Most beloved player from each fanbase?

[whatname]

For Toronto, Clark might edge Gilmour by just a bit. It's amazing how much Gilmour is loved, even though he only spent four full seasons in Toronto, one of the four was the lock out 1994-95 season.

Ottawa has to be Alfredsson still.

I'd say Brind'Amour for Carolina over Staal.

 

[Labamba]

Montreal - Rocket
Detroit - Yzerman very closely Howe
Chicago - Hull
Rangers - Messier
Bruins - Orr
Toronto - Sittler
Philly - Hextall
Pittsburgh - Lemieux
Edmonton - Gretzky
Los Angeles - Gretzky
Islanders - Bossy (Al Arbour)
Calgary - Iginla
Vancouver - Linden
New Jersey - Brodeur
Buffalo - Perreault
Tampa - St. Louis.
Washington - Dale Hunter
Carolina - Ron Francis
Florida - Bure
Winnipeg - Selanne
Nashville - Weber (Trotz)
Minnesota - Modano
San Jose - Thornton
Columbus - Bobrovski
Phoenix - Doan
Anaheim - Selanne
Colorado - Sakic
St. Louis - Hull
Ottawa - Spezza
Dallas - Modano

I'm going to say Winnipeg and Minny go with the stars of their old franchise, especially right before the team left, it's a special connection without a doubt.

And how is Ron Francis not the King of the Caines?

That poor guy gets left out of every hockey discussion related to greatness, yet few have put more points on the board.

Hextall for Philly out of overwhelming popularity while he was a Flyer.

I think we saw the love for Dale Hunter when he came back to coach.

Al Arbour and Barry Trotz are bigger than any player each of the organizations have ever had, that being said it reflects on the type of Team first teams they coached

 

[Pominville Knows]

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.

I dont think it's a grey area for the fans, no. Possibly the fans in the relocated area can find it in their hearts to possibly value the old stars some, although they never knew it was their stars when those players actually played.
For the fans though, in this case the city of Winnipeg, surely they value the original Jets. They even fought for many years to get hockey back, and they did it becouse they loved the Jets legacy.

 

[ChiTownPhilly]

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

Nice add, there. Yeah, Clarke is loved more, but like a "love-'em-or-hate-'em" politician, he has "higher negatives" than Parent, owing to the "split-the-Valley" running feud with the Lindros camp- and dual perceptions of the efficacy (or lack thereof) of his front-office tenure. Parent- however... seems like no-one has a negative opinion of Bernie.

I had a chance to reflect on the fact that home-town fans aren't necessarily the best judges of their hockey talent. For instance, I know homies back in the city-of-my-birth who say "I'd take Toews over Mikita any day." An over-reaction, to be sure, but such are the rose-petals strewn at the feet of Captains of repeat Cup-winners.

 

[Plural]

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.

What is the take on Numminen? I know he probably isn't first, but he does have a lot of fans.

 

[bigbuffalo313]

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.

I completely agree. Messier has been annoying as of late and when Leetch was traded people wanted Sather fired immediately.

 

[Johnny Engine]

What is the take on Numminen? I know he probably isn't first, but he does have a lot of fans.

If we're bringing in Numminen, a shout out should also go out to Glen Wesley and Ken Daneyko. All three played solid games for their teams for a long time in the recent past.

 

[Killion]

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

If the Sedins win the Cup, they pass everybody

Ya, this really is an age dealeo, be it Vancouver (King Richard, Smyl, Linden, Bure etc & I agree with you about the Sedins & perhaps even Luongo on that score) or Toronto (Kennedy, Bower, Keon, Sittler, Clark, Gilmour, Sundin) or really wherever. Bostons' just gotta be Orr, Detroit Howe, Chicago maybe a toss-up or tie between Hull & Mikita?... Edmonton Gretzky and would he too rank fan favorite in LA? Wasnt there all that long & I'd hazard to guess older people would opt for Marcel Dionne, middle aged people Gretzky, those who werent around might pick Jonathan Quick & so on.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

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.

you should check out the "bure's jersey to be retired" thread on the canucks board. linden is taking a savage beating there, for all of the reasons that i mentioned earlier.

very predictable, a heart and soul guy whose value was far more than numbers will mean little to those who either never saw him play, or only saw him as a 35 year old third liner scoring 10 goals a year.

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

Is Cournoyer really that popular?

Not to the degree of Beliveau and Lafleur or maybe even Pocket, but one day he will be the senior man. They will remember the Roadrunner's quick dashes, amazing acceleration, the way he played on Team Canada in 72, the playoffs of 73 and his devotion to the Canadiens and he will get his due. He's kind of a 'forgotten' man right now, quietly waiting in the shadows because he played with so many great players. But one day, he will be the senior man and he will be celebrated.

 

[Merya]

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.

Florida has Bure probably. Until recently Rick Nash was the man for Columbus. At the moment, probably biggest ovation in Columbus would go to Jarmo Kekäläinen.

Montreal - Beliveau (sorry Rocket, just the ones still alive)

Saku Koivu based on rather fresh evidence. (the thread asks who would get biggest ovation now, regardless of merit)

Los Angeles - Gretzky still?

Not after the cup.

Vancouver - Linden without even thinking

At least this one is easy.

Winnipeg - Very tough one and not in a good way. Ladd perhaps?

Selänne, again based on recent evidence.

 

[Flamer12]

In Toronto, Wendel over Gilmour easily.
In Carolina, Francis over Staal easily.

 

[monster_bertuzzi]

Vancouver is Bure not Linden, he is god-like here still.

 

[Filatov2Kovalev2Bonk]

Ottawa - Spezza

Spezza most beloved here? Uhhh not by a long shot.
Daniel Alfredsson was the most beloved Sen ever, post 2007. He was a saint here.
Fans are split on Spezza. Half want him gone, half love him and there's the rest (yes yes, new math...) that are indifferent. I'd definitely say Erik Karlsson is the team's darling these days.

 

[VanIslander]

San Jose - Thornton or Marleau

Marleau without a doubt in San Jose, though people who are NOT among the fanbase would clearly choose Thornton, the by far bigger name presence leaguewise from his Boston days.

In 2010 the 'C' was given to Thornton and the 'A' to Marleau and did the fanbase shift allegiances away from their franchise top scorer? No. For the last three consecutive years the Ram Fan Favorite Award, as voted on by Sharks fans during the last few games of the regular season, went to Patty.

The league talks about Thornton, Niemi and young Couture, but the fanbase consistently chooses Marleau #1.

 

[Beef Invictus]

Nice add, there. Yeah, Clarke is loved more, but like a "love-'em-or-hate-'em" politician, he has "higher negatives" than Parent, owing to the "split-the-Valley" running feud with the Lindros camp- and dual perceptions of the efficacy (or lack thereof) of his front-office tenure. Parent- however... seems like no-one has a negative opinion of Bernie.

I had a chance to reflect on the fact that home-town fans aren't necessarily the best judges of their hockey talent. For instance, I know homies back in the city-of-my-birth who say "I'd take Toews over Mikita any day." An over-reaction, to be sure, but such are the rose-petals strewn at the feet of Captains of repeat Cup-winners.

Yeah, I think you summed it up nicely.

 

[Plural]

Merya, It's not Koivu. I like him too, but it's not him.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Marleau without a doubt in San Jose, though people who are NOT among the fanbase would clearly choose Thornton, the by far bigger name presence leaguewise from his Boston days.

In 2010 the 'C' was given to Thornton and the 'A' to Marleau and did the fanbase shift allegiances away from their franchise top scorer? No. For the last three consecutive years the Ram Fan Favorite Award, as voted on by Sharks fans during the last few games of the regular season, went to Patty.

The league talks about Thornton, Niemi and young Couture, but the fanbase consistently chooses Marleau #1.

very surprising. and i'm kind of curious why. if that same san jose team, with all the same players and exactly the same results, had been in vancouver the last ten years, our fans would have run marleau out of town five times over by now... which is not to say that they wouldn't also have at times run thornton, nabokov, clowe, pavelski, boyle, and obviously heatley out of town with torches and pitchforks too. but from the outside, marleau just seems like such great whipping boy material.