What classifies a player as a star in the NHL?

[Rivet52]

The term "superstar" is pretty easy to understand. I think most of us would probably consider a superstar player to be one of the faces of the League, the best among the best, and a player whose name is recognized even by non-hockey fans. Current superstar players include Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Nathan MacKinnon.

However, I'm interested in determining what classifies a player into the next tier down. To you, what classifies a player as a star player? For forwards, are stars those players who score at around a point-per-game pace or maybe goal-scorers who usually score 40 or more goals per year? For defensemen, should they be those who score 50 points per year? 60? Or are they typically any top-pairing defender? For goalies, should they be consistently among the league leaders in GAA and SV%?

What does a player need to do to fall into the tier below superstar status?

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[Captain97]

I'd say Super star is top 5 in your position as a skater or top 3 as a goalie.

Then True Number 1 Dman and true 1C but not super star is a star (not just top 32 centres/Dmen)

For goalies I'd say goalies 4-8 are stars.

 

[Mickey Marner]

John Tavares, Alex Pietrangelo, Marc-Andre Fleury would be my idea of stars.

Consistently a #1 C/D/G, but usually not in serious conversation for Hart, Norris, Vezina etc. Arguably with some level of marketability. The sort of guys who wind up at a lot of all-star games, but usually don't win awards.

 

[HTFN]

Get on the all-star game ballot, mostly. Sometimes being a star is just being your team's best ____, and you don't need to be over a point per game for them to hang a big banner with your face on it outside the building.

If superstars are required to show a level of performance, then I think stars are just the opposite and vary regularly depending on behavior and location.

 

[Justshootmore]

I’d say:

Face of the league = Superstar
Face(s) of the franchise = Star

Some teams might have multipe stars, others might have none, so it’s not always accurate, but that’s the best I can do.

 

[cudi]

they play for Dallas

 

[hypereconomist]

Stars are first liners that are consistently one of the top 5-15 players at their position. They are skilled enough to be shoe-ins for international best-on-best rosters for the big 6 nations, are regularly the leading scorers on their team (or close to it), have some degree of name marquee due to their points totals and accolades, and are regularly are in contention for awards even though they don't win often or at all.

This would be players like Backstrom, Giroux, Gaudreau, Scheifele, Rantanen, Aho, Pietrangelo, Suter, Letang, etc.

Anyone better (e.g. McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Ovechkin, Kucherov, Kane, Hedman, Carlson) are superstars. Anyone slightly worse is just a very good player

 

[Machinehead]

You know how we always have those arguments over the top 31 C's/D's and then somebody is inevitably like "well just because they're top 31 doesn't mean they're a REAL 1C/1D!!!!"

Stars are the "real" ones.

 

[Machinehead]

they play for Dallas

Took me longer than I would like to admit to catch this

 

[darrylsittler27]

Crosby, McDavid and Mathews went out first round. The days of super stars carrying their teams are over. It's a team game now.

 

[SniperHF]

You know how we always have those arguments over the top 31 C's/D's and then somebody is inevitably like "well just because they're top 31 doesn't mean they're a REAL 1C/1D!!!!"

Stars are the "real" ones.

This is a perfect definition of this useless term

 

[Machinehead]

This is a perfect definition of this useless term

I try my best

 

[jetsforever]

The term "superstar" is pretty easy to understand. I think most of us would probably consider a superstar player to be one of the faces of the League, the best among the best, and a player whose name is recognized even by non-hockey fans. Current superstar players include Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, and Nathan MacKinnon.

However, I'm interested in determining what classifies a player into the next tier down. To you, what classifies a player as a star player? For forwards, are stars those players who score at around a point-per-game pace or maybe goal-scorers who usually score 40 or more goals per year? For defensemen, should they be those who score 50 points per year? 60? Or are they typically any top-pairing defender? For goalies, should they be consistently among the league leaders in GAA and SV%?

What does a player need to do to fall into the tier below superstar status?

If those are the 5 people you're calling "superstars", then Draisaitl and MacKinnon shouldn't be there (unless you want to throw in Malkin, Kucherov, etc.).

 

[jetsforever]

John Tavares, Alex Pietrangelo, Marc-Andre Fleury would be my idea of stars.

Consistently a #1 C/D/G, but usually not in serious conversation for Hart, Norris, Vezina etc. Arguably with some level of marketability. The sort of guys who wind up at a lot of all-star games, but usually don't win awards.

All-Stars (game not teams) is actually a pretty good definition of 'stars', although there are some omissions each year.
All-Star teams are closer to superstars.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Who cares

 

[Sol]

My seal of approval.

 

[kingsholygrail]

Generational
Superstar
Star
Plug

 

[rogking65]

Stars are first liners that are consistently one of the top 5-15 players at their position. They are skilled enough to be shoe-ins for international best-on-best rosters for the big 6 nations, are regularly the leading scorers on their team (or close to it), have some degree of name marquee due to their points totals and accolades, and are regularly are in contention for awards even though they don't win often or at all.

This would be guys Backstrom, Giroux, Gaudreau, Scheifele, Rantanen, Aho, Pietrangelo, Suter, Letang, etc.

Anyone better (e.g. McDavid, MacKinnon, Crosby, Ovechkin, Kucherov, Kane, Hedman, Carlson) are superstars. Anyone slightly worse is just a very good player

 

[rogking65]

Carlson superstar....you must be Caps fan

 

[jcs0218]

A player who is an inferior version of Dany Heatley.

There are stars, and then there are all-stars.

 

[Puckclektr]

It comes down to opinion. Some are wrong. Some are right and some are debatable.

 

[DuckyGirard]

Crosby, McDavid and Mathews went out first round. The days of super stars carrying their teams are over. It's a team game now.

Yep never a chance a team with a star player like crosby, kucherov, kane or ovechekin will win cups.

 

[Alexander the Gr8]

Carlson superstar....you must be Caps fan

I'm a Caps fan and I would never call Carlson a superstar. He's a very good player, but I wouldn't call him anything more than a regular star.

 

[The Moose is Loose]

If those are the 5 people you're calling "superstars", then Draisaitl and MacKinnon shouldn't be there (unless you want to throw in Malkin, Kucherov, etc.).

Draisaitl and Mackinnon aren’t superstars? And Malkin is?

Yikes.

 

[nowhereman]

Crosby, McDavid and Mathews went out first round. The days of super stars carrying their teams are over. It's a team game now.

Hockey has always been a team game and no player, not even Wayne Gretzky, has ever won a Cup by himself. This isn't the NBA.