Top 10 NHL Hockey Best Players In The World

The game was changed forever by the greatest players in NHL history. They became transcendent figures in the sport, whether it was Bobby Orr showing that a defenseman can score, Wayne Gretzky ruling the league, or Gordie Howe playing in five different eras.

Who, then, is the greatest?

The majority of the players featured are from the past because more than half of the top 10 were mostly photographed in black and white during their professional careers. One current star managed to sneak onto the list, despite the fact that previous generations still rule.

Nicklas Lidstrom, Terry Sawchuk, Dominik Hasek, Jaromir Jagr, Martin Brodeur, Patrick Roy, and Doug Harvey are among the notable absences. And that is a formidable group of honorable mentions.

Top 10 NHL Hockey Players of All Time

• Gordie Howe
•  Wayne Gretzky
• Bobby Orr
• Mario Lemieux
•  Maurice Richard
• Jean Beliveau
• Mark Messier
• Guy Lafleur
•  Bobby Hull
•  Sidney Crosby

10. Sidney Crosby

READ ALSO » Top 10 Best NBA Best Players Of All Time 2023

Hockey historians probably found it difficult to deny Sid the key a spot in the top 10 after witnessing him win the Stanley Cup for the third time in his career.

The No. Crosby, the NHL's No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft, became a legend before turning 30. He has also won four Prince of Wales Trophies, three Ted Lindsay Awards, and each of the Conn Smythe, Art Ross, and Maurice Richard Trophies twice, in addition to the three Cup victories.

He has scored 411 goals and contributed 705 assists during the 2017-18 regular season. Crosby, who has five seasons with 100 points, should keep moving up the rankings before the end of his career.

9. Bobby Hull

Bobby Hull carved out a place in history thanks to his speed as a skater and shooter, even though his son Brett eventually put up more impressive numbers in the NHL. The Golden Jet is his nickname because of this combination.

In his 15 years with the Chicago Blackhawks, the left winger scored 604 goals and had five NHL seasons with 50 goals. After seven seasons with the Winnipeg Jets of the WHA, he eventually got to 610, which was second at the time and is now 17th.

Hull made 12 All-Star teams while playing in the NHL and won the Hart Memorial Trophy (MVP) from 1964 to 1965 and 1965 to 1966.

8. Guy Lafleur

Guy Lafleur achieved legendary levels of productivity and consistency.

READ ALSO » Top 8 Best NFL Players In The World 2023/2024

The right winger for the Montreal Canadiens scored at least 100 points every season from 1974-1975 to 1979-1980. Lafleur not only became the first player to reach 100 runs in six straight seasons, but he also hit at least 119 in each of those years.

Even though his time in Montreal came to an abrupt end, he is remembered for winning two MVP awards and five Stanley Cups with the team. Lafleur still ranks 27th in NHL history with 1,353 points.

7. Mark Messier

During his 26 years in the NHL, Messier played for the Edmonton Oilers for 12 seasons, the New York Rangers for two seasons, and the Vancouver Canucks for three years.

The Oilers were where the 15-time All-Star spent most of his career, winning five Stanley Cups and one MVP award. He helped the Rangers win a second championship in 1994, scoring crucial points in both the conference and Cup finals.

Messier has scored 1,887 points in his career, placing him third in NHL history. He has scored 100 points six times, including 107 in a second MVP season in New York.

6. Jean Beliveau

The Canadiens legend won a Stanley Cup in exactly half of the seasons he played, even when you include his five appearances in the 1950-51 and 1952-53 campaigns.

That is simply absurd.

Beliveau, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1972, won ten championships and twice led the league in goals. He is one of only 47 players in history to score 1,200 points in a career, totaling 1,219 points.

READ ALSO » Top 10 Best Chess Players In The World 2023

Beliveau made 13 All-Star teams, won the Hart Trophy twice, and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 1965.

5. Maurice Richard

Maurice "Rocket" Richard is the name of the award that is given to the league's top goal scorer at the end of each season. He was the first player in history to score 50 goals in a single season.

Richard did it in a 50-game 1944-45 season, winning 14 All-Star awards. Over the course of his 18-year Canadiens career, he won eight championships and became the first player to score 500 goals.

Richard set an all-time record with 544 markers when he retired. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1961 after scoring 965 points in 978 games.

4. Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux is one of the greatest goaltenders ever. He has scored four of the 17 most goals in a single season in the history of the league. Other than Wayne Gretzky, no other player has scored 69 goals in four games.

Prior to an injury-shortened 1990–1991 season, Lemieux recorded 199 points, the fifth-most of his storied Pittsburgh Penguins career. Despite a bout with cancer interrupting the peak of his career, he would eventually post four more years with 100 points.

He took his first retirement in 1997, but within a few years he had become the majority owner of the bankrupt franchise. Lemieux played five more seasons after returning to the ice in 2000.

The legendary player from Pittsburgh had 1,723 points, three Hart Trophies, two Stanley Cups, and was on nine All-Star teams.

3. Bobby Orr

Bobby Orr was the first notable offensive defenseman. His leaping celebration in the 1970 Stanley Cup Final made him famous.

He became the first defenseman to lead the league in points (120) from 1969 to 1970. The following season, Orr returned to the No. 1 spot after finishing second with a career-high 139. 1 spot in 1974-75 with 135

However, Orr's greatness extends beyond his offensive contributions; as the league's best defenseman, he won eight Norris Trophies in a row.

Orr's career was cut short by injuries, but in just 657 games, he scored 270 goals, 645 assists, and 915 points—all of which were records for his position at the time.

2. Wayne Gretzky

The greatest scorer of all time is Wayne Gretzky The Great One, and it's not even close.

Consider the following for a straightforward explanation of Wayne Gretzky's dominance: Over his 21 years, he gave out 1,963 assists. There is currently no player in history who has more goals and assists than he has, and you can add 894 more goals to that total.

Only Mario Lemieux has ever scored 160 points in a season, and he has done so four times. Gretzky did it nine times, breaking 200 four times and reaching a maximum of 215

Gretzky, who won the Stanley Cup four times, received nine Hart Trophies, ten Art Ross Trophies, and 18 All-Star nods. In both the regular season and playoffs, he holds numerous career records, most notably for points, goals, and assists.

1. Gordie Howe

Gordie Howe In 1946, the Detroit Red Wings were Gordie Howe's first NHL team. The right winger played his final game in 1980 after 32 professional seasons and even skating with his sons Marty and Mark.

Mr. Hockey played in Detroit for 25 years and won four Stanley Cups, six scoring titles, and six league MVP awards. He came up with the "Gordie Howe Hat Trick," which involves scoring a goal, getting an assist, and fighting in a single game.

Howe, who also played six seasons in the WHA, scored 41 points for the Hartford Whalers at the end of his career. Otherwise, Detroit was the location of 1,809 of his 1,850 NHL points.

Nobody has played in more NHL games (1,767) than he has, and his record of 22 seasons with 20 goals in the NHL is unmatched. It's likely that those marks will last for a long time.