Most beloved player from each fanbase?

[Big Phil]

If someone wants to come in and add their two cents as to who is the biggest fan favourite in Florida or Columbus, go nuts. But there are some teams that matter more than others. Some are more clear cut. Others aren't very important franchises. But I'll do them anyway. Think of the player who would get the biggest ovation if he is introduced before a game.

Montreal - Beliveau (sorry Rocket, just the ones still alive)
Detroit - Howe, followed by Yzerman very closely
Chicago - I'd still say Hull, although Toews might get there eventually
Rangers - Messier
Bruins - Orr (Neely and Bourque followed closely)
Toronto - Gilmour (other names that come up, Bower, Clark, Sittler, Salming, Sundin to an extent. Keon has always been a little standoffish and so many others have died)

Philly - Clarke
Pittsburgh - Lemieux
Edmonton - Still has to be Gretzky
Los Angeles - Gretzky still?
Islanders - Hard to pick here, I guess I'll say Potvin, Trottier sort of left on bad terms
Calgary - Iginla? Possibly Fleury still?
Vancouver - Linden without even thinking
New Jersey - Brodeur
Buffalo - Perreault
Tampa - I would say St. Louis for sure
Washington - Ovechkin
Carolina - Eric Staal
Florida - Would it still be Beezer?
Winnipeg - Very tough one and not in a good way. Ladd perhaps?
Nashville - Weber even though Legwand has been there from day one, Lord knows why
Minnesota - Suter now?
San Jose - Thornton or Marleau
Columbus - It can't be Nash anymore can it?
Phoenix - Doan
Anaheim - Selanne
Colorado - Sakic
St. Louis - MacInnis perhaps?
Ottawa - You can chime in Sens fans, what is the opinion of Alfie now?
Dallas - Hard to say anyone but Modano

Click to read more...

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

Florida is Bure pretty easy, imo.

 

[gudzilla]

Bure and Beezer are on the top of Florida.

Weiss is pretty high for new fans

Florida is Bure pretty easy, imo.

well, bure was pretty cherry-picking in his years here, 2nd a lot more than first though. he brought excitement to florida.

the '96 team will always have a special place in our hearts, especially beezer

 

[dr robbie]

St. Louis definitely has Hull and MacInnis in the running. I know Hull was for a long time, but seems like people like MacInnis more now.

 

[jigglysquishy]

Winnipeg is either Hull, Hawerchuck or Selanne depending on the age of the fan.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

NJ = Scott Stevens among Fans older than 30; Martin Brodeur among fans younger than 30

 

[Big Phil]

Winnipeg is either Hull, Hawerchuck or Selanne depending on the age of the fan.

I thought of them, except for a couple of things. Winnipeg Jets of those days are now Phoenix. They are no longer the Jets. Would Hawerchuk get a standing ovation if he were introduced in Phoenix? I guess that was the angle I was using. Atlanta/Winnipeg is now the Jets current franchise. But you are right, those names would get a big ovation in Winnipeg. A bit of a grey area with the relocated franchises.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Bernie Parent is a dark-horse candidate for Philly. Clarke is loved more, but Parent has a lot of fans too.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Toronto - I'd say Clark is equal to Gilmour in terms of popularity, but I don't live in T.O. so...
Minnesota - Gotta be Parise. His dad played there and I believe Zach was born there.
Ottawa - It will be Alfie once the sting goes away.
Montreal - I'd argue it is Lafleur, but I really think the fans are sensitive to the age of the former great so I'd agree with Beliveau, then Pocket and maybe Lafleur or Cournoyer.
Winnipeg.2 - Kane.
St. Louis - Not Brett Hull? Federko? over Mac?

 

[Laphroaig]

It's still Alfredsson in Ottawa but only because there really isn't anyone else. He's still admired but no longer revered.

 

[Bure All Day]

Linden was great, but I still like Bure more for the Canucks.

If the Sedins win the Cup, they pass everybody

 

[VMBM]

Montreal - I'd argue it is Lafleur, but I really think the fans are sensitive to the age of the former great so I'd agree with Beliveau, then Pocket and maybe Lafleur or Cournoyer.

Is Cournoyer really that popular?

 

[Oscar Acosta]

Bernie Parent is a dark-horse candidate for Philly. Clarke is loved more, but Parent has a lot of fans too.

Yeah, the Winter Classic it was Bernie and Lindros who got the biggest ovations over Clarke.

I'm sure a lot of that has to do with Clarke always being around so it wasn't that big a deal and people expecting to never see Lindros in orange and black ever again.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Florida is Bure pretty easy, imo.

Vancouver - Linden without even thinking

i think that's definitely changing. it's partly generational-- people a generation older than me have a huge attachment to steamer (stan smyl), and they love linden because he's a rich man's steamer. and of course linden continues to be absolutely adored not just for being the epitome of a heart and soul guy on the ice, but also because he still lives there, is active in the community, etc.

but for people of my generation (those of us who became canucks fans in the late 80s/early 90s) and younger, especially as more time passes and people either forget about the ugly way bure left town or as more and more comes out about how pat quinn and co. treated bure when he was here, it seems to be shifting to bure. the guy was completely unforgettable. he was our first superstar. he was one of a kind.

and canucks fans have a GIANT inferiority complex, especially in relation to flames fans and oilers fans. hop onto the canucks board sometime and just listen to people bashing linden because they're embarrassed that we have #16 hanging from the rafters-- the oilers/flames would never have retire the number of "a third line grinder" (their words, not mine)... "monument to mediocrity," etc. for that large constituent of canucks fans, especially those too young to have seen '90-'95 linden, and really especially those who only know him as naslund's assistant captain, it's much easier to celebrate bure than linden.

Linden was great, but I still like Bure more for the Canucks.

If the Sedins win the Cup, they pass everybody

definitely, unless luongo goes balls out and wins the smythe in convincing fashion. it's a pretty bandwagon-y, what-have-you-done-for-me-lately fanbase.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Yeah, the Winter Classic it was Bernie and Lindros who got the biggest ovations over Clarke.

I'm sure a lot of that has to do with Clarke always being around so it wasn't that big a deal and people expecting to never see Lindros in orange and black ever again.

i'd imagine his record, actions, and behaviour as GM all those years hurts his legacy too.

 

[Crease]

I argue that Brian Leetch is most beloved amongst Rangers fans. Many soured on Messier when he left for Vancouver. Many more when Messier came back and stood in the way of a much-needed rebuild. And recently, when Messier resigned from his front-office post after failing to fill the Rangers coaching vacancy, a significant number of fans finally had enough of the ego that made him such a great hockey player. On the other side of the coin, I don't know a single Rangers fan who has a bad word to say about Leetch.

 

[MadLuke]

Is Cournoyer really that popular?

Not really.

Lafleur is still very very popular (people were still screaming guy guy guy everytime he had the puck in the ancien player game, he played until recently).

It is between him and Beliveau for sure imo.

Beliveau most respected, more loved was Richard and now probably Lafleur.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

coincidentally, this is on tv right now--

 

[Beef Invictus]

Yeah, the Winter Classic it was Bernie and Lindros who got the biggest ovations over Clarke.

I'm sure a lot of that has to do with Clarke always being around so it wasn't that big a deal and people expecting to never see Lindros in orange and black ever again.

Clarke also hurt himself with parts of his GM tenure; Parent didn't have that misfortune, and works as an ambassador to the fans.

 

[LeafOfBread]

Will always be Mats for me, but those who were around for the Gilmour/Clark days seem to absolutely love those two more than any Leaf player ever.

 

[DaveG]

I think Francis or Brind'Amour trump Staal for the Canes, but it's very VERY close. Another Cup with Eric at the helm would put him in the lead.

Irbe and Ward aren't running that far behind those 3

 

[Big Phil]

Linden was great, but I still like Bure more for the Canucks.

If the Sedins win the Cup, they pass everybody

Bure leaving in 1998 left a bad taste in Vancouver's mouth. At the time, no one was going to forgive him and I think there are a lot of people out there that still can't. Linden was traded and is sort of like Wendel Clark in the way that is in one of "theirs" despite playing for other teams. As the years have gone by, things have softened a bit for Bure, but I still can't imagine him being loved more than Linden.

St. Louis - Not Brett Hull? Federko? over Mac?

Yeah there really isn't a clear cut one for St. Louis. Federko is the only one who is a "career Blue". However, Hull played his best years there too. But he went to Dallas and won a Cup. He went to Detroit and won a Cup and the Blues played them a lot in the 1990s. Hull left St. Louis on his own. MacInnis retired as a Blue. I don't know, Hull is a personality I like but I can see if he rubs people the wrong way, MacInnis certainly doesn't with anyone.

 

[Bure All Day]

Bure leaving in 1998 left a bad taste in Vancouver's mouth. At the time, no one was going to forgive him and I think there are a lot of people out there that still can't. Linden was traded and is sort of like Wendel Clark in the way that is in one of "theirs" despite playing for other teams. As the years have gone by, things have softened a bit for Bure, but I still can't imagine him being loved more than Linden.

I was talking about for myself, not the fanbase, who obviously chooses linden

I think people realize Bure's dismissal had more to do with management than himsel

 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

....

 

[Rhiessan71]

I have to disagree that Jean is more beloved than the Rocket.
I‘m not even sure there‘s a more beloved player in sport than the Rocket in Montreal/Quebec.
The standing O Richard got a few years back was just insane. Still brings a tear to my eye when I watch it.