Was Crosby the most hyped NHL prospect of all time?

[PinkFly]

I was just thinking about the hype LeBron had when he first entered the NBA and it was absolutely bonkers. Easily the most hyped sports prospect of all time and there is legitamately no argument otherwise. It got me thinking, was Crosby the most hyped prospect in regards to hockey? I haven't watched Mario at all so I'm not sure about him. I heard Daigle and Lindros had alot of hype. And more recently, Connor McDavid and John Tavares.

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[Dustin]

Lindros had way more hype.

 

[OVrocks]

He's no Alexandre Daigle.

 

[The Hanging Jowl]

Gretzky was hyped way more. It was insane. And rightly so.

 

[PunkRockLocke]

My vote would go to Lindros

 

[A1LeafNation]

Lindros

 

[Dustin]

Gretzky was hyped way more. It was insane. And rightly so.

I was too young to see to hear about Gretzky before the NHL but I thought there were detractors too? I thought some people including hockey people felt he would not be able to survive in the rough tough NHL?

 

[TOGuy14]

I'd give the vote to Crosby only because of current mass media vs the past and coming out of the lockout the one off lottery where every team had a chance hyped the hell out of it.

 

[Dustin]

Lindros

I remember when Score had their Hockey cards released with a certain amount of Lindros OHL cards packed in. Every kid I knew was buying those.

 

[heynowbababooey]

Mcjesus

 

[Machinehead]

He might have been, but if we had the internet when Gretzky and Lindros were young...

 

[Syckle78]

I remember when Score had their Hockey cards released with a certain amount of Lindros OHL cards packed in. Every kid I knew was buying those.

I bought a few boxes along with other brands that aren't worth shit anymore. God the money I wasted on over printed crap cap in the 90's...

 

[BlueBaron]

I'd argue McDavid was probably the most hyped prospect of all time just because of the social media aspect and how it had grown by the time he came on the scene . Lindros holds up pretty well too considering the package Philly gave up to get him. Then there is Crosby who had casual fans watching CHL games and his Mem Cup run just to see what all the fuss was about.

They were all probably hyped equally relative to their time. I was too young to remember what was being said about 99, 66 or anyone before that. By chance I happened to become a hard core fan the Daigle draft year and his hype was pretty huge too but lots of people were aware Pronger could turn out to be the better player.

 

[Dustin]

I bought a few boxes along with other brands that aren't worth **** anymore. God the money I wasted on over printed crap cap in the 90's...

What you mean my complete 1991 Upperdeck set isn't going to make me a millionaire when I grow up? I remember buying actual boxes of cards and then opening each and every pack. I remember the day I got Jeremy Roenick's and Ed Belfour's cards in the same package. I think they were they're rookie cards.

 

[BruinsBtn]

Imagine Beliveau. They bought the entire league to get him.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

In terms of reach he probably was because of the internet. Millions of people from around the world knew about Crosby from when he was 13. He and Ovechkin were household names even in the US the minute they stepped on the ice. Vast majority of sports fans in the US still don't know who Mcdavid is, although i chalk that up as a failure on the NHL and NBC. I don't think he's had a nationally televised game in the US yet.

Gretzky, Lemieux, Lindros were hyped to a higher degree in terms of how good they were expected to be, but the hype was mostly confined to Canadian hockey fans and the most die hard of American fans.

 

[Brownies]

I feel very lucky that I lived in Rimouski when Crosby played there. To have seen this incredible teenager who wasn't even 16 years old play his first pre-season game and get (i believe) 3 points when everybody before the match was trying to lower our expectations was something special. I still believe that Lindros was a bit more hyped.

 

[bring back the jets]

but if we had the internet when Gretzky and Lindros were young...

Gretzky only 2 assists in his first two games so I imagine hfboards would have imploded with threads about how much of a bust he was

 

[MapleLeafs9]

Crosby was hyped as the next Gretzky. By media and fans. I don't know who else fits that bill, not old enough to know if Lindros got that level of hype too.

 

[Sky04]

Despite McDavid starting with today's media coverage, which can be a disadvantage with media fatigue, everybody is constantly shown constant highlight clips of the kid he loses the "wow" factor, Crosby still had more hype. You couldn't really see Crosby highlights outside of television coverage so the amount of hype building up to his first live game was significant.

 

[Matty Sundin]

Happens every decade. Lindros in the 90s, Crosby in the 2000s and Mcdavid in the 2010s. Crosby was hyped like crazy and post to be a savior to the entire league after the embarrassment nhl lockout.

 

[BCShark]

if youre under 40 you shouldnt answer this thread

 

[b in vancouver]

Bobby Orr.
- everyone and their grandmother was waiting for him to be in the NHL.

Wayne Gretzky.
- started hearing stories about him since he was 12. I think 'The Great One' was a nickname he got at 14.

 

[SmellOfVictory]

if youre under 40 you shouldnt answer this thread

Under 150 IMO. Have to have experienced the entirety of the NHL. I hear Babe Dye was mad hyped.

 

[enviro61]

I was just thinking about the hype LeBron had when he first entered the NBA and it was absolutely bonkers. Easily the most hyped sports prospect of all time and there is legitamately no argument otherwise. It got me thinking, was Crosby the most hyped prospect in regards to hockey? I haven't watched Mario at all so I'm not sure about him. I heard Daigle and Lindros had alot of hype. And more recently, Connor McDavid and John Tavares.

Well fun story time. I am about 2 or 3 years older than Lindros without checking his age. He was by far the biggest star I ever recall with regards to hype. It was just insane. I grew up and lived in Ottawa and one year when the National Juniors were in town, we knew the team would probably be going to the market to hang out. Of course they weren't old enough and I was a young bar hopping lad at the time. My friends and I were at Stoney Monday's and a bunch of National Juniors come to the bar but of course can't get in. Among them was the obvious manchild Giant, Eric Lindros. He was a behemoth for his age, no doubt about it. Everyone was clamouring around them and paying attention to Lindros. I tried to be the cool nonchalant dude who was trying to pick up but I have to admit it was pretty cool.

I remember the girls beside us just oggling him and saying He looked at me, he looked at me. It was that kind of stardom, guy was so friggin hyped that girls who knew nothing about hockey sure as hell knew who Eric was and melted if he looked their way.

The hype train was very real (read below)

Why Eric Lindros is the most important CHL player ever - Sportsnet.ca