Measuring Excellence: The NHL's Greatest Players Across Generations

Modern Era Players

The 1944-45 season marked a turning point when Maurice Richard became the first player to reach the 50-goal mark. As a result, this discussion is limited to players from the post-Richard era. Early icons such as Howie Morenz, Cy Denneny, Eddie Shore, Charlie Conacher, "Dit" Clapper, and Toe Blake are therefore omitted from the group. It is also worth noting that the Zamboni was invented during this same era, finally bringing reliable consistency to playing surfaces throughout the league.

Honorable Mentions

Jean Beliveau, Stan Mikita, Phil Esposito, Marcel Dionne, Guy Lafleur, Denis Potvin, Mike Bossy, Ray Bourque, Mark Messier, Steve Yzerman, Brett Hull, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne, Paul Coffey, Doug Harvey, Larry Robinson, Chris Chelios, Brian Leetch, Bryan Trottier, Bobby Clarke, Sergei Fedorov, Patrice Bergeron, Jari Kurri, Ron Francis, Peter Forsberg, Evgeni Malkin, Cale Makar, Patrick Kane, and Nathan MacKinnon

All of the honorable mentions listed above could be included in a broader debate regarding the greatest NHL player ever if the criteria were expanded to include more players from the modern era. While I am a fan of all these legends, they do not make the final cut when determining the single best player of each era. Many of these icons played alongside other greats, such as the pairings of Jean Beliveau and Maurice Richard, Stan Mikita and Bobby Hull, Phil Esposito and Bobby Orr, and Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky. When deciding who is the best player of all time, one must consider which of the two teammates was truly the more dominant and accomplished performer.