Best Face-Off Men in History

sunb

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Who are the best face-off men in NHL history? This questions was born out of the "Life on the Line" thread and the importance of the faceoff is monumental in the dying seconds of a critical game. Who are the best face-off men in your minds?
 

BM67

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Nels Stewart was one of the best, and he passed his knowledge on to Teeder Kennedy when he was his coach in junior.

Stan Mikita, Bobby Clarke and Doug Jarvis were probably the best from the 60s to the 80s.
 

MiamiScreamingEagles

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Stan Mikita was the first name that popped into my mind. Rod Brind'Amour deserves a nod for a contemporary player. I seem to recall an article over the past couple of years that named Yanic Perreault in a vote by players.
 

turnbuckle*

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The best faceoff man ever without question was Tommy Two Rivers, who starred in the Northern Labrador Senior League in the 1930's and 40's.

They say he never lost a draw despite being challenged by faceoff artists throughout North America, including Teeder Kennedy who made a trip up to Labrador one summer to challenge Tommy to a faceoff contest. The two faced off 25 times, and the closest Kennedy came to winning a draw was getting his stick into the circle. Two Rivers was so fast that they say he could turn of the light switch and be in bed under the covers before the light went out. Kennedy was never the same in the faceoff circle after that, his confidence shattered. He often deferred to his linemates to take the draw.

Two Rivers, nicknamed "The Tempest" was so adept that opposing teams used to put two players against him in the faceoff circle, but to no avail he couldn't be beat.

Longtime Labrador official Red Novel once noted that Two Rivers was so quick on the draws that 'he'd win facoffs before I had the puck". I'd never touch it."

Hope that answers your question.
 

John Flyers Fan

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Clarke is the best I've seen during the last 30 years.

Other dominant face-off men during that time .. Brind'amour, Peca, Nieuwendyk, Lindros, Yzerman, Sundin, Joel Otto, Holik.

IMO Y. Perreault is the most overrated of the bunch .. if you're too weak defensively to be put on the ice with a face-off in your own end, with under a minute to go, that really negates your value as a top face-off man.
 

Snap Wilson

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The best faceoff man ever without question was Tommy Two Rivers, who starred in the Northern Labrador Senior League in the 1930's and 40's.

They say he never lost a draw despite being challenged by faceoff artists throughout North America, including Teeder Kennedy who made a trip up to Labrador one summer to challenge Tommy to a faceoff contest. The two faced off 25 times, and the closest Kennedy came to winning a draw was getting his stick into the circle. Two Rivers was so fast that they say he could turn of the light switch and be in bed under the covers before the light went out. Kennedy was never the same in the faceoff circle after that, his confidence shattered. He often deferred to his linemates to take the draw.

Two Rivers, nicknamed "The Tempest" was so adept that opposing teams used to put two players against him in the faceoff circle, but to no avail he couldn't be beat.

Longtime Labrador official Red Novel once noted that Two Rivers was so quick on the draws that 'he'd win facoffs before I had the puck". I'd never touch it."

Hope that answers your question.

Bravo! :clap:

No fair stealing Cool Papa Bell's gimmick.
 

Ludwig Fell Down

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Clarke is the best I've seen during the last 30 years.

Other dominant face-off men during that time .. Brind'amour, Peca, Nieuwendyk, Lindros, Yzerman, Sundin, Joel Otto, Holik.

IMO Y. Perreault is the most overrated of the bunch .. if you're too weak defensively to be put on the ice with a face-off in your own end, with under a minute to go, that really negates your value as a top face-off man.

I'd add Adam Oates to the list of recent face-off specialists. Great on the draw in general, and won an OT playoff game against Buffalo with a direct shot off of an offensive-zone draw.
 

tape-2-tape

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All the Centers mentioned are great on the draw but the greatest I ever saw was Ryan Walter. That guy never lost a key draw against the B's in his whole career as a Hab.
 

V-2 Schneider

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Doug Jarvis.He's on a level above everyone, including the great Mikita and Beliveau.

Other face off wizards were Bobby Clarke,Joel Otto,Guy Carbonneau,Dave Keon.
 

mrhockey193195

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Nov 14, 2006
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Because I'm not old enough to comment on certain all time greats, I can say that the best faceoff men I have seen play in my life time were Messier, Brinda'mour, Francis, Otto, and Carbonneau in no order
 

BobbyAwe

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Nov 21, 2006
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Who are the best face-off men in NHL history? This questions was born out of the "Life on the Line" thread and the importance of the faceoff is monumental in the dying seconds of a critical game. Who are the best face-off men in your minds?

Derek Sanderson :yo:
 

Hossa08MVP*

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Brind Amour
Peca
Rolston
Modano
Lindros
Yashin
Perrault
Holik
Neuwendyk
 

GB

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Mar 6, 2002
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That's a fair point about Perrault, but the question's only about face-offs, and he has been one of the best in the league for a while.
I read an interesting comment about Lindros in the late-90's, that even if he didn't win the actual draw he could over-power his opponent and come away with the puck anyway.

Still though, Adam Oates is the best I've seen.
 

Stephen

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Feb 28, 2002
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IMO Y. Perreault is the most overrated of the bunch .. if you're too weak defensively to be put on the ice with a face-off in your own end, with under a minute to go, that really negates your value as a top face-off man.

How do you figure? If Perreault is winning the defensive draw, his team has the puck, the other team isn't scoring if there's no offensive possession.
 

BM67

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Perreault is always near the top of a FW% list, but a list of total faceoff wins sees him well down the list. Since 98-99 he has not been in the top 10 of faceoffs won in any season, peaking at 12th in 01-02, and that is his only time in the top 20, and his 23rd ranking in 02-03 is his only other ranking in the top 30.

Perreault beats Brind'Amour by a couple of % on FW%, but Brind'Amour has won around 2000 more faceoffs. Perreault is probably better at faceoffs, but the rest of his game pales so he isn't put out for more faceoffs.
 

goldenstatehockey

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Oct 23, 2006
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I never got to see Sanderson until after he returned from the WHA and he didn't have the same drive/heart for the game.

I remember Phil Esposito was very good at draws but remember hearing that he couldn't even win a draw against Derek even in practice.

I would have loved to have seen some games of vintage Sanderson vs. Clarke vs. Mikita matchups.

Otherwise, it's Mikita at 1A and Clarke at 1B for best faceoff men I've seen.

DS
 

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