The Hockey News Top 100 Defensemen of all-time (special edition magazine)

[Habsfan18]

Just arrived in the mail this afternoon. The annual special edition magazine.

The list was put together by a panel of THN staff (Jason Kay, Edward Fraser, Brian Costello, Sam McCaig, Ken Campbell, Ryan Kennedy, Matt Larkin) and well as a small group of hockey historians which includes our very own @seventieslord and another poster whom I believe to be @TheDevilMadeMe?

I don’t want to post the entire top 100 list as it is obviously against copyright and site rules, but I imagine it’s fine to post the top 15 as a little teaser to spark some discussions. Please purchase the magazine to see the full list and to read the write-ups.

1. Bobby Orr
2. Doug Harvey
3. Nicklas Lidstrom
4. Eddie Shore
5. Ray Bourque
6. Denis Potvin
7. Red Kelly
8. Larry Robinson
9. Paul Coffey
10. Chris Chelios
11. Dit Clapper
12. Tim Horton
13. Brad Park
14. Al MacInnis
15. King Clancy

Two things stand out to me here at first glance.

- I’m still not sure about Lidstrom being ahead of Shore and Bourque. I can see a case of Lidstrom being 4th and ahead of Shore. But I still have Bourque ahead. I can possibly be persuaded. But Bourque has always been the clear cut #3 for me after Orr and Harvey.

- I was always a big MacInnis fan, but #14 seems a little high, no? He’s ahead of some pretty big company such as Clancy, Stevens, Pilote and Seibert. He’s obviously in the mix there and not totally out of place but it’s still a bit surprising I think.

Active players include:

23. Chara
26. Keith
27. Karlsson
31. Doughty
45. Weber
48. Burns
50. Hedman
61. Suter
66. Pietrangelo
68. Subban
70. Carlson
72. Letang
76. Giordano
79. Josi

Click to read more...

 

[Hockey Outsider]

Are you able to share the rankings for these four recent, controversial HOF inductees - Housley, Lowe, Zubov and Wilson?

Also (and I'm trying to be mindful of their copyrights), can you share where they ranked Niedermayer? His reputation is often so exaggerated in the media, I'm pleasantly surprised I didn't see him listed in the top 15.

Congrats to @seventieslord (and possibly TDMM?) for their involvement.

 

[Habsfan18]

Are you able to share the rankings for these four recent, controversial HOF inductees - Housley, Lowe, Zubov and Wilson?

Also (and I'm trying to be mindful of their copyrights), can you share where they ranked Niedermayer? His reputation is often so exaggerated in the media, I'm pleasantly surprised I didn't see him listed in the top 15.

Congrats to @seventieslord (and possibly TDMM?) for their involvement.

Niedermayer was actually next up at 16.

Housley is 62, Lowe 77, Zubov 55, Wilson 51.

 

[The Macho King]

Clapper at 11 is interesting. Him playing D his whole career is a big "what if" for me.

Him over Clancy seems a bit insane.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Yes, I was the other hfboards-based voter for this

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Clapper at 11 is interesting. Him playing D his whole career is a big "what if" for me.

Him over Clancy seems a bit insane.

THN loves them some Clapper. He was quite high on on their 1998 top 100 list, which probably influenced quite a few voters here.

Clapper WAS the first player for whom the HHOF waiting period was waived (probably largely due to his unprecedented longevity as a top player), so while I don't personally agree with his high ranking here, it's not like it's completely out of left field.

 

[JackSlater]

Looks pretty decent. Clapper being that high is a surprise. MacInnis that high is also a surprise but I am a fan.

Carlson at 70 is... an interesting choice that seems out of nowhere. Maybe some of them thought that he was getting the 2020 Norris and projected a bit.

 

[vadim sharifijanov]

Congrats to @seventieslord (and possibly TDMM?) for their involvement.

attaboy boys

 

[quoipourquoi]

Based on the rankings of Orr, Harvey, Shore, Bourque, Potvin, Kelly, Robinson, Coffey, Chelios, Clapper, Horton, and Park, were they (or all but Bourque, Coffey, and Chelios) locked into place based upon the 1998 list?

 

[Habsfan18]

Based on the rankings of Orr, Harvey, Shore, Bourque, Potvin, Kelly, Robinson, Coffey, Chelios, Clapper, Horton, and Park, were they (or all but Bourque, Coffey, and Chelios) locked into place based upon the 1998 list?

I just checked and according to a piece near the beginning of the magazine, the order they established for retired players in 1997 were locked into place. Subsequent rankings they did in 2010 and 2020 determined the slots for players active since 1997.

 

[seventieslord]

Based on the rankings of Orr, Harvey, Shore, Bourque, Potvin, Kelly, Robinson, Coffey, Chelios, Clapper, Horton, and Park, were they (or all but Bourque, Coffey, and Chelios) locked into place based upon the 1998 list?

Yes, unfortunately

 

[jcs0218]

If the list was redone in 2 weeks from now, I imagine Hedman moves up 20 spots.

A Conn Smythe and potential goals record for defenseman in the Playoffs is going to do great things for his historical legacy.

 

[jcs0218]

Niedermayer was actually next up at 16.

I am not surprised that Niedermayer is ranked #16, based on what the media tends to think about him (and also the fact that he was a great player).

But I wouldn't have him higher than Pronger on my list. Pronger was in the "best player in the world" conversation when he was at his very peak.

Pronger has to be somewhere close behind him.

 

[Sentinel]

1. Very happy with Lidstrom above Bourque.
2. Very unhappy with Fetisov not even being there. WTF?

 

[tarheelhockey]

For those who participated, I’m curious as to how involved the process was. Was it just a straightforward submit-your-list request? Or was there discussion, information sharing, etc?

 

[seventieslord]

It's NHL-only. If you want to see Fetisov, read my article on best Europeans. He made the top 5.

 

[VanIslander]

Lidstrom ahead of Shore and Bourque?
No.

Coffey ahead of Chelios?
No.

Clapper ahead of: Park? Clancy? Horton?
No, no, no.

 

[VanIslander]

What is the ranking of..

Bill Quackenbush
Jack Stewart
Marcel Pronovost

?

 

[Habsfan18]

What is the ranking of..

Bill Quackenbush
Jack Stewart
Marcel Pronovost

?

Quackenbush - 32
Stewart - 29
Pronovost - 37

 

[VanIslander]

Quackenbush - 32
Stewart - 29
Pronovost - 37

Good.

 

[Boxscore]

View attachment 368868

Just arrived in the mail this afternoon. The annual special edition magazine.

The list was put together by a panel of THN staff (Jason Kay, Edward Fraser, Brian Costello, Sam McCaig, Ken Campbell, Ryan Kennedy, Matt Larkin) and well as a small group of hockey historians which includes our very own @seventieslord and another poster whom I believe to be @TheDevilMadeMe?

I don’t want to post the entire top 100 list as it is obviously against copyright and site rules, but I imagine it’s fine to post the top 15 as a little teaser to spark some discussions. Please purchase the magazine to see the full list and to read the write-ups.

1. Bobby Orr
2. Doug Harvey
3. Nicklas Lidstrom
4. Eddie Shore
5. Ray Bourque
6. Denis Potvin
7. Red Kelly
8. Larry Robinson
9. Paul Coffey
10. Chris Chelios
11. Dit Clapper
12. Tim Horton
13. Brad Park
14. Al MacInnis
15. King Clancy

Two things stand out to me here at first glance.

- I’m still not sure about Lidstrom being ahead of Shore and Bourque. I can see a case of Lidstrom being 4th and ahead of Shore. But I still have Bourque ahead. I can possibly be persuaded. But Bourque has always been the clear cut #3 for me after Orr and Harvey.

- I was always a big MacInnis fan, but #14 seems a little high, no? He’s ahead of some pretty big company such as Clancy, Stevens, Pilote and Seibert. He’s obviously in the mix there and not totally out of place but it’s still a bit surprising I think.

Active players include:

23. Chara
26. Keith
27. Karlsson
31. Doughty
45. Weber
48. Burns
50. Hedman
61. Suter
66. Pietrangelo
68. Subban
70. Carlson
72. Letang
76. Giordano
79. Josi

Yeah, Bourque has to be 3rd.

 

[Boxscore]

Lidstrom ahead of Shore and Bourque?
No.

Coffey ahead of Chelios?
No.

Clapper ahead of: Park? Clancy? Horton?
No, no, no.

Agree with all of this.

 

[Mr Burns]

LOL at Lidstrom ahead of Bourque, what a f***ing joke...

Orr is a no-brainer and I have no problem with Harvey at number 2.

Shore is from another era, then I don't know but 4 Hart trophies (record for a defenseman) is tough to ignore no matter the era.

 

[CaptBrannigan]

Keith is interesting being as high as he is.

I think I suffer from thinking that given the whole history of hockey, it’s hard to imagine that in “my” stretch I see all time greats. A reverse bias maybe? Anyway, any thoughts on Keith being ranked where he is?

edit: I think a better way to phrase it is I’m surprised that allegedly 14% of the top 100 dmen of all time played this season.

 

[Mickey Marner]

That's a generous ranking for Brent Burns.