Who Is The Best NHL Player Ever?
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There’s no easy answer to the question of who the best NHL player ever is. However, we can look at the greatest players in history and make a case for each one.
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky is considered by many to be the best player to ever step on the ice. He was a dominant force in the NHL for over 20 years. Gretzky is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer, with more goals and assists than any other player. He is also the only player to score more than 200 points in a season.
His stats
Wayne Gretzky is widely considered the greatest player in NHL history. During his 20-year career, he played for four teams: the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers. He is the NHL’s all-time leading scorer with 2,857 points (1,963 goals and 894 assists). He won four Stanley Cups with the Oilers and two more with the Kings.
His impact on the game
Wayne Gretzky is often credited with popularizing hockey in the United States. He became a national icon when he was traded from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1988. The move made him hockey’s first bona fide superstar in the non-traditional hockey market of Southern California. The trade is considered one of the most one-sided deals in sports history and had a profound impact on the game of hockey.
Mario Lemieux
Mario Lemieux is often considered the best NHL player ever. He was a dominant force in the league for many years, winning multiple Stanley Cups and scoring records. Lemieux was a big player at 6 feet 4 inches, and his playing style was unmatched. He could score goals, make plays, and was tough to stop.
His stats
In his 17-season career with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Mario Lemieux established himself as one of the greatest players in NHL history. He became the only player in league history to be named MVP in all three of his first three seasons, and he went on to win six league MVP awards total. He also led the Penguins to two Stanley Cup championships, captured the Calder Trophy as Rookie of the Year, and won an Olympic gold medal with Team Canada in 2002.
In addition to his numerous individual accolades, Lemieux is also recognized as one of the most talented playmakers of all time. He held the NHL record for most assists in a career until he was surpassed by Jaromir Jagr in 2015, and he still ranks fourth all-time in points per game.
His impact on the game
Mario Lemieux is widely regarded as one of the best NHL players ever. He was a gifted offensive player with a rare combination of size, skating ability, and puck skills. He also had a tremendous impact on the game, both on and off the ice.
Off the ice, Lemieux was a key figure in saving the Pittsburgh Penguins from bankruptcy in the early 1990s. He then led the team to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992.
Lemieux’s on-ice accomplishments are just as impressive. He is one of only two players in NHL history to score more than 200 points in a single season. He also holds the league record for most points per game, with 1.88. In total, Lemieux scored 1,723 points in 915 games, an average of 1.87 points per game.
Lemieux was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1997 and his jersey number (66) was retired by the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006.
Bobby Orr
When it comes to the best NHL player ever, there is only one name that comes to mind: Bobby Orr. Orr was an exceptional player who changed the way the game was played. He was a gifted offensive player and an outstanding defenseman. He is the only player to ever win the Stanley Cup, the Norris Trophy, and the Hart Trophy in the same season.
His stats
Bobby Orr is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time. He played for 12 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Boston Bruins, earning numerous awards and accolades.
Orr’s NHL career totals include 894 points (270 goals, 624 assists) in 657 games played, as well as 1,395 penalty minutes. He remains the only defenseman in NHL history to lead the league in scoring for two consecutive seasons (1969-70 and 1970-71), and he did so by sizable margins; his 139-point season in 1970-71 was 49 points more than any other player that year, and his 120-point season in 1969-70 was 31 points more than any other player. In 1975 he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and his jersey (#4) is retired by both the Bruins and the Chicago Blackhawks, with whom he briefly played before retiring due to knee problems.
His impact on the game
Bobby Orr is widely considered to be the best player in NHL history. He was an offensive powerhouse who changed the way the game was played. He is the only defenseman to have ever won the league MVP award three times and he led his team to two Stanley Cup championships. Orr’s impact on the game was so great that he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.