A Couple of my Highlights from College and Juniors

The “Can’tNucks”

Dear Canucks,

I have loved you since the day we met back in 1987, when I first donned the black, red, yellow, and white jersey as a young buck.  I have stayed loyal and patient as you have trounced all over my heart for the last 22 years.  Sure, there have been some great moments in our adventure together:  the ‘94 run, a few division titles, Pavel Bure, Trevor Linden, and umm… yup thats about it.  But, no matter how good those times were, you have always found a way to inflict piercing pain in, and around, my ticker. 

TL was great.  A huge part of your personality, maybe the best part of you, but then you sold your soul and left him on an island and me in tears.  Bure brought so much excitement to our relationship.  Just absolute buckets of flash and flare, until you cheated him and stole from him so that he had no choice but to leave us.  The division titles were always nice to celebrate at the end of the regular seasons.  Then playoffs rolled around and you would rip out of town for summer vacation faster than an underpaid 8th grade teacher.  Finally, I will never forget the ‘94 run, despite the fact that it ended with me in a coma of self-pity and sadness.  What a great ride; a bit of a tease, but we still had as much fun as an unfixed dog has with a human leg.  We need a spark like that again, something to make me excited about “us”. 

Life with you has become a little monotonous.  Year in and year out, you treat me to a few nice divisional dinners and maybe a bottle of red-light wine, but it always ends with me sleeping on the can’t-win-couch.  I’m going to need more from you.  Don’t be afraid to throw in a Western Conference Championship movie on friday nights, or the odd Stanley Cup of tea on Sunday mornings to shake things up a bit.  There is no doubt it would make things far more enjoyable for both of us.

This year ended just like the rest, in disappointment.  Yes, the Hawks are a great team of young guys, but maybe let Bobby Lou know that the “C” on his mask doesn’t stand for “Choke”.  Or, tell Ohlund that it’s okay to block the odd shot, especially if he still wants that big salary next year.  Ask Vigneault why he thought a transition game with a much more skilled team was his best chance in an elimination game.  Tell the Sedins that a little production earlier in the series couldn’t have hurt our chances.  And, maybe kindly ask Pyatt if he would mind just being friends.  The year was a rollercoaster to say the least, ending with the cart falling off the tracks.

But, you know you will always be a big part of my life.  It would just be nice to have a few more things to celebrate with you.  I hope we can do that cup of tea soon.

Sincerely,

Heartbroken

Hockey Dictionary – The Lingo: In Layman’s Terms

Nags pointed out to me that some of the people who read my blog might not be as obsessed with hockey as the rest of us, therefore not understanding a lot of the ‘hockey lingo’ I may use.  So I’ve decided to clear up any questions about some of the terms that only die hard hockey players and fans would know.  Here is my best effort to describe what these words mean in the world of hockey.  My hockey dictionary:

3-on-3 – A game that the players will play after many of the practices.  There are different ways to play, but on the Broncos we play with one goalie and on a change of possession the team must take the puck outside the blueline before they can attack to score.

Apple - A term used to replace the word ‘assist’.  EX: “That was a sick apple on Soupie’s goal.”

Bad Dental – If you have bad dental, it means you have some pretty messed up teeth.  Sometimes guys will have large gaps in their teeth, and that is called “Summer Teeth.”  This is because “Some are here, and some are there.”

Bag Skate (Bagger) – After a sub-par weekend performance, Monday’s practice could involve a series of skating drills, without pucks, that leave the players sucking some serious wind.  The culmination of these treacherous drills is what is referred to as the bag skate.

Bar Down – A great shot that: beats the goalie, hits the bottom part of the cross-bar, makes a ‘ting’, and goes in the net.  EX: “PJ went bar down with an absolute bomb from the blueline.”

Beak – When you make fun of another player verbally.  EX: “I beaked that guy pretty hard, so he gave me the lumber.”

Beauty – This term is usually used to describe a guy on the team who is well liked by his teammates.  Generally, this term is dished out to the guys who go out of their way to give the guys a good laugh by doing something ridiculous.  EX: “Did you see what Watty just did?  That kid is such a beauty.”

Bender – A term used to describe a terrible hockey player.  It originated because it compares the player to the kids who are just learning to skate with ankles that bend in so much they look like they may snap.

Celly – Short for ‘celebration’.  It’s what a hockey player does after he scores a goal.  EX: “Did you see Ovechkin’s celly on his 2nd goal last night?”

Chirp – see Beak.

Chizzle – A situation that happens a lot more in junior hockey, when one player gets credit for an assist that they didn’t actually earn.  Usually, this happens because the player yells his own number out to the ref after a goal so that he gets the assist.  EX: “Wow, Ludsy had the biggest chizzle on that 3rd goal.”

Dangle - This is when the puck carrier makes a move on the defender and successfully gets around him.  Usually the move looks smooth, and leaves the defender looking borderline lost on the ice.  EX: “Datsyuk just undressed that guy with such a sick dangle.”  Sometimes the dangle will look kind of sloppy, even though it works out, and this can be called a “greasy dangle.”

Duster – Similar to a Bender, but refers to a brutal hockey player that sits on the bench and just collects dust.  This player sees very limited ice time.

Finish – The ability of a player to put the puck in the net.  If a player has good finish, he scores on the majority of his opportunities around the net.

Flow – Refers to long hair on a hockey player.  EX: “How dirty was Nags’ flow last year?”

Gino – Another word for ‘goal’.  EX: “Wally sure lit him up for a few gino’s tonight.”

Grinder – Type of player that isn’t known for scoring goals or setting up plays.  This player is very physical and tough.  He will not try to dangle anyone or make high risk plays, but just keep his game simple and try to throw as many body checks as he can.

Grocery Stick – Another term that describes a player who doesn’t get any ice time.  The term refers to the fact that this player just sits on the bench for the majority of the game and separates the forwards from the defensemen.

Hattrick (Hatty) - When a player scores 3 goals in one game.

Heart – This word is used to describe a player’s character as a hockey player.  If a player has a lot of heart, that means he will do anything to help the team win and usually could care less about his own personal success. 

Light up – When a player is having a great game or great stretch of games, he is said to be “lighting it up.”  This is referring to the fact that the scoreboard is being lit up because of how many goals he is scoring or helping set up.

Light the Lamp – This just means: score a goal.  It refers to the red light that gets turned on when a goal is scored.  EX: “Hossa lights the lamp with a bomb of a shot!”

Mits – This is talking about a player’s skill with his hands.  If a player is able to control the puck with a lot of skilled maneuvers then he has some ‘good mits’. 

Onetimer (or One-Tee) – A type of shot where the player shoots right as he receives the puck on a pass or rebound.  He does not handle the puck at all, but simply just shoots the instant the puck gets to him.  It is much tougher to be accurate with this type of shot, but it usually doesn’t allow the goalie to get into good position to make the save.

Poise – Generally refers to the amount of patience and quality of play that a player makes with the puck when he is under pressure. 

Sauce – A type of pass where the puck is rolled off the blade of the stick into the air, and fly’s flat, then lands flat on the ice, and ends up on the stick of the intended teammate.  EX: “How sick was that sauce that Squires threw to Gally?”

Sick – This one took my parents a long time to figure out, but it means somewhat of the opposite of what most people would think.  This is a term that hockey players use to describe something they either: like, think is cool, or think is unbelievable.  EX: “Frank’s hit on Sportscenter was so sick!”

Snipe – A shot that beats the goalie and usually goes either bar down, or post and in.  EX: “Wow, Bure’s goal was such a snipe!”

Sniper - This is a style of player that is known for his shot being both hard, and very accurate.  A sniper will be someone that puts the puck in the net (what seems like) every time he gets a good chance. 

Style - The type of gear, and the way a player wears his gear will determine how good of style he has on the ice.  EX: “Tongues out on the skates = GOOD STYLE…  Sleeves pulled up to elbow pads = GOOD STYLE…  Socks pulled down over the heel of the skate = BAD STYLE…  Jofa helmet = BAD STYLE”

The Show – Plain and simple it means: The NHL.  EX: “Chewy played his first game in the show last night!”

Toe-drag – This is a puckhandling skill that is very deceptive to defend against.  It is where a player uses the toe of his blade to pull the puck in close to his body.  If it is pulled off smooth, it is pretty fun to watch.

Top Cheese – Refers to a shot that goes just beneath the crossbar and hits the top part of the net (sometimes knocking the goalie’s water bottle off the net).  EX:Did you see Malkin go top cheese with that slapshot last night?”

Turning the Red Light On – A somewhat fancy way of saying: “scoring a goal.”

Twine – Another word for the netting on a hockey net.  EX: “Burrows had no problem finding the twine on his shot from the high slot.”

Wheels – This term is used in a wide variety of ways.  It can refer to a player’s speed on the ice describing how fast he can skate.  EX: “Man, Gaborik has unbelievable wheels!”  Or, it could be used to describe how well someone negotiates deals.  EX: “Freddy really wheeled us those tickets for the PGA Championship.”  It could also be used to describe how well a guy picks up girls.  EX: “I don’t know why he does it, but he always seems to wheel the beasts.”

Some more hilarious Beer Commercials…

How someone could not appreciate these commercials would be beyond me…

Bronco Hockey 2009-10: a little preview from the Inside

Now that I am a graduating senior from the Western Michigan Broncos hockey team, I thought it would be a good idea to give all the Bronco hockey fans a little inside perspective on what to look for from the returning players next year.  Maybe some of the boys will read this and find out what I thought about them as hockey players.  I didn’t get a chance to include everyone in my senior speech at the year end banquet, even though I wanted to say something about everyone.  So here is my chance to make up for that.  Additionally, I truly enjoy the inside perspectives about different athletes and I really feel that is something that hockey doesn’t do a good enough job with: promoting the game from the inside out.  So here is my take on what to expect from this group in college hockey next season.

#1 Matt ‘Freddy’ Federico – He’s an underrated goalie who improves everyday because of his dedication and love of the game.  I give him the nod for best goalie style on the Broncos hands down (sorry Jerr and Giller).  Also, Freddy is on record for the best post practice 3-0n-3  save I have ever seen.  I would try to describe the save but it won’t do him any justice.  It’s a tough break being in his situation because of how much Gill and Kuhn have proven themselves as top end CCHA goalies, but given the opportunity (which is all you can ask for men), I think he could turn some heads.

#3 Mike ‘Chunk’ Levendusky – The winner of the CCHA’s best nickname, Mike will be working extra hard this off-season to rid himself of that honor (just kidding Lev).  On a serious note, Levy has always been a great defenseman, and this year he was finally given a chance to show it.  He definitely ran with it.  He hasn’t had too many chances to show off his snapshot yet, but let me tell you it’s stupid hard, and man he can pick corners.  I’ve seen it many times in practice.  Look for him to be a top 4 defenseman next year and continue to become more poised with the puck.

#4 ‘DJ’ PJ Kavaya – Aside from his ability to run the stereo and know the words to every song ever, the guy is an offensively gifted d-man.  He wasn’t blessed with much of an opportunity to play this year, but he’s an offensive, skilled defenseman with a One-Tee that goes bar down more often than not.  We would take onetimers together before every practice and I’ve seen it hundreds of times.  I hope he gets the chance to show it off to the Bronco faithful next season.

#5 Jordan ‘Norm’ Collins – Yes, he does look strikingly similar to Norm MacDonald, hence the nickname which is basically his real name now.  Off the ice, one of the nicest guys you’ll meet.  On the ice, he could potentially eat you.  He plays tough and mean, especially down low, and I would know having played junior hockey against him in BC.  Hated playing him.  Norm will come into the season as the biggest and strongest Bronco, barring no heroic summer efforts from some weight room phenom.  He should play a big role in key defensive situations next year and don’t be surpised to see some offensive flare in 4 on 4 play with his deceptive speed.  Anyone remember him splitting the D for a breakaway game winner late in the season?

#6 Kevin ‘Nauter’ Connauton – The guy has wheels.  Like when he wheeled up the ice and absolutely undressed Michigan’s Tristan Llewellyn to set up Gally for his final goal as a Bronco.  Or, when he wheeled into the zone and banged in the double OT winner against Lake State.  He just flat out, gets things done.  What’s so amazing about this?  Oh right, he’s a ‘90.  Projected to go in the middle stages of the NHL entry draft in June, don’t be surprised to see some big offensive contributions from him this coming season.  Great hands, a quick shot, and good offensive instincts might have him booking a ticket to the show before his four years are up.  Enjoy watching him while you have the chance.

#8 Max ‘Soupie’ Campbell – Arguably has the best finish around the net out of anyone I have ever played with.  Anytime he has a scoring chance inside 30 feet in front of the net, expect him to find the twine.  His release and accuracy are definitely NHL caliber.  If he makes the same kind of gains in his skating and physical play that he made over the last off-season, don’t be surprised to see him up with the CCHA’s leading scorers.

#10 JJ ‘Little Suze’ Crew – After a slow start to the season, JJ came into his own in the second half.  The fleet-footed winger uses his flashy speed and quickness to create opportunities for himself and his linemates on a regular basis.  Although his shot probably wouldn’t break through a wet paper bag, he seems to finds sneaky ways to turn the red light on.  Great chemistry with his linemates (Nags or Katz, and O’Kane) really makes the line a dangerous threat everytime they are on the ice.  Look for this to be a top two line for the Broncos for most of next season.

#11 Adam ‘Flinker (LB)’ Flink – Not known for his ability to light up practices, Flinker is an absolute gamer.  He is a hard nosed winger that brings it every shift of every game.  Unfortunately, that only amounted to 9 games with maybe 20 shifts on the season (thanks for the opportunity).  It would be nice to see this guy get a chance because I think its glaringly obvious that he can flat out play.  On top of his gritty work  in the corners and along the boards, he is opportunistic with his scoring chances and seems to find ways to get lots of them considering his limited ice time.  He scored a beauty 2-on-1 goal early in the year against Nebraska-Omaha, and I would love to see more of that next year.  Give him a chance.

#12 Ryan ‘Little Watty’ Watson – The 7th round draft pick of the Florida Panthers a couple years ago, Ryan brings a lot of passion and energy to the rink everyday.  He’s fast and strong overtop of the puck which makes him effective in the corners.  Seeing the majority of his ice time on the 3rd and 4th lines last season as well as the penalty kill, he was looked to as more of an energy player.  I would expect coming into his junior season he will be looking to play a much more offensive role for the Broncos.  A good, hard shot to go along with his speed should help him put up more numbers next season.  He will probably be sporting the number 15 next season.

#14 Ian ‘Big Tuna’ Slater – A power forward that can really throw his weight around, was exceptional on the penalty kill for the Broncos this past season scoring 2 shorthanded beauties.  His fast and powerful skating ability make him an intimidating force to play against and also help generate him some great scoring chances.   Slats’ tireless work ethic and commitment to the team will likely land him a captain’s letter in the coming seasons. 

#18 Travis ‘The Creatch’ Paeth – Trav has been blessed with many things in his life: a shot like a damn rocket, hair like a flaming inferno, and a list of nicknames longer than the encyclopedia.  His snap shot is easily the hardest on the team and arguably the hardest in the CCHA.  If he can find ways to get the cannon off from more critical scoring areas, he will score a boatload of goals next season.  It’s easy to see that he can flat out score when given the opportunity, he just needs to get more chances.  Let me tell you, it is truly fun to watch him shoot.

 

#19 Cam ‘Shaft’ Watson – His tireless work ethic and passion for the game and the team have earned him an Assistant Captain’s role for the remainder of his career at Western.  Cam finished the year on a line with Clacker and Slater, and they played countless minutes shutting down the opposition’s top offensive units.  I wouldn’t be surprised if this line stayed together to start next year as they were very effective in their role.  Cam can also score goals, as he put up 10 in his sophomore season.  He will log a lot of minutes next season and contribute in key situations at both ends of the rink.

#20 Patrick ‘Nags’ Nagorsen – Smooth hands, great vision, and he passes the puck with surgeon-like precision.  Couple all that with how smart of a hockey player he is, and yes, that makes him a handful to play against.  Put him and I together and you have the best tandem in the world (okay maybe not quite as good as Crosby-Malkin).  Give this guy a chance to play with someone who can finish though (ie: Soupie or The Big Dawg), and I’d throw a couple Benjamins on them putting up some serious numbers for the Broncos.  Oh yeah, did I mention that he’s not afraid to dangle NHL first rounders?  For those of you who haven’t seen his Sportscenter Top 10 goal yet, here it is. 

#21 Tyler ‘Ludsy’ Ludwig – Son of Craig, Craig Ludwig.  Yup, he was the defenseman for the Dallas Stars during the 90’s with the legendary massive shinpads.  Ludsy has significantly decreased the size of his Dad’s shadow after his performance this past season.  Bronco Hockey defenseman of the year, 4th in CCHA d-man scoring, and a +8 rating in the CCHA regular season have made Tyler one of the premiere defensemen in the conference.  He has just a stupid amount of patience and poise with the puck which allowed him to QB the Bronco PP to second best in the CCHA last season.  I really think Ludsy is going to top that performance next year and take his game to the next level so that he can sign an NHL/AHL deal after his senior season.

#23 Jared ‘Katzy’ Katz – What he lacks in size he makes up for in his quickness and his heart.  He is often called a waterbug by the boys because of how quickly he bounces around the ice.  Fearless and skilled, Katzy brings a lot more to the table than just his 5′7″ frame.  He moved from the wing, to center the Bronco’s second line for the second half of the season after Nags was injured, and they had nothing but success.  I love the way he plays the game and I think he will be a key offensive contributor for the Broncos next season.  He will sport a different look next season, wearing number 12 on the back of his jersey.

#24 Kyle ‘The Big Dawg’ O’Kane – Self-proclaiming himself ‘The Big Dawg’, make sure to listen for the entire Bronco bench to be barking like dogs after each one of the 20 goals I predict he will score next year.  His off-the-charts hockey IQ and incredible nose for the net make him a serious threat everytime he’s in the offensive zone.  Despite the fact he only weighs 170lbs soaking wet, he is an absolute rock on his skates and very tough to knock off the puck.  After an upcoming off-season of  bringing his foot speed to the next level, expect O’Kane to be a force on the ice, and contend for the team goal scoring lead.

#25 Derek ‘Deke’ Roehl – An absolutely gifted goal scorer and puckhandler, Roehlsy is extremely slippery with the puck.  He has the ability to make defensemen dizzy with his large repertoire of dangles and finish them off by lighting the lamp.  If he works hard to improve his skating this summer he could be an extremely dangerous scorer on a nightly basis for the Broncos next season.  Expect Derek to enjoy his sophomore year a lot, and he will do it under a new jersey number: 22.

#26 Greg ‘Squeaks’ Squires – Easily the shiftiest and most agile Bronco on the ice, Greg creates so much time and space for himself with his tight turns and lateral mobility.  He also has an unbelievable set of mits that allow him to do basically anything he wants with the puck.  Add that to his incredible vision and you can see why he created so much offense for the Broncos last season.  Riding his confidence from last season I would expect him to put up an extra 8-10 points next season and probably contend for the team lead.  His creativity in the offensive zone makes him a lot of fun to watch.

#27 Chris ‘Dusty Dinkleman’ Clackson – A big, strong centerman who is known for his skills in the face-off circle, brings his physical presence to the rink game in and game out.  Don’t be surprised to see a number of unnecessary backhand toe-drags from the KOHA Grinder of the Year.  He is at his best when he plays simple, wins battles in the corners, and plants his big frame infront of the oppositions net to create a lot of traffic.  Coming into his senior year, expect Clacker to have a big season contributing at both ends of the rink.  Also, look for him to be wearing my number (16) next year, he must really look up to me.

#30 Riley ‘Giller’ Gill – Tough to say anything negative about a guy who single handedly won the Broncos half a dozen or more games last year, breaking a few Bronco Hockey records along the way.  There is one word that really describes Giller in a couple different ways, and that word is BIG.  Big in stature and good positioning make him look extra big to the shooters.  The other reason he is big is because he is a big game player,  at his best when all the chips are on the line.  Riley will likely start the majority of the games next year and the Bronco faithful can rest assured that he will keep the door shut to the opposing shooters night in and night out.

#35 Jerry ‘Kuhn Dawg’ Kuhn – Jerr is an extremely talented goalie and the situation for the team couldn’t be better than to have such top-end goaltending.  He is a very quick goalie post-to-post and is great on breakaways and in shootouts.  Kuhn plays a flashier style than Gill, and is just as competitive in nature.  He just happened to find a bad situation here with having Giller playing so well, it doesn’t give him much of an opportunity.  The good news for Jerr is that he will likely become the starter for his senior season and the fans can expect him to make the big saves and give the team a chance to win every single game.  Don’t be surprised if he steals a bunch of games himself.  I know Jerr will have no problem enjoying his senior year!

 

To the Lawson Lunatics and all Bronco hockey fans:

 

It has been a pleasure to play for the Broncos the last four years especially because of the environment you guys create at the games.  The atmosphere in the big games is absolutely electric in the building and makes the building a lot of fun to play in.  We have easily the best student section in the CCHA.  When the microphone didn’t work for the National Anthem against Michigan State and the student section belted it out instead, that really made the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up.  Just an unbelievable moment.  I really feel that next season will bring a team that is exciting to watch and will win its fair share of games. 

Now that ‘Frank the Tank’ is gone, the student section will need a new fan favorite to have a chant for.  My vote is to have the entire student section barking like dogs (joining the players on the bench in this) everytime O’Kane finds the back of the net.  LET THE BIG DAWG EAT.  Just a thought.

To finish this baby off, I’d just like to wish the team the best of luck next year and I hope everyone is excited for next season.  GO BRONCOS!

The Best Beer Commercials You’ve Seen (if your from Canada)

I’m sure anyone that loves hockey will be able to relate to these commercials.  Just shows you how sweet TV in Canada is… hockey is actually covered.

Who’s the BEST to ever play the game?

It is always obvious to look to statistics first when asked this question.  People always say, “Gretzky is the best because he holds nearly every scoring record possible.”  Other people argue, “Lemieux is the best to play the game, he just had too much injury trouble and could rarely practice because of it.”  And yes, there are very strong arguments for both of these guys over the rest.  But, they did also play the game in an era where the goalies moved post-to-post about as fast as a white guy in the 100m finals, and looked about as big as a garden gnome in the net.  Goals were definitely not as hard to come by during this period, but maybe that was due to the innovations that those two brought to the game.  Gretzky setting up in his office behind the net and his sense to curl away from traffic to open up the ice.  As well as, Lemieux’s incredible skill set and scorers touch that was unmatched in his time.  This generation of top offensive players is extremely tough to argue against.

However, the main problem with statistics in hockey is that the game has evolved so much over the different generations that it is tough to compare players from the different eras in the NHL.  Each era of rule changes and team systems has created such wide variations in the statistics of the game’s top stars from generation to generation.  Not to mention the extreme upgrade in the goaltending department.  And why is it so rare that a goaltender ever gets brought into the conversation of best ever?  These guys have the potential to decide the fate of any given game.  Guys like Patrick Roy, Ken Dryden, Terry Sawchuk, and Martin Brodeur definitely deserve some sort of recognition.  Also, what about D-men?  They are rarely brought up in any conversation I’ve had about the top NHLer of all-time.  Bobby Orr averaged 1.39 points per game as a defenseman in an era that had no one produce the kind of points that the top scorers of the 80’s put up.  Granted he only played the better part of ten seasons in the NHL, he still owns two league scoring titles (again, as a defenseman) and three Hart trophies as the league’s most valuable player.  Maybe the forwards are given too much credit for their efforts, or maybe the rest of the players are just overlooked because of statistics.

 

There is another way to compare the top players from each era and it is just to watch the way they dominate and control the flow of a game.  This is also tough to compare because each player has his own style of controlling the game.  Ovechkin (in today’s game) dominates with his size, strength, speed, and skill to push the pace of the game to a level most of the NHL just can’t even keep up with.  Physically, I don’t believe there is anyone who has dominated the game as much as Oveckin has.  But, so far statistically he is nowhere even close to touching what Gretter has done to hockey.  Gretzky dominated with his mind and playmaking ability.  He thought the game so much quicker than anyone else in his era.  He did not have the physical presence that Ovi has but found ways around that to win scoring titles by absolute landslides.  There are some other guys that deserve honorable mention.  Pavel Bure sticks out as possibly the most electrifying player to play the game during his rather abbreviated career.  He used his anticipation and explosive quickness combined with his great hands and unbelievable finish to dazzle sold out crowds everywhere he played.  Although his career was shortlived in comparison to the likes of Gretzky and Lemieux, he still brought a certain flare and excitement to the game that hasn’t really been seen until Ovechkin showed up.  Guy Lafleur, Rocket Richard, and Gordie Howe all brought their own unique styles to the game and were very successful in their careers.  In today’s game I think that Malkin and Crosby cannot be left out of the conversation because of the way they have kept pace with what Ovechkin has done.  All of these young guns have brought so much excitement and passion to the game.

This is the other area that needs to be considered when talking about the best to ever play: most exciting player to watch.  Who is the guy that has brought the fans out of their seats consistently with exciting moments?  Right now, in the last five to ten years, that has to go to Ovechkin.  The guy enjoys scoring goals maybe as much as Tiger Woods enjoys winning golf tournaments.  On top of the spectacular plays, the fans just love to watch the guy celebrate his goals.  And maybe this is an important factor that needs to be included in the argument of whos the best to ever play the game. 

I will admit that it is hard for me to compare guys from before the 70’s with the greats I have talked about.  This is because there is very limited footage of the players before that era and it is just not as well documented.  The only thing you can really compare is the statistics and those don’t exactly bode well for guys in the early NHL.  Again, it is tough to compare statistics from different generations or eras though because of how the game has evolved.  It is obvious though that the players are getting more and more skilled as the years go by.  There are twelve year old kids coming up with moves that Gretzky or Lemieux hadn’t even dreamed of in their hayday.  That being said, maybe there is more skill involved in the game today, but maybe that was all started because of the Great One.

I am a traditionalist as far as choosing the best ever, and I strongly believe that Gretzky dominated and innovated the game more than any player ever has.  He has changed the way the game is played far more than any player that has ever played before or after him.  There is no doubt that Lemieux and Orr have had unbelievable careers as well, but I feel that being an ironman is part of being the best in your sport as well.  The ability to stay healthy for all those years and contribute the points year after year, even at an old age late in his career is what separates Gretzky from the other two.  Maybe Ovechkin will do enough throughout his career to prove that he is the greatest, but I feel that is still yet to be seen.  Scoring records aside, it will take someone to hold as many individual and team trophies as The Great One did to prove that they belong in the same conversation.  His trophy case is not even close to being compared to by any hockey player in the history of the game.  For me this is an obvious choice, Wayne Gretzky is far and away the best to ever play.  Period.