Greatest Collection of Teammates In A Career

[Stephen]

Simply, what player in NHL history has played with the greatest collection of teammates, as in who has been consistently surrounded with outstanding talent? Just taking a stab in the dark, but I think Nicklas Lidstrom has to rank up there. He has had the benefit of playing with Hall of Fame calibre core forwards like Fedorov, Yzerman, Datsyuk, Shanahan, old Soviet legends like Fetisov, Larionov, fantastic rentals like Coffey, Murphy, Hull, Hasek, etc consistently for nearly two decades.

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[YoSoyLalo]

Nick Lidstrom?

 

[Stephen]

Nick Lidstrom?

Haha yes, I just went to finish that thought.

 

[heutZe]

Paul Coffey... easily

 

[Noldo]

If I remember correctly, last time this was debated (as in "Try to build a team from a player's former teammates"), Paul Coffey was runaway winner having played in Gretzky's Oilers and Lemieux's Penguins (and later in Yzerman-era Red Wings).

Henri Richard also has quite a quality collection of teammates.

 

[JSmith81x]

Paul Coffey... easily

Played w/ five of the top seven scorers ever.

1. Wayne Gretzky (1980-1987, 1992-1993)
2. Mark Messier (1980-1987)
4. Ron Francis (1998-00)
6. Steve Yzerman (1993-1996)
7. Mario Lemieux (1987-1992)

 

[Canadiens1958]

Larry Hillman

Larry Hillman played with the dynasty early 1950's Wings, 1960's Leafs, late 1960's Canadiens plus other teams. Teammates(no duplication):

Goalies: Sawchuk, Hall,Lumley, Bower, Worsley.T. Esposito, Parent. Smith.

D-men: Kelly, Pronovost, Horton, Stanley,Savard,Howell, Lapointe,Laperriere,Flaman, Boivin,

LW: Lindsay, Bucyk, Mahovlich, Moore, Olmstead,Pulford,Lemaire,

Center: Delvecchio, Keon, Ullman Beliveau, H. Richard,Clarke, Perreault,

RW: Howe, Armstrong, Bathgate,Cournoyer,

 

[begbeee]

What about Mike Silinger. He played almost with everyone

 

[Blades of Glory]

Nick Lidstrom?

Lidstrom has played for only one team. That is automatically going to rule him out of this discussion

Larry Murphy:

Marcel Dionne, Scott Stevens, Rod Langway, Mike Gartner, Mike Modano, Dino Ciccarelli, Mario Lemieux, Paul Coffey, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Mark Recchi, Luc Robitaille, Joe Mullen, Mats Sundin, Doug Gilmour, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Slava Fetisov, Brendan Shanahan, Nick Lidstrom, Chris Chelios.

It's really easy to forget that Murphy started his career in LA and later had that unfortunate stop in Toronto. It's kind of ridiculous to think that he was the major mid-season acquisition for two teams that won consecutive Stanley Cups immediately following his arrival. The last two teams to do win consecutive Cups, no less.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

For a guy who's stayed with one team his entire career, it's got to be Henri Richard. I doubt anybody played with more HOFers than him. He played on the late 50's dynasty team, the late 60's dynasty, and got in a couple of years with the core that would become the 70's dynasty team. Explains why he's the all time leader with cups as a player.

 

[Blades of Glory]

What about Brett Hull?

Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwendyk, Bernie Federko, Adam Oates, Rod Brind'Amour, Scott Stevens, Brendan Shanahan, Chris Pronger, Wayne Gretzky, Curtis Joseph, Glenn Anderson, Grant Fuhr, Pierre Turgeon, Mike Modano, Ed Belfour, Sergei Fedorov, Steve Yzerman, Dominik Hasek, Chris Chelios, Luc Robitaille, Igor Larionov, Nick Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg.

 

[Sonny Lamateena]

Tomas Sandstrom

Lemieux - Gretzky - Lafleur
Shanahan - Trottier - Jagr
Fedorov - Yzerman - Kurri
Robitaille - Dionne - Selanne

Francis, Larionov, Kariya, Mullen, Naslund, Taylor, Tocchet

Lidstrom - Robinson
Coffey - Fetisov
Murphy - Leetch

Konstantinov, Blake, Zubov, Duchesne, Samuelsson

Barrasso
Vanbiesbrouck

Vernon,Osgood, Richter, Hrudey

Coach: Scotty Bowman

 

[pappyline]

Ed Litzenberger team is the best. played on Habs at the start of their dynasty, captained Blackhawks in their cup win of 61, on the Wings in 61-62 and on the Leaf early 60's dynasty.


Bobby Hull-Jean Beliveau-Gordie howe
Ted lindsay-Stan Mikita-Rocket richard
Frank Mahovlich=Alex Delvecchio-Bernie Geoffrion
Dickie moore-Dave keon-Ed litzenberger

Doug harvey-Red kelly
Pierre Pilote-Bill Gadsby
Tim Horton-Marcel Pronovost
Tom Johnson

Glen Hall
Jacques plante
Johnny Bower

 

[Tawnos]

Played w/ five of the top seven scorers ever.

1. Wayne Gretzky (1980-1987, 1992-1993)
2. Mark Messier (1980-1987)
4. Ron Francis (1998-00)
6. Steve Yzerman (1993-1996)
7. Mario Lemieux (1987-1992)

I think Tillman takes it here, but for a go.

Centers: Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis, Bryan Trottier, Steve Yzerman, Sergei Fedorov, Igor Larionov, Eric Lindros, Rod Brind'Amour, Dale Hawerchuk, Doug Gilmour, Joe Thornton

Wingers: Glen Anderson, Kevin Stevens, Mark Recchi, Jaromir Jagr, Joe Mullen, Rick Tocchet, Luc Robitaille, Dave Taylor, Dino Ciccarelli, Brendan Shanahan, John LeClair, Gary Roberts, Bill Guerin

Defensemen: Larry Murphy, Rob Blake, Larry Robinson, Nik Lidstrom, Slava Fetisov, Chris Chelios

Goalies (not as impressive): Grant Fuhr, Ron Hextall, Tommy Barrasso


He certainly had the best group of centers as teammates, no doubt. Trottier, Hawerchuk and Gilmour stand out to me as easily overlooked.

 

[Howe Elbows 9]

Not including the players in question on their respective teams of team mates...

Coffey:

Anderson - Gretzky - Kurri
Trottier - Lemieux - Jagr
Lindros - Messier - Francis
Robitaille - Yzerman - Fedorov
Larionov

Lidström - Fetisov
Chelios - Murphy
Howe - Blake
Konstantinov

Fuhr
Vernon

Sillinger:

Näslund - Yzerman - Selänne
Mogilny - Fedorov - Bure
Nash - Lindros - LeClair
Kariya - Lecavalier - Mellanby
Tikkanen

Lidström - Coffey
Pronger - Howe
Weber - McCrimmon
Konstantinov

Luongo
Vokoun

Litzenberger:

Hull - Beliveau - Richard
Lindsay - Mikita - Howe
Mahovlich - Delvecchio - Geoffrion
Moore - Keon - Bathgate
Kelly

Harvey - Johnson
Pilote - Horton
Gadsby - Pronovost
Stanley

Plante
Hall

pappyline beat me to Litzenberger, although if you want to be a stickler for details (something I admittedly haven't been when making the teams I've posted above) I believe Kelly was a forward for the time he played with him.

 

[JaymzB]

Ed Litzenberger team is the best. played on Habs at the start of their dynasty, captained Blackhawks in their cup win of 61, on the Wings in 61-62 and on the Leaf early 60's dynasty.


Bobby Hull-Jean Beliveau-Gordie howe
Ted lindsay-Stan Mikita-Rocket richard
Frank Mahovlich=Alex Delvecchio-Bernie Geoffrion
Dickie moore-Dave keon-Ed litzenberger

Doug harvey-Red kelly
Pierre Pilote-Bill Gadsby
Tim Horton-Marcel Pronovost
Tom Johnson

Glen Hall
Jacques plante
Johnny Bower

He has to be the #1 in this. When Henri Richard isn't good enough to make a team of your best teammates, you know you are doing something right (though Hillman has a pretty impressive collection as well).

 

[kmad]

Larry Hillman played with the dynasty early 1950's Wings, 1960's Leafs, late 1960's Canadiens plus other teams. Teammates(no duplication):

Goalies: Sawchuk, Hall,Lumley, Bower, Worsley.T. Esposito, Parent. Smith.

D-men: Kelly, Pronovost, Horton, Stanley,Savard,Howell, Lapointe,Laperriere,Flaman, Boivin,

LW: Lindsay, Bucyk, Mahovlich, Moore, Olmstead,Pulford,Lemaire,

Center: Delvecchio, Keon, Ullman Beliveau, H. Richard,Clarke, Perreault,

RW: Howe, Armstrong, Bathgate,Cournoyer,

I remember a thread a while back asking who had played with the most Hall of Fame teammates, and Larry Hillman was the answer with 40-something.

IIRC, Chris Chelios was second.