Who is the best player of each country all time?

[nutbar]

Ivan Boldirev is Canadian. He came to Canada when he was two.

I don't know who the best Serbian player of all time is, but it's probably somebody very obscure.

 

[nutbar]

Kazakhstan: Nik Antropov

I would go with Boris Alexandrov for Kazakhstan.

Or Nabokov.

 

[Den]

Russia: Alex Ovechkin
Slovakia: Peter Statsny
Latvia: Sandis Ozolinsh
Belarus: Mikhail Grabovski
Kazakhstan: Nik Antropov

You were born too late ...

 

[Den]

So Barkov is also Russian? Or do only Canadians who were born in a foreign country count? Heatley isn't even fluent in german....

Actually the guy's logic was the opposite: Heatley born in Germany. Barkov was not born in Russia..

 

[Laphroaig]

I would go with Boris Alexandrov for Kazakhstan.

Or Nabokov.

I wasn't aware that Alexandrov was from Kazakhstan but I agree that he was better than Antropov. Or Nabokov. Good catch.

 

[ficohok*]

Slovenia - Rudi Hiti
Croatia - Borna Rendulic

 

[Sanf]

Slovenia - Rudi Hiti
Croatia - Borna Rendulic

Hiti with different career choices and better luck might have had career in NA. Hiti brothers seemed to be solid performers in WHC B level and were All Star selections multiple times but its hard to compare that to A level. I think Hiti deserves to be in conversation, but I would still select Kopitar.

As a Finn I have seen Rendulic many times in SM-liiga and he has potential, but what about Boris Renaud and Miroslav Gojanovic? Gojanovic was even in Blackhawks training camp with Hiti in 1970 if I remember correct.

But these are only my opinions and Rendulic is the only that I have seen.

 

[ficohok*]

Hiti with different career choices and better luck might have had career in NA. Hiti brothers seemed to be solid performers in WHC B level and were All Star selections multiple times but its hard to compare that to A level. I think Hiti deserves to be in conversation, but I would still select Kopitar.

As a Finn I have seen Rendulic many times in SM-liiga and he has potential, but what about Boris Renaud and Miroslav Gojanovic? Gojanovic was even in Blackhawks training camp with Hiti in 1970 if I remember correct.

But these are only my opinions and Rendulic is the only that I have seen.

Yes, Gojanovic was in Blackhawks camp. Actually, he satisfied on try-out, but simply he was nostalgic and returned to Zagreb where he had very productive carrer with Medvescak and later with Olimpija (Ljubljana). Renaud was scoring machine for Medvescak scoring near 400 goals for Medvescak in his 21 year with the club (he interrupted that with two seasons in Netherlands).

Both are legends, no doubt, but I picked Rendulic simply for one reason. He left Croatia in age of 15 (already played few games for Medvescak's senior team) for Finland. Finnish league, compared to other Top euro leagues, have very little number of foreginers on their rosters so to succed in Finland as foreginer, especially foreginer from "third world" hockey country is above accomplishments of Renaud and M.Gojanovic. Had Gojanovic for example played just one regular season game with Blackhawks, then I would definetly rate him as best Croat ever.

 

[nutbar]

Some others

Israel: Max Birbraer - played in the AHL with Albany, only Israeli to be drafted.
Estonia: Andrei Markov - no not that one. I think he plays in Belarus.
South Africa: Cameron Birrell -Plays for Cardiff in Britain.
Australia: Nathan Walker - plays in AHL with Hershey.

 

[ficohok*]

Some others

Israel: Max Birbraer - played in the AHL with Albany, only Israeli to be drafted.
Estonia: Andrei Markov - no not that one. I think he plays in Belarus.
South Africa: Cameron Birrell -Plays for Cardiff in Britain.
Australia: Nathan Walker - plays in AHL with Hershey.

Serbia - Ivan Prokic

 

[Holkoun]

Heatley is about as German as I am Scandinavian, and if you were going to go down the barely German route, I'd give it to Olaf Kolzig. In terms of actual Germans, I'd give it to the recently retired Marco Sturm, with an honourable mention to Jochen Hecht.

Why not erich kuhnhackl? He was absolute beast.

 

[Holkoun]

Belgium - Jan Benda
Brazil - Robyn Regher
Brunei - Craig Adams
Haiti - Claude Vilgrain
Indonesia - Richie Regher
Lebanon - Ed Hatoum
Nigeria - Akim Aliu
Paraguay - Willi Plett
Tanzania - Chris Nielsen
Venezuela - Rick Chartraw

Jan benda is german, only born in belgium, but has nothing with belgium. He has strong czech roots( czech parents)

 

[Holkoun]

Ukraine - Zhitnik (secondary nod goes to Khristich), and if we go by the "born in" rule like Heatley, then Bondra goes top of the heap.

Russia - Ovechkin, this one's easy.

Canada - I'm going to Lemieux on this one.

How is this the easy one? You must be very young or i dont know. Have you seen players of 70s 80s or even 90s? Makarov et al. Kharlamov et al. They were soooo dominant. Ovechkin may will have the best nhl career regarding to points but that is all...
Current nhl players are so overrated... And ovechkin is not even the best of russians ( definitely not constantly)

 

[Pominville Knows]

How is this the easy one? You must be very young or i dont know. Have you seen players of 70s 80s or even 90s? Makarov et al. Kharlamov et al. They were soooo dominant. Ovechkin may will have the best nhl career regarding to points but that is all...
Current nhl players are so overrated... And ovechkin is not even the best of russians ( definitely not constantly)

Forget Kharlamov, he did not even outdo his own linemates. Makarov were probably in Bossy territory, while Ovechkin has no match right now. Fetisov on the other hand, there you have real competition for Ovi.

 

[Holkoun]

Forget Kharlamov, he did not even outdo his own linemates. Makarov were probably in Bossy territory, while Ovechkin has no match right now. Fetisov on the other hand, there you have real competition for Ovi.

that is why I put there the quoute "et al"

Ovechkin is definitely not the best russian hockey player. By no means, not even close to it.... being a good/great goalscorer in present NHL does not make him the best russian player of all time.

Kharlamov was perceived as the one of the greatest, but I have seen him only in the late of his career so cannot judge it, but Krutov´s line was absolutely dominant (even in Canadian Cup 87). Ovechkin is not even close to this. I dont even think he is better than malkin, not at all, not better than Fedorov, not better than Kovalev, Mogilny all kovalchuks in history, Firsov, Mikhailov... I would always take Bure ahead of Ovechkin... When he was in speed, absolutely uncatchable even if the all time greatest were on ice. I am really surprised how people on this board have so short memories (or they are too young

 

[Reindl87]

Germany: Kühnhackel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Holkoun]

Germany: Kühnhackel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fully agree... that man held on his soldier all germany team. He was absolute beast.
For me was surprising he did not have NHL career at all.

And top of it - he has czech origin

 

[Killion]

Fully agree... that man held on his soldier all germany team. He was absolute beast.
For me was surprising he did not have NHL career at all.

And top of it - he has czech origin

Kuhnhackl was born & raised in Czechoslovakia (Citice) however he & his family emigrated to Germany in 1968 (Erich 18 by then) after the Soviet occupation. For the purposes of this exercise (best players by country) place of birth is the criteria, not where they grew up or emigrated to later in life. Therefore, Erich Kuhnhackl would be one of the greatest Czech players to have played the game, Stan Mikita one of if not the greatest Slovakian's to have ever played the game even though he emigrated to Canada as a tiny tot and so on... (as was the case with Jan Benda who was born in Belgium but emigrated to Germany with Czech ancestry as per your post #112 above)

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

that is why I put there the quoute "et al"

Ovechkin is definitely not the best russian hockey player. By no means, not even close to it.... being a good/great goalscorer in present NHL does not make him the best russian player of all time.

Kharlamov was perceived as the one of the greatest, but I have seen him only in the late of his career so cannot judge it, but Krutov´s line was absolutely dominant (even in Canadian Cup 87). Ovechkin is not even close to this. I dont even think he is better than malkin, not at all, not better than Fedorov, not better than Kovalev, Mogilny all kovalchuks in history, Firsov, Mikhailov... I would always take Bure ahead of Ovechkin... When he was in speed, absolutely uncatchable even if the all time greatest were on ice. I am really surprised how people on this board have so short memories (or they are too young

Kovalev, Mogilny, and Kovalchuk over Ovechkin? Really?

 

[Killion]

Ken Hodge - England
Sid Finney - Ireland
Wilf Cude - Wales
Cristobel Huet - France
Espen Knutsen - Norway
Poul Popiel - Denmark
Rod Langway - Taiwan
Ryan O'Marra - Japan

That Great State thats really a Nation Unto Itself called Texas - Brian Leetch

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Really?

This long and no Tsujimoto joke?

 

[Killion]

Really?

This long and no Tsujimoto joke?

Who's Tsujimoto? Forward? Defenceman? Goalie? Never heard of him. I went with Ryan O'Marra for Japan as he'd played over 30 games in the NHL and a lot of international (including minors) over Goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji....

 

[ManofSteel55]

Canada - Duh. Gretzky
Sweden - Lidstrom
Russia - Kharlamov
Czech Republic - Hasek (Jagr is close, toss up)
USA - Modano (Hull doesn't count, dual citizen, but born on Canadian soil)
Finland - Selanne (sorry Jari)
Slovakia - Probably Stastny

I was asked to make a list of the best hockey players by this seven countries (all time) for a work assignment and some were easy pickings for me. But would like to get some more input.

Canada and Sweden I know I will not change my mind about as Gretzky and Lidström are locks.

This is my original list:

Canada: Gretzky
Sweden: Lidström
Czech rep: Jagr (Hasek?)
Finland: Kurri (Selänne?)
Russia: Feodorov (Mogily? Bure? Tretjak? Fetisov?)
Slovakia: Statsny
USA: Modano (Housley? Brett Hull?)

Been googling a bit but that will only get me so far. So I ask the expertize on the hfboards. Who would you pick as each of these countries all time best?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Cursed Lemon]

Who's Tsujimoto? Forward? Defenceman? Goalie?

No one knows.

 

[ficohok*]

Fully agree... that man held on his soldier all germany team. He was absolute beast.
For me was surprising he did not have NHL career at all.

And top of it - he has czech origin

Kuhnhackl sounds like German surname so I think he is German who lived in Czech. Around 3 milion ethnic Germans lives in Czech Republic. After all surnames like Reichel, Jagr, Hertl sounds much more German than Czech.