Player of the decade poll #7: 1980s

[NigerianNightmare]

8 MVPs and 9 Rosses in a decade is so messed up lol

Gretzky's fans have taken over.

The rap against #99 is he couldn't fight. Fighting was an essential skill in the 80s NHL.

 

[Oddbob]

Embarrassing that anyone picked anyone other than Gretzky! It isn't even close!

 

[Oddbob]

Statistical totals are just one metric, best player can be defined in many ways. For example the one with the highest peak ability which could very well be seen in favor of Lemieux.

Not when the stats are that much different it can't.

 

[Oddbob]

Mario also suffers from, well, only entering NHL during the second half of the decade. That gives Gretzky an innate advantage when wanting to span the entire decade, he was there for the entirity of it.

He entered in 1983, far from only entering in the second half of the decade! Mario could have played the exact amount of games as Gretzky and Gretz still would be the better player for the 80s.

 

[Oddbob]

Gretzky's fans have taken over.

The rap against #99 is he couldn't fight. Fighting was an essential skill in the 80s NHL.

Literally ZERO people cared even 1 iota about fighting when it came to Gretzky.

 

[Albatros]

He entered in 1983, far from only entering in the second half of the decade! Mario could have played the exact amount of games as Gretzky and Gretz still would be the better player for the 80s.

Lemieux was drafted and debuted in 1984, became the best player in the league by 1987.

 

[Nosferatu]

One could say that Mario was better in the late 80’s. But Gretzky was at least top 2 player the whole decade.

 

[NigerianNightmare]

Literally ZERO people cared even 1 iota about fighting when it came to Gretzky.

One could say that Mario was better in the late 80’s. But Gretzky was at least top 2 player the whole decade.

Yeah, Gretzky would drop to the 2nd place every time Krutov comes out of a drinking binge.

"Oh look, Vayne skore too much goals again. Hold my beer, Comrade"

 

[apocalypse]

Gretz. Easy.

 

[Oddbob]

Lemieux was drafted and debuted in 1984, became the best player in the league by 1987.

Gretzky was the best player in the league by a landslide until 1991, when Gary Suter cross-checked him from behind at the Canada Cup.

 

[Albatros]

From the 1987 off-season until the end of the year 1989 Lemieux scored 180+263=443 points in 191 games. With Rob Brown and Bob Errey. Gretzky likewise 113+284=397 points in 180 games. With Kurri and Robitaille. I don't think Gretzky can be said to be ahead by a landslide at that point even if one would for some reason still wish to favor him.