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Hockey Greats For 2006 we've done a major update to this page - new links, new pictures for players who've changed teams, and some new players added. We've also used thumbnail photos that link to a larger picture. Scroll down to see what's new. Updates & Changes to Hockey Pages Links Click on the picture
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"The Great One," Wayne Gretzky, acknowledged as the greatest player in the history of hockey, played with style and passion for 20 years. On his way to shattering most of the league’s scoring records, he became the leading ambassador and spokesman for the game. In 1999, No. 99 retired, displaying the same quiet grace with which he played, after leading the New York Rangers in scoring for the season. During his final season he surpassed Gordie Howe for the most goals all time, including the NHL and the defunct World Hockey Association. On November 22, 1999, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In the 2000-01 season, Wayne stepped into an ownership position with the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2005-06 he took over the coaching duties.
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In 1997, The Hockey News, the world’s premier hockey magazine, commissioned a panel of experts to name the 50 best NHL players of all time. Mario Lemieux finished 4th, even as he announced his retirement from the game. With a relatively short career of 13 years (brought down by chronic back pain), Mario achieved two Stanley Cups with his only team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. He is widely credited with saving a faltering team with his sensational playing talent (he scored a goal on the first shift of his first game). In 1999, Super Mario again rescued the team, on the verge of bankruptcy, by exchanging over $20 million in deferred salary for a majority ownership of the team—the first former player to become a major sports league team owner. In 2000, Mario again played savior, by coming back from retirement - and scoring a goal and two assists in his first game back after nearly three years. Further health complications forced his final retirement at age 40 in 2006. |
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October 17, 2000, was St. Patrick's Day. On that day Patrick Roy won his 448th game, to pass Terry Sawchuck and take over the record for the most wins by a goalie in NHL history. After starting his career by leading Montreal to a cup as a rookie, Roy developed a reputation for being able to beat you with both his mental and physical abilities. In addition to two cups in Montreal, he picked up another with the Avalanche in their first season in Colorado. Following the 2002-03 season, Roy announced his retirement. He leaves the game undisputedly rated as one of the top goalies of all time. He won four Stanley cups, and is the career leader in victories, games played, playoff games, playoff victories, and playoff shutouts.
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No one in NHL history wore the 'C' as long as Steve
Yzerman. He was captain of the Red Wings for 20 years, taking the helm
as a 21-year-old in 1986, and led |
| To paraphrase George Jones, "Who’s gonna fill their skates?" | |
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Appropriately dubbed "The Finnish Flash," Teemu Selanne shone on a team that rarely played up to his level - the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. In 1999, the NHL initiated the Rocket Richard trophy for the most goals in a season; Selanne was first to have his name inscribed on the hardware. As a rookie with the Winnipeg Jets (now the Coyotes), he set a league record for the most wins all-time by a rookie, with 72. Oh by the way, he has a bronze medal from the 1998 Olympics. During the 2000-01 season he was traded to the San Jose Sharks, helping them in their drive to the playoffs. In 2003, as a free agent, he signed with Colorado along with Paul Kariya. Following the lost lockout season of 04-05, Selanne returned to the Ducks - and to his original form. He helped lead Finland to a silver medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics. |
Born in the Czech Republic, Jaromir Jagr showed flashes of brilliance early in his career, skating alongside Lemieux in the Penguins’ Stanley Cup victories. Named captain of the club in 1999-99, he emerged as a solid leader, winning the Art Ross trophy for the most points in the regular season. He also captured the most valuable player award, as well as what many players feel is the most meaningful trophy of all, the Lester Pearson Award, player of the year as determined by vote of his fellow NHL players. In 1999-2000 he again captured the Ross, and enters the 2000-01 season acknowledged as the world's best. Prior to the 2001-02 season, he was traded to the Washington Capitols. Although it's felt he did not live up to his potential in the nation's capital, a trade to the New York Rangers in 03-04 eventually led to a revitalized career. He was credited with leading the Rangers back to the playoffs in 05-06 for the first time in several years. His improved play led The Hockey News to name him the number three player in the league. |
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Entering the 2000-01 Paul Kariya was ranked by The Hockey News as the 3rd best player in the game and number one on left wing. He has been a top goal scorer throughout his career with the Anaheim Mighty Ducks. Kariya finished third in the 1998-99 scoring race, behind Jagr and Selanne. In July 2003, as a free agent he signed with Colorado, along with Teemu Selanne. In 2005-06, he moved to the Nashville Predators, where he's leading the team to a playoff spot and a respectable place in the standings. More about Paul Another link Still another link
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Starting his career when the team was the Minnesota North Stars, Mike Modano has emerged as an NHL superstar in the past few years (ranked number 5 overall and second at center for the 00-01 season by THN). In 1997-98 he was the scoring leader until an injury took him out of the race. In 1999 he led the Dallas Stars to their first Stanley Cup. A superb playmaker on the offense, he is also a fearsome competitor on the defensive end. In 2000 he led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals for the 2nd year in a row.
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St. Louis Blues defenseman Chris Pronger became the first rearguard since 1972 to win the Hart Trophy (NHL Most Valuable Player award) for the 1999-2000 season. He also picked up the Norris Trophy for top defenseman. He was Hartford's first pick (number two overall) in the 1993 entry draft, and went to the Blues in 1995. His career moved into high gear in 1998 and THN ranks him the number one defenseman in the league (4th overall) going into 2000-01. In the mass moves following the lost lockout season of 2004-05, he moved to the Edmonton Oilers. And in another move, in the 2006-07 season he'll be an Anaheim Duck. Expectations are high, with The Hockey News ranking him the second best player in the NHL. |
In the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2005-06 NHL season, Cam Ward largely served in a backup role to goalie Martin Gerber. Ward saved 10 of 11 shots in his NHL debut. His second game came down to the OT shootout, in which Ward turned aside Mario Lemieux, Zigmund Palffy and Sidney Crosby to get the win. Gerber's struggles early in the first round of the 2006 Stanley Cup Playoffs prompted coach Peter Laviolette to turn to Ward. He carried his team to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals, the first rookie goaltender since Patrick Roy to do so. On the road to the 2006 Stanley Cup and the playoff MVP award, Ward became the first rookie goalie in 20 years to have recorded a shutout in the Stanley Cup Finals, and was the youngest since Patrick Roy to start a game in the final series. |
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It’s been said that Dany Heatley will one day be the best player in the league. He started his career off with a bang, winning the 2001-02 Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year. The Atlanta Thrashers hope to build their future around him. In 2002-03 he had a career-best 89 points, 41 goals, 19 power-play goals, six game-winning tallies, 48 assists and 252 shots. In only his second year, he holds the franchise record for goals (41) and points (89) in a season, and is the club’s all-time leading scorer with 155 points (67 goals, 88 assists) in 159 career games. In the 2005-06 season, he moved to the Ottawa Senators, a trade he requested for personal reasons. He had a solid comeback season with his new team, and is rated tenth in the NHL by The Hockey News. |
Jeremy Roenick (JR) was a powerhouse with the Chicago Blackhouse and the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2002-03 he moved to the Philadelphia Flyers, where he continued his scoring ways. In 1999-2000 he led the team in scoring with 34 goals and 44 assists. JR has become a steady leader on his teams, and was ranked by THN as the number 15 center in the league. Eventually he moved on to the Philadelphia Flyers, and in the 2005-06 season, to the Los Angeles Kings. For 2006-07 he is returning to the Coyotes. |
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Joe Thornton was chosen first overall by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 draft. He made the Bruins' roster that October, but didn't really make an impact till the 1998-99 season, when he played 81 games and scored 16 goals. His production steadily improved, and it was a shock when he was traded to San Jose 23 games into the 2005-06 season. Feeding passes to leading goal scorer Jonathan Cheechoo, Thornton won the Art Ross trophy for the most points in the season. Just entering his prime, there's no reason to think he won't continue his spectacular play in 06-07. The Hockey News calls him the fourth best player in the league. |
After a trade from San Jose where he was third in line, Miikka Kiprusoff seized the number one goalie position, leading Calgary to the Stanley Cup finals in 2004. He continued his jaw-dropping play in the 2005-06 "new NHL," and on an offensively challenged team, is generally credited with getting them back to the playoffs. In recognition of his achievements, The Hockey News has anointed him the best player in the league. |
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Evgeni Malkin’s arrival in the U.S.
from Russia reads like a cold war thriller, but all that will be forgotten
when he joins last year’s rookie sensation Sidney Crosby at the Igloo.
Generally acknowledged as the best player in the world outside the NHL
last year, it’s hoped the new dynamic duo can lift the Penguins out of
their four year exile in last place. Malkin was consistently the top
scorer on |
The 2005-06 season saw the arrival of a number of outstanding young players. An owner's lockout eliminated the 2004-05 season, so a double crop of rookies started their NHL careers in 05-06. None was more anticipated than Sidney Cosby, who was projected as a number one draft pick in 2005 when he was 15. Crosby has lived up to his hype in Canadian junior hockey, international junior competition, and now with the lucky lottery-winning Pittsburgh Penguins, where he has Mario Lemieux not only as a mentor, but as a landlord. He lived up to the hype by taking a leadership role on the team and becoming the youngest player ever to score 100 points. He joins fellow rookie Alex Ovechkin on The Hockey News' list of the top 50 players, coming in at number six, right behind the Russian. |
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Alexander Ovechkin is one of several young Russian stars either tearing up the league, or expected to do so soon (others include Atlanta's Ilya Kovalchuk and Pittsburgh prospect Evgeni Malkin). As the 2005-06 season winds down, Ovechkin is thought by many to be outplaying Sidney Crosby, and won the Calder Trophy as the top rookie. The Hockey News ranks him as the number five player in the league. |
On the Horizon: The projected number one draft pick for 2008 is John Tavares, who turns 16 in September 2006. Watch this space to see how he fares. More about John |
