque is tempting, but Orr just feels more consequential to me. I'm not so sure that's the best way to phrase it, but it's the best I can come up with right now. In net, I think it has to be Dryden. He was Hart runner-up and already had a Conn Smythe on his mantle. It's just hard for me to see past that.
