NHL's best athletes

[bring back the jets]

I'm pretty sure all of the Sedins, Luongo and Demitra had to pick between hockey and soccer.

The Sedins in particular are extremely hard-working and I think they would've done really well.

I think I read somewhere that both of the Sedins were capable of running 2 miles in 10 minutes during their prime. That's incredibly fast for 6'2 180lb guys. Definitely could have been good at soccer.

 

[ThreeLeftSkates]

Why do you say that? Because Anders is hardly a super impressive speed and agility wise compared to other nhlers. Doughty is close to his size and he has the foot speed and dexterity to make a mockery of Lee.

Close to his size? Lee ran people over a lot as a qb, and Doughty would have fits trying to move him out of the crease. Ask Letang about it.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Batting the puck out of the air with a stick takes skill, not athleticism.

 

[sabrebuild]

Close to his size? Lee ran people over a lot as a qb, and Doughty would have fits trying to move him out of the crease. Ask Letang about it.

What does letang have to do with this? Doughty gives up like an inch and 10-15 lbs to Lee and the foot speed disparity is enormous. Hell in a flat foot race I bet big buff is as fast as Lee.

Nobody is doubting that Lee ran over people in high school football. But what does that have to do with athleticism compared to other nhlers.

I bet Getzlaf would have been a sick high school football player too. Bet Anze Kopitar would match anything Lee can do athletically. I know Chris Kreider is faster.

I like Lee, but his high school qb days mean jack all when compared to other world class athletes.

As described before, prime Ovie’s athleticism makes this Lee talk a joke.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Athanasiou was both a track star and played a sport called Takraw which is essentially volleyball only you have to use certain forms of kicks.

Athanasiou loves to fly

This all day. If Ovie has grown up American in the South he would have been an NFL linebacker. He could easily have played at the weight needed to play in the pros and his prime was just stupid athletic. Given his size and weight his general athleticism was absurd.

Eichel could play nfl receiver. He has a similar build to Andre Johnson and deceptive speed.

I think half the leagues little guys, 5’8”- 6’, have the requisite athleticism to play Futbol or baseball, but would need to lean down.

The Nhl just doesn’t have the nba build types.

I greatly disagree with this, unless you’re assuming Ovi does a few cycles like most NFL players do. NFL skill position players are some of the most complete athletes in the world.

 

[Breakfast of Champs]

Batting the puck out of the air with a stick takes skill, not athleticism.

well it takes hand-eye, which is used in most sports, but yea I wouldn't really call it athleticism

 

[Captain Bowie]

well it takes hand-eye, which is used in most sports, but yea I wouldn't really call it athleticism

Most sports require both, but they really are two distinct sets of abilities.

It's take skill to hit a baseball with a bat, but it takes athleticism to hit it far enough to be a home run, or to be fast enough to make it around the bases.

 

[weinsink]

Auston Matthews for sure

 

[Jtown]

Eichel is a beast



Him at 16

that type of power is unreal for someone that age. His technique is awful too, but the power generated from triple explosion is phenomenal.

 

[Machinehead]

I think Crosby has the talent to have played pro baseball if he dedicated himself to that.

He has the best hand-eye in the NHL by some distance.

 

[Machinehead]

Most sports require both, but they really are two distinct sets of abilities.

It's take skill to hit a baseball with a bat, but it takes athleticism to hit it far enough to be a home run, or to be fast enough to make it around the bases.

Crosby hit a homerun in a Major League stadium just f***ing around. He's got power.



That's not a wall-scraper, either.

 

[Eddy Punch Clock]

Conditioning wise the Sedins and at their age are still at the top.

Dropped in to say just this.

Was it 10 years in row as the top condition players on the Canucks?

Daniels said he'll possibly start training for a marathon next.

 

[Neutrinos]

Deion was in incredible athlete. His build was slight but he was wiry strong and seemed to never tire. His anticipation was so good that I've heard sports talk hosts say that they've had offensive coordinators (names withheld) tell them that they would go the entire game and not throw a ball anywhere near him because he had a better chance of catching it than his own receivers.

Bo Jackson is in a realm occupied by no others. To me he's the greatest athlete that's ever lived. He basically had the strength of 3 men (defensive players, massive guys, who played against him have come out and said this) he could run like the wind, run through a wall, hit a baseball to the moon, throw a baseball out of the stadium. Bo Jackson was just not fair.

Watching his tunnel run against Seattle, and some of his Auburn runs. Nobody in the NFL can run like that now. Especially being a 230 lb freight train. To cut and accelerate like that. Entire defenses disappeared behind him. He was pretty much Secretariat.

I'm guessing you're unfamiliar with Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe - Wikipedia

Without a doubt, he's got the most impressive resume in sports history

 

[tapi]

Matthews should be high on the list, also guys like young Ovi and Byfugglien

 

[blood gin]

I'm guessing you've never heard of Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe - Wikipedia

Without a doubt, he's got the most impressive resume in sports history

Thorpe is up there as well. I just never saw him and it was from a very long time ago. Nothing against him or his accomplishments they are incredible

 

[TheGoldenGod]

I think they're all good athletes for the most part playing in the pro's and all

Better question is who is the worst athlete in the NHL? Leave the grinders out of it...poor punching bags

 

[FrozenJagrt]

I'm guessing you're unfamiliar with Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe - Wikipedia

Without a doubt, he's got the most impressive resume in sports history

Talking resumes, I think Lionel Chonacher is up there as well. He won championships in... Well, everything. Hockey, baseball, football, boxing, lacrosse, wrestling (I think?). As a boxer, he even went up against Jack Dempsey who was the original Mike Tyson and possibly the sport's first international superstar

 

[GodEmperor]

Bo Jackson.
Dion Sanders.
Crosby couldn't crack a NFL team ever.
NFL players are athletic freaks.

NFL is just a low IQ, brute activity apart from QB and coaching.

It is a far lower measure of athletecism in the complete activity than sports like Hockey that require competence in a variety of athletic fields like balance, strength, endurance, sprinting, hitting and even fighting. Football is mostly sprinting and strength....that's it, although 1 position QB is a high IQ activity and does require mental strength.

That said QB doesn't come close to comparing to being a goalie as far as dealing with mental pressure as it's ALL on goalies to perform, there is no "hand off" that can save you, you either make the save or you don't.

If you're impressed with football, you should be even more impressed with strongman where the guys are even bigger and stronger and actually require far more endurance and at times even a ton of explosiveness.

 

[Brian McDavid]

It's said hitting a fastball is one of the hardest things in all of pro sports.That run he jacked out of the park you know was a meatball but it did show power which is expected from a pro athlete. I'd bet most NHL guys could do that. I bet if the pitcher tried to strike him out Sid would whif big time, which is also expected.
Check out TJ Watts playing hockey,for a big fella hes pretty good.He would be scary in the NHL.

Can't wait to check out TJ Watts in the upcoming season!

 

[IPS]

I think they're all good athletes for the most part playing in the pro's and all

Better question is who is the worst athlete in the NHL? Leave the grinders out of it...poor punching bags

Joe Pavelski always struck me as a player with very little athleticism.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Crosby hit a homerun in a Major League stadium just ****ing around. He's got power.



That's not a wall-scraper, either.

To be clear, I was certainly not knocking his athleticism.

 

[Captain Bowie]

NFL is just a low IQ, brute activity apart from QB and coaching.

It is a far lower measure of athletecism in the complete activity than sports like Hockey that require competence in a variety of athletic fields like balance, strength, endurance, sprinting, hitting and even fighting. Football is mostly sprinting and strength....that's it, although 1 position QB is a high IQ activity and does require mental strength.

That said QB doesn't come close to comparing to being a goalie as far as dealing with mental pressure as it's ALL on goalies to perform, there is no "hand off" that can save you, you either make the save or you don't.

If you're impressed with football, you should be even more impressed with strongman where the guys are even bigger and stronger and actually require far more endurance and at times even a ton of explosiveness.

What an uninformed post, I love it though. Good work.

 

[hotcabbagesoup]

NFL is just a low IQ, brute activity apart from QB and coaching.

It is a far lower measure of athletecism in the complete activity than sports like Hockey that require competence in a variety of athletic fields like balance, strength, endurance, sprinting, hitting and even fighting. Football is mostly sprinting and strength....that's it, although 1 position QB is a high IQ activity and does require mental strength.

That said QB doesn't come close to comparing to being a goalie as far as dealing with mental pressure as it's ALL on goalies to perform, there is no "hand off" that can save you, you either make the save or you don't.

If you're impressed with football, you should be even more impressed with strongman where the guys are even bigger and stronger and actually require far more endurance and at times even a ton of explosiveness.

Agree with everything except the parts regarding QBs and goalies. Position players in football are mainly see ball, get ball or see ball, hit ball....at top speed and strength.

 

[FrozenJagrt]

Agree with everything except the parts regarding QBs and goalies. Position players in football are mainly see ball, get ball or see ball, hit ball....at top speed and strength.

Balance, agility, hand-eye, reaction speed, on-field IQ are large parts of all positions. I hate the sport. Played a bit as a teenager, didn't enjoy that and I don't enjoy watching it. It's not something I would ever want my kids to play. But anyone dismissing the athleticism required to play football at the highest level is uninformed.

 

[Captain Bowie]

Agree with everything except the parts regarding QBs and goalies. Position players in football are mainly see ball, get ball or see ball, hit ball....at top speed and strength.

By the same thinking isn't hockey just see puck, hit puck or see puck, stop puck?