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

[Confucius]

Im an enormous Bossy fan, but do NOT equate him with Orr in any way, especially in the ways you chose regarding this topic

Bottom line longevity doesn't necessarily qualify for generational as Orr only had 8 years, he didn't play but a handful in the other 2 years of his career.

 

[Rangeri]

Generational means one player that is head and shoulders above the rest that only comes along ONCE in a generation.

There have only been 4 or 5 in the last 60-70 years.

Since the late 60s this is it.
Orr
Gretzky
Crosby
McDavid.

Yeah I think this is my answer as well. They were, and McDavid is way above anyone else. Feels somewhat bad to leave Mr. Hockey out of it, who really was great leader and such an amazing player with astonishing longevity. But I think those three guys had, and McDavid has peek where any other superstar haven't reached.

E: Oh i read it wrong, almost same list. I take Crosby from it and put Mario there.

 

[Cricket Green]

Bottom line longevity doesn't account for generational as Orr only had 8 years as he didn't play but a handful in the other 2 years of his career.

What Bossy did in his career, while awesome, is in no way on the same plane as Orr's. Again, please stop.

 

[MadLuke]

How can you disregard Bossy when you count Orr. Bossy had 9 great seasons, Orr had 8. Only Gretzky scored more goals in Nine seasons than Bossy.

Orr great season are a different level than Bossy season.

During Bossy career
Gretzky: 1,520 points
Bossy: 1,126 points
Dionne : 1,101 points

PPG at least 600 games
Gretzky: 2.41
Bossy: 1.50
Dionne: 1.42
Trottier: 1.37
Goulet: 1.2

Goal per game:
Gretzky: .86
Bossy: .76
Goulet: .60
Dionne: .59
Gartner: .52

Orr during is career
PPG at least 600 games
Orr: 1.39
Esposito: 1.39
Lafleur: 1.35
Dionne: 1.28

Orr was close to a +1 a game defenseman leading the league in point per games, Bossy was a regular would have been the best offensive player of the NHL if Gretzky was not there but not necessarily the second best player in the world (Fetisov, Makarov, Potvin-Trottier all being arguable around that time and Lafleur just before Gretzky making someone else being at the top offensive player pretty much during all is playing time)

 

[MadLuke]

Feels somewhat bad to leave Mr. Hockey out of it, who really was great leader and such an amazing player with astonishing longevity. But I think those three guys had, and McDavid has peek where any other superstar haven't reached.

Is peek can easily be underestimated, only Gretzky won art ross with bigger separation than Howe in the post ww2 modern era:

 

[Confucius]

This is simply just not true, there isn’t any time frame standards that need to be met just because the word is “generational”.

You can have 5 generational players in 5 straight drafts and have zero generational players the next 20-30 years. There’s no time frame.

The head and shoulders conversation is a blurry one too because in an alternate universe, if Gretzky and Orr both played at the same time, they would both be considered generational. If all four of your generational players played together at the same time they would all be considered it as well.

I think you’ve got the names right but just some things to consider with your definition.

so the player would be generational in any generation other than his own.

 

[Lunatik]

A 15 year old at 2.0 ppg in WHL
McDavid was at 1.0 ppg at same age

15 games in the WHL, let's not pretend like he played a full season like McDavid did.

 

[Rangeri]

Is peek can easily be underestimated, only Gretzky won art ross with bigger separation than Howe in the post ww2 modern era:

Its very hard for me to say was Howe really there, cause it was so long ago and the game was so different. I know he transcended hockey many kind of ways, but even the competition wasn't as good when Howe was in his physical peek.

But you make a good point. Even equipment was pretty sh*t back then and he made most with it. So maybe i'm still divisive with this.

 

[Oneiro]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid

Not that hard.

 

[t0nedeff]

Imagine a guy who has never hit 90 points being considered generational. Another Leafs thread I see.

 

[PALE PWNR]

I never saw him play, but I am always interested in why Phil Esposito is never in this discussion. Is it because he played with Orr?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid. Maybe Malkin.

 

[Realgud]

Something like: Howe, Orr, Crosby, Matthews, McDavid, Lemieux, Marner, Gretzky, Hyman, Hasek, Roy.

Simple stuff, really. People have a tendency to add wayyyyy too many unnecessary names just to find a way to sneak in some of their favorite players.

 

[GreatSaveEssensa]

Vezina, Richard, Bossy, Dryden, Potvin, Lidstrom, Lindros, Malkin, Kane, Matthews and Bedard were/are not generational. Some of them were generational talents (Malkin and Lindros especially) but injuries stopped them. Some of them just don't belong. I mean if Richard is generational, then what about Bobby Hull and Beliveau who were both better than him? If Bossy is generational then what about his own team mate Trottier who was better than him? If you're including Lidstrom and Potvin, you have to include Bourque. Now you're at way too many players.

Generational:
Bobby Hull
OV
Crosby
Jagr
Hasek
(Bourque and Roy are fine too)

Tier above generational:
Orr/Howe/Lemieux

In his own tier:
Gretzky

So no McDavid?

 

[WaveRaven]

I'd like to add another point to be generational. You need to have dominated your peers at your age and not be second best. Like the best player in juniors at 15 !!!!!

So be the best 15 16 17 18 year old . Not he rounded out at 27 into the best goal scorer.

 

[Voight]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Ovechkin, Crosby, McDavid.

Thats it.

(thought at times I am tempted to include Jagr)

 

[inthewings]

Remove Potvin, Lindros, Kane, Matthews, Bedard

 

[Voight]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid

Not that hard.

/thread

I never saw him play, but I am always interested in why Phil Esposito is never in this discussion. Is it because he played with Orr?

I think he gets underrated at times because of the Orr factor but yes. Even though he rewrote the record books before Gretzky did, many attribute that to having played with Orr.

 

[WaveRaven]

Lemieux is interesting.... Gretzky was the better player at the time.

Ovi does not fit the criteria, one the greatest ever but it doesn't make him generational.

 

[DeysArena]

Cyclone Taylor should be added to the Lost Generation.

 

[YippieKaey]

I was going to reply to this then i realized it's an illpucks thread haha.

 

[orby]

Howe, Orr, Gretzky, Lemieux, Crosby, Ovechkin, McDavid

Not that hard.

I would include Hasek but I like this list otherwise.

 

[Hockeyholic]

Lemieux
Ovechkin
Gretzky
McDavid
Orr
Hasek
Howe
Crosby

 

[b in vancouver]

All of them changed the game in some way personally:

Richard
Howe
Bobby Hull
Orr
Gretzky
Hasek
Roy
Lemieux
Ovechkin
McDavid

Some other player types that also changed the game, but it's hard to pick one when there's multiple guys

-Smaller / less physical skilled, puck carrying D, like Coffey, Bourque, Niedermayer etc.

-Really physical, skilled D, like Pronger, Stevens, Chelios or Robinson.

-80s - 90s speed monsters, especially the wingers, like Selanne, Bure, Kariya, Gartner, Fedorov, Kapanen, Bondra etc

Might even want to add a guy like Datsyuk, who entertained while still being good on D

That's about the last description anyone would've had of Bourque. The guy was a tank and one of the hardest d-men in the league to play against. He embodies your 'really physical skilled D' and the only other one that should be in that group is Potvin. Those two are head and shoulders above the rest.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Cyclone Taylor
Howie Morenz
Maurice Richard
Gordie Howe
Bobby Hull
Bobby Orr
Wayne Gretzky
Mario Lemieux
Dominik Hasek
Sidney Crosby
Connor McDavid


A few players make me hesitate -- Eddie Shore, Doug Harvey, Jean Beliveau, Guy Lafleur, Patrick Roy, Jaromir Jagr, Alex Ovechkin. But IMO those are players who fall slightly short of being generational. They were the best players in the league, but were slightly less transcendent and in some cases their legend is as much about long careers and "pioneer" type roles, rather than straight-up dominance as in the list above.