Who is the best player of each country all time?

uncleben

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Dec 4, 2008
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If we deduce best = most points in the NHL:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_NHL_statistical_leaders_by_country

Breaking it down we get:

Canada: Wayne Gretzky
Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr
Slovakia: Stan Mikita
Finland: Teemu Selanne
USA: Mike Modano
Sweden: Mats Sundin
Russia: Sergei Fedorov
UK: Steve Thomas
Ukraine: Peter Bondra
Serbia: Ivan Boldriev

Those would be the top ten countries, though that is also sorted by birth country, not which country they declared for nationally (ie Stan Mikita->Canada, Steve Thomas->Canada, Peter Bondra->Slovakia, Ivan Boldriev->Canada)
 

KarmaPolice

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Oct 5, 2007
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The best Norwegian player that has been in the NHL was Espen Knutsen.

And the reason Norway produces so few hockey players is because the sport is pretty small in Norway. Not enough rinks, no general interest.

I see. Yeah, I was just going to list Knutsen alone, but I honestly think Thoreson is and always will be the better player. Maybe my memory is failing me, but if I remember correct, a big reason why Knutsen got the amount of NHL games he did was because he was playing for a newer NHL expansion team at the time (Columbus?) and through much of his NHL career. It's pretty close and obviously subjective, though; but I think Thoreson was/is more skilled. Though I recall Knutsen being a pretty good checker...might be wrong on that.
 
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KingsHockey24

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Aug 1, 2013
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Canada: Wayne Gretzky
Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr
Finland: Teemu Selanne
Russia: Alexander Mogilny
Slovakia: Peter Stastny
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom
USA: Brett Hull
 

gudzilla

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Aug 9, 2012
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i still think the coin toss for best russian player is between kharlamov and makarov, i'd give it to kharlamov though.

best swedish player is lidström, he got everything. peak, longlivety, prime etc

finland, got to be selänne... with a HM to kurri

slovenian is obviously kopitar. czech is hasek (i pick hasek over jagr because hasek is arguably GOAT while jagr can't make that case for forwards)

i'd consider leetch for america
 

JD1

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Sep 12, 2005
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Austria: Vanek
Canada: Gretzky
Quebec: M. Richard
Czech: Jagr
Denmark: Nielson
Finland: Selanne
Germany: Krupp
Norway: Zuccarello
Latvia: Girgensons
Poland: Czerkawski
Russia: Kharlamov
Slovakia: Satan
Slovenia: Kopitar
Sweden: Peter Forsberg
Swiss: Streit
USA: Mike Ramsey

:)

*edit* switched to forsberg, added some more countries

seriously, as a Canadian, how do we make that happen?
 

Shawn Heins 44

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Sep 22, 2012
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Canada: Gretzky
Czech Republic: Hasek
Sweden: Lidström
Finland: Selanne
USA: Roenick
Russia: Fetisov
Slovakia: Peter Stastny
Switzerland: Streit
Austria: Vanek
Germany: Krupp maybe? Surprised he hasnt been mentioned yet
 

PredsV82

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does it have to be someone who played in the NHL?

Id give Tretiak a nod for Russia/USSR

and give him a few years and I think Josi could be the Swiss player

Latvia:Skrastins

Germany: Goc?
 

Blitzkrug

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Sep 17, 2013
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does it have to be someone who played in the NHL?

Id give Tretiak a nod for Russia/USSR

and give him a few years and I think Josi could be the Swiss player

Latvia:Skrastins

Germany: Goc?

Sturm for Germany i would think.

Out of guys who played in the NHL from there he probably has the most substantial resume
 

KreiMeARiver*

Guest
The best Norwegian player that has been in the NHL was Espen Knutsen.

And the reason Norway produces so few hockey players is because the sport is pretty small in Norway. Not enough rinks, no general interest.

Maybe you guys should stop eating so much Hákarl and start playing more hockey ;)

Knutsen definitely was the best to play in the NHL.

p.s. I'm like 1/4 Norwegian-American. :yo:
 

Lexus

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Jan 29, 2009
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I suppose Lidström was the best player, but I just have to say Forsberg anyway. :( He was at least more interesting to watch. He was something else, ohhh those were the days.

For me it's simple.

Lidstrom = The Greatest Swedish player.
Forsberg = The Best Swedish player.
 

Grounded

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Feb 27, 2012
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The US is probably the toughest of the major hockey countries to make a pick for (ignoring the Hasek/Jagr dilemma for the moment). There are a few different players you could make a decent case for. I would probably go with Chelios.

Also, to the person who for some reason treated Quebec as its own country: the answer there would be Lemieux.

Edit: on further thought, Sweden and Russia are at least as tough as the US to make a decision on. And really, Chelios is actually a pretty clear choice for the US the more I consider it. Just pretend this post didn't happen.
 
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Horvath Broncos

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Aug 21, 2013
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does it have to be someone who played in the NHL?

Id give Tretiak a nod for Russia/USSR

and give him a few years and I think Josi could be the Swiss player

Latvia:Skrastins

Germany: Goc?

i have to ask why Skrastins and not Ozolins. I mean Ozolinsh one of the best or even the best offensive defenseman in NHL during his prime. he wasn't that good in his own end though
 

Pominville Knows

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Sep 28, 2012
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i still think the coin toss for best russian player is between kharlamov and makarov, i'd give it to kharlamov though.

best swedish player is lidström, he got everything. peak, longlivety, prime etc

finland, got to be selänne... with a HM to kurri

slovenian is obviously kopitar. czech is hasek (i pick hasek over jagr because hasek is arguably GOAT while jagr can't make that case for forwards)

i'd consider leetch for america

This is not very great list at all. If you believe that the soviet national team was about as good in the seventies as in the eighties, one cant pick Kharlamov becouse Makarov was much more in a class by himself amongst his fellow forwards than Kharlamov was.

Lidström could be the swedish one, although Forsberg was better when fully healthy.

Selänne was better than Kurri offensively, but as a package not as good.

Hasek is a good choice, although comparing Jagr to all forwards no matter their position is not fair, they are many more than there are goalies.

Leetch can't hold a candle to Chelios.
 

Hawkey Town 18

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Jun 29, 2009
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I put 2 where I thought it was EXTREMELY close with another player (my preference is listed 1st)...

Canada: Wayne Gretzky
USA: Chris Chelios
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom
Czech Republic: Dominik Hasek
Slovakia: Peter Stastny/Zdeno Chara
Russia: Vladislav Tretiak/Slava Fetisov
Finland: Teemu Selanne/Jari Kurri


Note: Mikita wins it easily for Slovakia if you're going by birth country, he was completely Canadian trained though.
 

TheDevilMadeMe

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Aug 28, 2006
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I put 2 where I thought it was EXTREMELY close with another player (my preference is listed 1st)...

Canada: Wayne Gretzky
USA: Chris Chelios
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom
Czech Republic: Dominik Hasek
Slovakia: Peter Stastny/Zdeno Chara
Russia: Vladislav Tretiak/Slava Fetisov
Finland: Teemu Selanne/Jari Kurri


Note: Mikita wins it easily for Slovakia if you're going by birth country, he was completely Canadian trained though.

Doing it this way, I would do:

Canada: Wayne Gretzky
USA: Chris Chelios
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom
Czech Republic: Dominik Hasek / Jaromir Jagr
Slovakia: Peter Stastny / Zdeno Chara
Russia: Slava Fetisov / Sergei Makarov / Alexander Ovechkin
Finland: Teemu Selanne / Jari Kurri

Russia is the hardest because so many of their best players didn't play in the NHL.
 

JackSlater

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Apr 27, 2010
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Canada: Orr
USA: Chelios
Sweden: Lidstrom
Finland: Kurri
Czech Republic: Hasek
Slovakia: Stastny
Russia: Makarov
 

Terry Yake

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Aug 5, 2013
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Canada: Wayne Gretzky
USA: Mike Modano
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom (Forsberg right behind him)
Czech Republic: Jaromir Jagr
Russia: Vladislav Tretiak (Fedorov right behind)
Finland: Teemu Selanne
Slovakia: Zdeno Chara (Stastny right behind)
Germany: Olaf Kolzig
Austria: Thomas Vanek
Latvia: Sandis Ozolinsh
Belarus: Ruslan Salei
 

Hawkey Town 18

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Jun 29, 2009
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Doing it this way, I would do:

Canada: Wayne Gretzky
USA: Chris Chelios
Sweden: Nicklas Lidstrom
Czech Republic: Dominik Hasek / Jaromir Jagr
Slovakia: Peter Stastny / Zdeno Chara
Russia: Slava Fetisov / Sergei Makarov / Alexander Ovechkin
Finland: Teemu Selanne / Jari Kurri

Russia is the hardest because so many of their best players didn't play in the NHL.

Thought about putting Jagr next to Hasek, but I couldn't get past the fact that Hasek has a legit claim to be the best goalie of all time (it's arguable, personally I have Roy #1) while Jagr has no claim to even be a Top 3 forward, and most would have him out of the Top 5. I would rank them very close, but at the same time I think it's clearly Hasek here.

Didn't even really think about Ovechkin for Russia...I think I'm still stuck in the mind set of a few years ago that he hasn't played enough yet, but he does have 8 full years and a legit claim here. At this point there's a very strong possibility that he will be the consensus choice in the not too distant future.
 

QuietContrarian

Registered User
May 28, 2008
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Hard to choose one for Denmark.

But as of now, even though it pains me not to choose Hansen, id have to say Frans Nielsen is the best as of now.

But that will most likely change with Eller or Boedker in the future.
 

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
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Canada: Gretzky
Sweden: Lidstrom
Czech: Jagr
Finland: Kurri
Russia: Ovechkin (not like he isn't close already, but I am using a projection method on this one, because in my mind it will be obvious when his career is done)
Slovakia: Chara (I know people will say Stastny right away, but if Chara isn't ahead of him by now, he's even
USA: Chelios (if someone can provide a reason why it is someone other than him I'm all ears)
 

Hobnobs

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Nov 29, 2011
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I see. Yeah, I was just going to list Knutsen alone, but I honestly think Thoreson is and always will be the better player. Maybe my memory is failing me, but if I remember correct, a big reason why Knutsen got the amount of NHL games he did was because he was playing for a newer NHL expansion team at the time (Columbus?) and through much of his NHL career. It's pretty close and obviously subjective, though; but I think Thoreson was/is more skilled. Though I recall Knutsen being a pretty good checker...might be wrong on that.

Knutsen was better than Thoresen... and for good checker, I dont know.. He ended his career by checking the boards with his head :laugh:
 

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