Who was the best pure shooter ever in the NHL???

Question

I definitly have seen Mike Bossy enough to feel he is the best I have ever seen. Obviously Habitant will say Maurice Richard so we can save that opinion. :) ( he may surprise us) BUt seriously. He unleashed the sickest slap shot from the top of the right circle and even though the goalies knew it was coming, they couldnt stop it. It really was amazing. Others I have in mind may be Brett Hull. I started watching hockey in 76 so any one before hand I wouldnt know. Does anyone have a utube compilation of Bossy goals??? If so please attach to a response I would just like to see if it was often as I think that he unleashed that shot from the same spot.

Dont confuse shot speed with deadly accuracy. There are plenty of guys who clock at over 100 mph and cant hit the friggin net. I guess shooting percentage is a better stat is what I am trying to say than the speed of the shot.

Answer 1

Brett Hull. He learned from his dad, who had a friggin hard and accurate shot, which made his better. All this guy really ever did to get points was put the puck in the net. You can't argue much with stats like having a 70 goal season and an 86 goal season back-to-back like he once did. Nowadays, the honour has to go to guys like Alexander Ovechkin, Vincent Lecavalier, Ilya Kovalchuk, Dany Heatley, Marian Hossa, Teemu Selanne, etc. You can throw Joe Sakic's name into the all-time category as well, with a wrist shot that is harder than some guys slap shots, and deadly accurate. But I would have to say, definitively speaking, it's gotta be Brett Hull. He finished his career with 741 goals, 3rd most all-time, and had at least 24 goals in each of his 17 full seasons in the NHL, scoring 72-86-70 three years in a row, then following that up with 54 and 57 respectively. Definitely the best pure goal scorer ever.

Answer 2

I too saw hockey in the 70's and would have to say Marcel Dionne. Consider the fact that he played for the then hapless Kings, and is fourth on the all-time goal list (700+). Consider also that he really didn't have the people around him to set him like Bossy did (Trottier, Gilles..) Dionne had to create on his own. He wasn't very big but could get around the defense, and beat goalies on a regular basis. He had a great wrist shot and great back hand.

Answer 3

If I had seen him play, I would say Bobby Hull. I would have to think Gordie Howe had to be some kind of shooter to score 892 goals. Lemieux was the best shooter I got to see on a regular basis. He was the player goalies least wanted to see on a breakaway in a poll conducted by the NHL.

Answer 4

Brett Hull

Answer 5

Either Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, or Maurice Richard.

Answer 6

While I like your choice of Bossy, I would have to go with Gretzky. He didn't get all those goals by accident. Of course there are many other notables such as: Lemieux, Messier, Richard, the Hulls, Federov, Modano, Jagr.........

One note to motzaballboy - Boom Boom Geoffrion is credited with Introducing the slap shot, not Richard.

Answer 7

Bobby Hull

Answer 8

I can't decide between Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux or Brett Hull from my generation (80's hockey)...all three could dazzle you with their shot...I wish I had the opportunity to see some of the old-timers from hockey though...you read about Frank McGee from the Ottawa Senators who scored 14 goals in one game...WOW!

Answer 9

Let me beat Hab to it and say Rocket Richard, who pioneered the slap-shot and made shooting what it is today
But I also have to say a lot for Bobby Hull, who perfected the slap-shot and with his Popeye forearms shot the puck faster and harder than anyone..... ever.... with a straight, wooden stick and still hit the back of net

Answer 10

the rocket had a very hard shot
Guy Lafleur was fast and had a great shot
66 and 99 have to be in this group
i guess all the Hulls
Dennis bobby and the kid
the AL's
Iafate and Macinnis
those guy had the fastest and hardest shot

most likely some guy from the 1920's that we don't know