So I'll be picking 4 RW's, 4 C's, 4 LW's, 6 D's and 3 Goalies. Of course, I could load up on skilled Centermen and fill the line up with those, but I'm going to stay by the book and pick players for their natural position. The players are for all time, not just now obviously (although, that would be an interesting post later on). Without getting too into details, lets start with my Left Wingers:
Luc Robitaille - Nearly went point-per-game through a career spanning over 1400 games. Probably one of the best shooters to play the game.
Bobby Hull - Hull was better than point-per-game through his entire career, and was a powerful player to play against. He was only behind Robitaille by 58 goals in all-time LW scoring, and played almost 400 games less.
John Bucyk - Bucyk was one of the elite playmakers in the game through the 60's and 70's, tallying more assists than any other Left Winger. If he was paired up with a line of elite goal scorers, the line would be unstoppable.
Alex Ovechkin - So here's where I go off the board a little. He's not a legend by any means, yet anyways. But his goal-scoring talent is surpassed by no-one in the league right now, and could really be effective if paired with a great playmaker, and another star to defend against. I'm keeping his as LW, because thats where he naturally plays, and there are more great RW's to pick from.
Now I'll pick my Centers:
Wayne Gretzky - Well duh. Gretzky has more assists than anyone has points, and he has a boatload of goals to add to it. Yes, he was on a stacked team for many of those points, but no one can argue his place in the record books, he had the best hands, best hockey smarts, and best vision out of anyone who's put on a pair of skates.
Mario Lemieux - Even though he played almost 800 games less, he's only behind 2nd leading point scorer Mark Messier by 164 points. He has the 2nd highest point-per-game average in history, and had his career not been marred by cancer and injury, he could have been the one to catch Gretzky.
Joe Sakic - It was between Sakic and Yzerman for this spot, as they had really similar p-p-g totals, and fairly similar careers. In the end, I chose Sakic because, for the most part, Yzerman was on a better lineup than Sakic was, yet they both delivered the same amount. Plus Sakic's wrist shot is one of the best in the game. Really hard to pick one or the other though.
Mark Messier - Its hard to argue with a player who was the most natural leader the game has ever seen. On this line up, he'd be more of a goon player, protecting the smaller skilled players. But he's also 2nd in Centerman points. He certainly belongs in this lineup.
Now for the Right Wingers:
Gordie Howe - Like Gretzky, this required no thought. His longevity is that of legend itself, nevermind that he went over p-p-g during his long career, and is still one of the faces of hockey today. This was a no brainer.
Maurice Richard - A player who rivalled Howe for most of his career, he was a huge reason for Montreal's dynasty years through the 50's. He didn't have the longevity as many other players have had, and his stats are just slightly better than Martin St. Louis' career stats are up to this point, but he was an electrifying goal scorer who could probably teach Ovie a thing or two.
Teemu Selanne - Another electrifying player I'd want on my team is one that is still currently playing... maybe (hasn't made his decision yet for next season). Even at his age, he continues to be a strong presence for the Ducks, and his hockey IQ and speed would be matched by few on this roster.
Jaromir Jagr - Anyone who knows me will know that I've never been a huge fan of Jagr. However, his skill, longevity, and adaptability in any lineup are too good to pass up. He's 2nd in points for RW's, behind only Mr. Hockey himself. The fact that he is still playing at his age, and being as sought after as he was during the trade deadline and off-season is a testament to his skill.
Here's my 6 Defencemen:
Ray Bourque - He is the highest scorer and point-getter of all defencemen, had a long career, and was a great leader to Boston and eventually Colorado. He played the game with heart, and wasn't a liability in the penalty box.
Paul Coffey - Better than p-p-g during his career, and is very close to Bourque's goal and point records despite playing 200 less games. Any blueline was dangerous when he was on it.
Bobby Orr - He invented the offensive defenceman role, and changed the way the game was played. While he didn't have a long career, there's no questioning his importance to hockey, and his place on this "all-star" team of all time.
Nicklas Lidstrom - He was one of the smartest, most dependable defencemen in history, being a staple on Detroit's blueline for 20 years. He was rarely in the penalty box, and was one of the best defensive defencemen to play the game, while still being an offensive force.
Scott Stevens - Keeping your head up was essential when you shared the same ice as Scott Stevens. He was a punishing, physical force, and had a long career of doing what he does best: knocking people out. Aside from that, he also put up some decent numbers, and was a great leader to the New Jersey Devils.
Al MacInnis - Despite being 3rd in points by a defenceman, he is often overlooked on many "best-of" lists. He was a big, physical player who was a perfect complement to a young Chris Pronger in St. Louis, and was also a huge part of the Calgary Flames' Stanley Cup win in 1989. He had a legendary slap-shot, preferring to use wooden sticks instead of switching to the new technologies of composite sticks.
Last but not least, my 3 goalies:
Dominic Hasek - Although the term gets used quite often, there were only 2 goalies who you could really depend on "stealing a win" for their entire career: Hasek, and Patrick Roy. I'd say, purely on skill, Hasek is the best goalie of all time. His acrobatics and unorthodox style of play fooled many players, and his longevity as a goaltender is something unsurmountable to this day.
Patrick Roy - As mentioned above, Patrick Roy could steal a game when his team needed it, and could so from his young years as a rookie in Montreal, to being the veteran in Colorado. He survived under the harsh spotlight of Montreal, winning 2 cups as a young goalie, often Carey-ing the team on his back. Wait...I meant carrying...not trying to compare a certain current goalie for Montreal. Anyways, he was a big, skilled goaltender that could backstop any team and make everyone around him look good, and himself even better. He thrived under the pressures of the game that cause most goalies to crack at some point.
Jacques Plante - What, no Brodeur? Although he is the winningest goalie in league history, he had the help of some staunchly defensive teams through the years. I'm not knocking his skill, but I feel it would be a crime if Plante wasn't on here. Plante is the only goalie other than Hasek to be named MVP of the league. He was the backstop of the Canadiens' Cup dynasty of the 50's, and moulded the goaltending position from how it was played pre-50's to how it is played today. He was one of the quickest goaltenders in history, and certainly the most influential.
So to put everything together, here is my lineup of my all-time Legendaries team:
Ovechkin-Gretzky-Richard
Hull-Lemiux-Jagr
Robitaille-Messier-Howe
Bucyk-Sakic-Selanne
Orr-Bourque
Coffey-Lidstrom
Stevens-MacInnis
Hasek/Roy/Plante
Now, I'm not saying Ovie is the best LW and Richard the best RW, this lineup is based on chemistry and playing style. Ovechkin and Richard, two powerful goalscorers, would be at their most powerful paired up with the best playmaker in the game. Jagr and Lemiux are reunited, and paired with Bobby Hull. Messier and Howe will be the playmakers and protectors of Robitaille, who isn't as physical but a definitive goal scorer. Bucyk's playmaking ability is teamed up with Sakic and Selanne's sniping abilities.
Orr and Bourque are united. Coffey and Lidstrom match up well as one would be offensive, and one would stay back more, but both capable of filling each others' roles. Stevens and MacInnis are the shut-down pair of the lineup.
It would really be hard for me to pick a starter out of the 3 goalies above. Against a team that is full of long-range snipers, Roy would fill the net better and be the best choice. Against a team that likes to play down low and close to the net, Hasek's athletics and flexibility would be better suited. Against power, goalscoring defenceman, Plante's quickness would prevail.
So there is my dream lineup in a nutshell. If you have any suggestions, or substitutions, or lineups of your own, feel free to comment. Thanks for reading.
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