So who *are* the NHL's generational players?

[dr robbie]

We need to account for generational-inflation here on the boards, so we need to alter some terminology to fit with the times.

If you made the NHL: (Previously NHL Player) Congrats, you are GENERATIONAL!

If you're great at one skill, but not great all around: (Previously a One Dimensional Player): You are a GENERATIONAL TALENT!

If you are one of the better players on your team: (Previously Franchise Player) You are SUPER GENERATIONAL!

If you are one of the better players in the league: (Previously All-Star Player) You are ULTRA GENERATIONAL!

If you are one of the best players that only comes around 1-2x per lifetime: (Previously Generational) You are SUPER UBER-DUBER GENERATIONAL!


*Post brought to you by the letter s for sarcasm. Stop watering down working terms to prop your player

 

[severian]

We need to account for generational-inflation here on the boards, so we need to alter some terminology to fit with the times.

If you made the NHL: (Previously NHL Player) Congrats, you are GENERATIONAL!

If you're great at one skill, but not great all around: (Previously a One Dimensional Player): You are a GENERATIONAL TALENT!

If you are one of the better players on your team: (Previously Franchise Player) You are SUPER GENERATIONAL!

If you are one of the better players in the league: (Previously All-Star Player) You are ULTRA GENERATIONAL!

If you are one of the best players that only comes around 1-2x per lifetime: (Previously Generational) You are SUPER UBER-DUBER GENERATIONAL!


*Post brought to you by the letter s for sarcasm. Stop watering down working terms to prop your player

Hughes is at least ultra generational. Gotta pump Jackie Boys tires.

 

[jigglysquishy]

There are like 10 different definitions floating around, which hurts all the arguments. I've always looked at it as: heavily hyped from young age, dominant in their rookie season, ends up as an all time great. The first clause dismisses anyone before the draft era (and almost all Euros based on different development paths/hype machines). The second clause eliminates Lafleur, who took time to adjust and become elite.

Based on this definition
Orr
Potvin
Gretzky
Lemieux
Lindros
Ovechkin
Crosby
McDavid

It's not an exhaustive list of the best post 1965 players. Lidstrom and Bourque are the two best non Orr defensemen since the 60s, but neither was viewed as a number 1 pick years in advance.

Jagr is close. He has the hype, but it was below anyone else on my list. And his year 1 was below everyone else on the list.

Goalies are functionally excluded from the list since their development paths are so different.

This is not the definitive definition. But I think an exclusive club (8 players in 50 years) makes more sense than the 40 players in 50 years that seems so popular.

 

[chizzler]

Help me out because I don't know my hockey history that well.

Lost Generation (1885 - 1910)

• Georges Vezina

Greatest Generation (1911 - 1924)

• Maurice Richard

Silent Generation (1925 - 1945)

• Gordie Howe

Baby Boomers (1946 - 1962)

• Mike Bossy
• Ken Dryden
• Wayne Gretzky
• Bobby Orr
• Denis Potvin

Gen X (1963 - 1979)

• Dominik Hasek
• Jaromir Jagr
• Mario Lemieux
• Nik Lidstrom
• Eric Lindros

Millennials (1980 - 1996)

• Sidney Crosby
• Patrik Kane
• Evgeni Malkin
• Alex Ovechkin

Zoomers (1997 - 2012)

• Connor McDavid
• Auston Matthews
• Connor Bedard

Gen α (2013 - Present)

Oh…another generational thread. I’ll comment only on the Zoomers on. Drop Kane and Malkin.
Also drop Mathews and Bedard(WTF). You loose credibility with Bedard. Remember that kid in Ottawa…….the rest are just really good players.

 

[Ben White]

If Lindros is there, so is Forsberg

And be serious now, Malkin, Matthews, Kane(!!) and no Forsberg??

Great generation names though

 

[NyQuil]

Selanne has one of the most unbreakable records in NHL history

I assume you are referring to most expensive speeding ticket received by any player in NHL history.

 

[ScaredStreit]

Overall generational for me would be

Orr
Gretzky
Lemieux
Crosby/Ovechkin
McDavid

Once we start including generational defensemen that's when the likes of Potvin, Bourque, Lidstrom can come up.

 

[Captain97]

Only comment I will make is Patrick Roy not there?

Top 3 goalie all time isn't generational. Seems weird. The list seems off as a whole but that really stood out to me.

 

[Albatros]

To me generational is either strictly one standout player per generation, or alternatively a larger group of players that defined the particular generation.

 

[CpatainCanuck]

To me, "generational" indicates you were the league's outstanding player during your prime years (say about a 10 year span), with possible allowances for leeway if there were two all-time great players whose prime years overlapped, like Gretzky/Lemieux or Crosby/Ovechkin.

I don't see how players like Forsberg or Lindros could be considered generational: they were never considered the consensus #1 player in the league for even a single year, let alone for their generation.

 

[Martin Skoula]

Guy is digging his heels in on that until he gets to China. Absurd . He’s probably Finnish, tbh, which would explain it lmao.

Laine turning into a forgettable 2nd line winger with some of the worst defense in the NHL really broke Finland spiritually, don’t be too hard on them. They won’t rest until they build a machine to swap timelines to the one where Laine finally surpassed Lemieux and has been scoring 80 goals a year since 2017.

 

[WiLBoY]

Who the heck considers Matthew's as a generational talent LOL

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Yea Selänne is generational, almost 1500 points, best player if you ask 2 fanbases. I dont really care about your opinion, you will never agree with me anyway. Should Morenz be on this list? He wasn't even a point per game and when he played goalies were dodging shots?

Or how about Plante, was he the only one who wasnt drunk while on the ice? does that make him generational?

Man you are obsessed with Selanne lol

 

[BayStBullies]

Who the heck considers Matthew's as a generational talent LOL

You will not have a better player in Vancouver in a generation.

 

[Plante]

I'm noticing the dilution

You will not have a better player in Vancouver in a generation.

Nor will they have as many first round exits

 

[Jumptheshark]

even though this is an old thread--some people just do not get and understand what GENERATIONAL is

 

[Garbageyuk]

even though this is an old thread--some people just do not get and understand what GENERATIONAL is

That’s because there is no unanimous definition of the term.

However, I think we can all agree that to be generational, a player must be or have been considered the best player in the world at some point, or firmly in the conversation for it at the very least - meaning a good amount of people consider(ed) them the best player. That should be the bare minimum criteria.

That’s why some of the guys listed in the OP don’t make sense. Guys like Dryden, Potvin, Kane, Lidstrom, etc we’re never seriously considered the best player in the world by any significant number of people. They may have been the best at their positions and superstars at some point, but that isn’t the same thing.

 

[Ugene Magic]

I think generational is a term being loosely used, and then that word is being used to be linked to hockey Gods.

So for me, Hockey God is the guys whom changed the game and are above the term generational.

Hockey Gods to me are...

Forward:

Gretzky
Mario
Howe

D-men:

Orr
Coffey
Bourque

Goalies:

Brodeur
Roy
Sawchuk

Maybe you have a guy you'd switch out, but that's my top 3 for each position.

 

[blundluntman]

Since 1970: Orr, Gretzky, Mario, Lindros (at least until his career was derailed by injuries), Hasek , Crosby (injuries stunted his argument too), Ovi (as a goalscorer), McDavid. I guess Jagr could fit in there too but then you'd also have to acknowledge Lafleur and his career overlap with the freaks makes that a hard sell.

 

[dortt]

Only comment I will make is Patrick Roy not there?

Top 3 goalie all time isn't generational. Seems weird. The list seems off as a whole but that really stood out to me.

Roy was never considered one of the best players in the NHL.

Compared to Hasek, who was the best overall player of the 1990s

That's why Hasek is usually considered generational but not Roy

I think generational is a term being loosely used, and then that word is being used to be linked to hockey Gods.

So for me, Hockey God is the guys whom changed the game and are above the term generational.

Hockey Gods to me are...

Forward:

Gretzky
Mario
Howe

D-men:

Orr
Coffey
Bourque

Goalies:

Brodeur
Roy
Sawchuk

Maybe you have a guy you'd switch out, but that's my top 3 for each position.

See above for why Roy is not on that list. And Brodeur...

 

[Ugene Magic]

Roy was never considered one of the best players in the NHL.

Compared to Hasek, who was the best overall player of the 1990s

That's why Hasek is usually considered generational but not Roy


See above for why Roy is not on that list. And Brodeur...

You guys miss the point where I said changed the game, and Roy did that.

 

[Captain97]

Roy was never considered one of the best players in the NHL.

Compared to Hasek, who was the best overall player of the 1990s

That's why Hasek is usually considered generational but not Roy


See above for why Roy is not on that list. And Brodeur...

Roy is literally the only player in the history if the NHL to have 3 conn smythes he also has 3 vezinas in what world was he not one of the best players in the league/goalies all time.

 

[ozzie]

Does generational necessarily need pre-NHL hype and prodigy level kids? A lot of good players listed in here that came into the NHL as good players and performed better than expected.

I would argue the reverse with Lindros, the first next one and was a generational talent. But his career never panned out as expected for various reasons. Talent yes, Player and career no.

Forsberg is an interesting case, I think he falls into the same category as Lindros. However, he has a more hardware to show for it, team victories and international victories. I have no idea how Forsberg was considered in Sweden pre-NHL.

In either case, both players and hockey fans were robbed of what could have been. Did either of these players do enough like the injured Orr to be generational? I'm honestly feel conflicted.

 

[dortt]

Roy is literally the only player in the history if the NHL to have 3 conn smythes he also has 3 vezinas in what world was he not one of the best players in the league/goalies all time.

And Roy has no HART finalists. Kind of a requirement to be considered the best player in the game

3 Vezinas, also not close to generational. Considering his rival won 6 out of 8

 

[agent082]

Selanne is a generational player.