Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux?

Question

these 3 are the Top Top Top players of all time right?
I mean there are highly elite players out there, But no one touches these 3 right?

Now if Crosby is truly the next one, that would mean Pittsbugh would be the first to get 2 of those types of players,,, Thoughts?

I'm sorry but I don't see Ovechkin hitting the numbers like Lemieux or Gretzky did.

AGAIN DON'T GET ME WRONG THERE ARE HIGHLY SKILLED PLAYERS BUT NO ONE TOUCHES THOSE THREE.

Answer 1

What about Orr, maybe you need a list of 4. Anyway though you have a point IF Crosby gets to that level. What if he becomes a Lindros and is always injured suddenly? So let's wait and see, does that sound good to you? Now let's fast forward 10-15 years and pretend that Crosby plays his whole Career in the 'Burgh(and you know they would want him to) and is as good as those 3. Pittsburgh is the first to be lucky enough to get 2 of those types AND look how things went. We had Mario, then the short retirement we still had Jagr(who was still amazing) and Straka among others. Then Mario came out and was still right up there as far as top players. Wasn't really his old self but right up there. Then we get Crosby. I'd say the Pens were incredibly lucky is my thought. Really can't think of much else to say of it. Thank Craig Patrick as well though.

Answer 2

1. Howe. Played every game for 26 years, won four Cups, broke the career scoring record, and was an MVP at 45 and an All-Star at 51.

2. Orr. If injuries hadn't limited him to what amounted to 8 full seasons, he might have been 1. There have been many great defensemen, but none other comes close.

3. Gretzky. If you're talking all-around greatness, you cannot put a purely offensive player at 1. You just can't.

4. Lemieux. See the previous answer.

5. Richard. See the previous answer, although the Rocket could handle himself. Unlike Gretzky, he didn't need Messier or McSorley to be a thug for him. Unlike Lemieux, he didn't need Samuelsson.

Best by position: Right Wing, Howe; Center, Gretzky; Left Wing, Bobby Hull; Defensemen, Orr and Harvey; Goaltender, Roy a hair above Sawchuk and Plante, with Brodeur knocking on the door; Coach, Bowman.

Answer 3

With all due respect, none of this is making any sense to me.

I too might have these 3 as my top 3, but you and I part company on the "nobody touches these three". Bobby Orr revolutionized the way Defensemen played their position. Mark Messier was a tough 2-way player who lasted forever. The EXTREMELY underrated Ron Francis was outstanding offensively, defensively and also played a lot of years. These 3 DO "touch" the other 3.

Pittsburgh and Edmonton, as I have already argued DID HAVE 2 of "these types of players". Even better yet, THEY PLAYED TOGETHER. (And won Stanley Cups --- funny how that works out, right?)

And again, with all due respect, this Sidney Crosby speculation on this site is getting VERY old. At least unlike a lot of people you are not arguing that he ALREADY touches these 3. But I wish people would wait a few years, a Stanley Cup or 2 and 5-6 150 POINT SEASONS (which "Sid the Kid" will likely NOT accomplish this year) before EVEN ASKING these types of questions.

Answer 4

Those 3 would be reasonable picks as top 3, but no way in a class by themselves. Almost everyone else who answered said Orr...that should say something. He single handedly changed the way his position was played.Besides Orr, Richard should be there as well. After that it's open for debate but I'd add Beliveau(can't believe no one mentioned him yet) also. He was the first great, big, graceful, skilled centerman ala Lemieux.

And no, Pittsburgh isn't the first team to have 2 of the "all time elite". Montreal had Richard and then Beliveau, not to mention Dryden who is among the "all time elite" goalies.

Answer 5

Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leading scorer in NHL history by almost 1,000 points over Mark Messier, who needed to play an aditional 5 years after Gretzky just to get that close to him. Gordie Howe has played more games than anyone else ever will at this rate, what with the injuries that guys get and how long they stay out. Mario Lemieux has all of the Pittsburgh Penguins scoring records, and he even missed time with cancer, and retired for 3 years. However, allow me to present to you one other name: Bobby Orr. The man completely revolutionized and changed the way that defensemen play their position with the way that he was able to just single-handedly take control of games. He has something like 8 Norris Trophies as best defenseman, and is the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy as NHL scoring champion, winning it on two occasions. Sadly, near the end of his career, he sufferred massive knee problems and had to retire before the 70s even ended. But, in the short time that Orr played before us, he was able to show us the way that defensmen should play their position. A name for the ages, Bobby Orr, arguably the best player ever.

Answer 6

out of these 3... Howe is really the only one that I'd consider "untouchable" while all three had spectacular careers, and are some of the best hockey players of all-time. There is a few players you missed that'd I'd put above Gretzky and especially Lemieux.

As people have mentioned "The Rocket", Orr, and Messier. I would also add:

Marcel Dionne, Esposito, Coffey, Kurri, Hull. With Glenn Anderson and Ray Bourque as honorable mentions.

Answer 7

Healthy, I'd take Bobby Orr over any of them. The Hockey News agrees with me... almost. They put only Gretzky ahead of him. That said, it is hard to beat those three. It is just not as much of a blowout as you would think. You can make a pretty good argument for Maurice Richard, too, being right up there with those guys. It gets a little harder to make an argument after that. I say those five are the cream of the crop.

Answer 8

Crosby is great, yet he's in year 3, it remains slightly early to be putting him in that business enterprise. Does the call Lindros strike a chord? i'm not putting Lindros everywhere close to the ideal of all-time. while Lindros entered the NHL, he became hailed because of fact the subsequent Gretzky merely like Crosby and look what exceeded off to his occupation. it is my element. will we a minimum of wait until Crosby wins a playoff sequence formerly we placed him interior the business enterprise of Gretzky, Howe, and Lemieux?

Answer 9

Cujo's list is closest to what I would consider accurate.

Again, being a lifelong Pens fan (Going to games at Civic Arena when they had Blue Uniforms), I have to say that Mario doesn't even make my top 10. He might have been 1 or 2 if he hadn't spent all those games on the shelf. He was in uniform for about 17 seasons, but only 6 or 7 of them did he actually play in 70 or more games.

Granted he was "Money" in the post season but his lack of consistent performance during his career is a hindrance.

Funny how Cujo has 3 thumbs up and I have 2 down.

Must be a lot of Lemeiux nuthuggers here.

Answer 10

Orr was on a higher level than the Gretzky and Lemieux. Howe was solid as they come. The difference between Howe and Orr, and Wayne and Mario is that the later two liked to skate around in skirts.