Canada vs Europe: Which first unit is better and why?

[Elvis P]

Canada

21. Mark Messier - 12. Sidney Crosby - 23. Guy Lafleur

10. Ray Bourque - 18. Denis Potvin

7. Patrick Roy

Europe

22. Alex Ovechkin - 51. Peter Forsberg - 16. Jaromir Jagr

15. Nicklas Lidstrom - 25. Viacheslav Fetisov

13. Dominik Hasek

Click to read more...

 

[Took a pill in Sbisa]

Closer, but still Europe. If you take every player in their prime, Fetisov is the only European that's clearly worse than his NA counterpart.

Prime Forsberg isn't that far off from prime Crosby.

 

[authentic]

Could've just called it Canada, no?

Europe would be better.

 

[Felidae]

Assuming everyone's at their absolute peak.

Ovechkin>Messier

Crosby>Forsberg

Jagr>Lafleur

Bourque>Lidstrom

Potvin>Fetisov

Hasek>Roy





Canada has the better defenseman. Europe has the better goalie, the forwards was hard, but I went with Europe.

I think Europe is better on paper by the tiniest of fractions, but in a series it could go either way.

Good poll. I would have voted too close if there was an option, but there's no fun in that.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Forsberg is the weak link here.

 

[Nathaniel Skywalker]

The canadian team

 

[Felidae]

Thanks and thanks for posting. Here's why I respectfully disagree. Except for RW Jagr, I think Canada is better at every position and I'm not Canadian.
According to the Top-100 Hockey Players of All-Time rankings here's how the two teams compare:

Canada

21. Mark Messier - 12. Sidney Crosby - 23. Guy Lafleur

10. Ray Bourque - 18. Denis Potvin

7. Patrick Roy

Europe

22. Alex Ovechkin - 51. Peter Forsberg - 16. Jaromir Jagr

15. Nicklas Lidstrom - 25. Viacheslav Fetisov

13. Dominik Hasek @Felidae

As I said in my previous post. I was taking into account each player at their best.

The list you provided, which I highly respect, takes into account entire careers.

 

[T REX]

How about current NHL

Seems like that might be fun

 

[Elvis P]

As I said in my previous post. I was taking into account each player at their best.

The list you provided, which I highly respect, takes into account entire careers.

Except for Jagr, at their best I think Canada is better at every position.

 

[BlueBaron]

This is a bit weird. Is this our B Team against Europes A Team?

 

[Plante]

This would be a great watch, you chose some tightly contested lineups OP

 

[Felidae]

This is a bit weird. Is this our B Team against Europes A Team?

If it was Canada's A team, it wouldn't be an interesting poll. Too lopsided.

 

[BlueBaron]

If it was Canada's A team, it wouldn't be an interesting poll. Too lopsided.

As a biased Canadian I won't argue and I understand why you would do that. It just wasn't totally clear how you chose that team.

Gretzky alone ruins these kinds of comparisons. I remember being in pools where you could only choose his goals or his assists and you treated them as separate players.

The minute you say B team everyone instantly understands the context and you dodge annoying guys like me Thanks for the answer, sorry for the hassle.

This is awfully close. I'm going to homer vote.

 

[Felidae]

As a biased Canadian I won't argue and I understand why you would do that. It just wasn't totally clear how you chose that team.

Gretzky alone ruins these kinds of comparisons. I remember being in pools where you could only choose his goals or his assists and you treated them as separate players.

The minute you say B team everyone instantly understands the context and you dodge annoying guys like me Thanks for the answer, sorry for the hassle.

This is awfully close. I'm going to homer vote.

Oh im not the OP. Just gave my opinion.

MY apologies for the hassle, lol.

That Gretzky thing is insane though, even adding Orr, Lemieux or Howe would make the polls lopsided I imagine, and rightfully so.

 

[Thenameless]

Lafleur is the man. My heart goes with Canada all the way.

But my head says the European team takes this by the slightest of margins.

Every last one of these guys is capable of taking over a game during his peak. Hasek scares me the most. But it's nice having Roy too if we're talking life and death.

 

[AgeIess]

Jagr Forsberg and Hasek put the European side over the top for me.