Heart & soul franchise guys

[Whaleafs]

Thinking of guys that fit the same mold as Trevor Linden with Vancouver and
Wendel Clark with Toronto.

Both these guys were never the most talented on the team but became the captains, were traded, later came back, and it was almost like they never left. Today their statuses with these teams and their fan bases far exceed their offensive numbers or awards etc. and this is largely due to their "heart & soul" playing style. Do other teams have someone similar to this ?

Kevin Dineen with Hartford and Ryan Smyth with Edmonton come to mind.

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[blood gin]

Ken Daneyko is the ultimate. Moreso than even Smyth for Edmonton and Clark for Toronto

Been continuously employed by the Devils for 36 years in some capacity. The Devils had not even been named yet when he was drafted.

 

[Chief Nine]

Put me down for Terry O'Reilly for the Bruins. He's the B's poster boy for this criteria!

 

[Boxscore]

Dave Poulin, Flyers.

Dale Hunter, Capitals.

Chris Chelios, Blackhawks.

Mike Peca, Sabres & Islanders.

Guy Carbonneau, Habs.

 

[GMR]

Adam Foote for the Avalanche.

I don't remember how long he was in Columbus, but it never looked right. Eventually, he came back to Colorado again to finish his career.

 

[Chief Nine]

Jim Schoenfeld for the Sabres also comes to mind. Tough SOB

 

[Boxscore]

Linday, Wings. Gordie and Red were the main stars but Teddy was a killer.

 

[Chief Nine]

I know I'm posting about guys from way back, but another is Keith Magnuson (RIP) for the Blackhawks. #3 really set the tone for that team back then

 

[blood gin]

Brind'Amour is probably this guy for both Philly and Carolina

 

[Boxscore]

Brind'Amour is probably this guy for both Philly and Carolina

Brindy is a good one.

 

[VanIslander]

10 posts and no Yzerman?

I hated the Wings, but man, he bled heart and soul.

Edit: as a Canucks fan, his one-legged performance in the 2002 playoffs was epic tragic for us, shades of Forsberg in terms of awe-inspiring Canuck killer-dom.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

i will get a little misty when they induct burrows and bieksa into our ring of honour.

a million years ago, when there was a huge debate about whether kesler or henrik sedin should take over the captaincy from luongo, all of the positive off-ice qualities people brought up to advocate for kesler (leadership, speaks up in the room, glue guy, pillar of the community) were actually burrows and bieksa's contributions. everyone just assumed kes, whose disposition was like a slightly sunnier bertuzzi, had the same qualities because he was a native english speaker, played an energetic physical style, and those three were best buds.

 

[Boxscore]

10 posts and no Yzerman?

I hated the Wings, but man, he bled heart and soul.

Edit: as a Canucks fan, his one-legged performance in the 2002 playoffs was epic tragic for us, shades of Forsberg in terms of awe-inspiring Canuck killer-dom.

The OP specifically mentioned "not the star of the team" type of heart and soul guys. Yzerman was a mega star.

 

[LeProspector]

Chris Neil/Phillips for Ottawa

 

[DannyGallivan]

Thinking of guys that fit the same mold as Trevor Linden with Vancouver and
Wendel Clark with Toronto.

Both these guys were never the most talented on the team but became the captains, were traded, later came back, and it was almost like they never left. Today their statuses with these teams and their fan bases far exceed their offensive numbers or awards etc. and this is largely due to their "heart & soul" playing style. Do other teams have someone similar to this ?

Kevin Dineen with Hartford and Ryan Smyth with Edmonton come to mind.

So by heart and soul you mean "Good but not great yet with a lot of intangibles who tried really, really hard for their team" ?

Sounds about as clear as the criteria for the Hart Trophy (cue laugh track and applause).

Okay, I'll bite. I would sayyyy... Thomas Steen of the Jets. Here's a Swedish guy who scored a point a game and played as gritty as a tough fourth liner from the Western Hockey League. He played his entire career for the Jets and retired when they announced that they would leave for Phoenix. He stayed in Winnipeg and even became a city councillor.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

It was probably Draper or McCarty for the 90s/early 00s Wings. McCarty was definitely the fan favorite.

 

[Claude The Fraud]

Rick Tocchet, Philadelphia
Brian Sutter, St. Louis
Brent Sutter, New York
Wally Weir, Quebec

 

[mrhockey193195]

It was probably Draper or McCarty for the 90s/early 00s Wings. McCarty was definitely the fan favorite.

Don't forget Maltby as well!

 

[mrhockey193195]

In my lifetime for the Rangers, we've only had a handful. Adam Graves, Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi are the three big ones. Unfortunately, with salary cap era being what it is and fans caring more and more about what players make and whether they are "living up to their salaries", the latter two are (idiotically) not so well regarded anymore by the Rangers fanbase. But had they played in the 90s or earlier, they would be fan favorites for eternity.

 

[crobro]

Stan smyl

Rick Meagher

Doug Gilmour

 

[Jim MacDonald]

I don't know if I'm reaching on this guys and gals.....but didn't Patrick Flatley play his entire career with the Islanders and where the Captain's "C" a good chunk? Isles fans chip in/help? Heart and Soul you think? I know it's a bit of a different one,,,,

 

[blood gin]

In my lifetime for the Rangers, we've only had a handful. Adam Graves, Ryan Callahan, Dan Girardi are the three big ones. Unfortunately, with salary cap era being what it is and fans caring more and more about what players make and whether they are "living up to their salaries", the latter two are (idiotically) not so well regarded anymore by the Rangers fanbase. But had they played in the 90s or earlier, they would be fan favorites for eternity.

Rangers have had plenty of those guys they just predated you. Ron Greschner was probably that for a generation of fans. Rod Gilbert, Eddie Giacomin, Harry Howell

 

[mrhockey193195]

Rangers have had plenty of those guys they just predated you. Ron Greschner was probably that for a generation of fans. Rod Gilbert, Eddie Giacomin, Harry Howell

Absolutely! Throw in guys like Poddubny, Hadfield, Maloney

Hence the "in my lifetime" conditional.

 

[Iapyi]

Ron Ellis is the poster boy for this.

I was thinking Stan Smyl and saw another poster mentioned him as well.

John Tonelli

 

[Megahab]

Saku Koivu for Montreal.

Not a leaf fan but Darcy Tucker seems to fit.