Was he just a product of the times and best knew how to take advantage of the rules? Could he be the best ever in todays game? It was said that he never played defense, so doesn't that make him one-sided and therefore not the greatest ever? Should the greatest ever be the best all-round?
2007-12-22 16:09:58 · 18 answers · asked by tviper22 1 in Sports ➔ Hockey
It's debatable. Richard and Howe were the greatest of their time, but the NHL was very different back then. Howie Morenz and Cyclone Taylor were considered the greats of hockey, but hockey itself was even more different back then. Gretzky and Lemeiux were greats in their own time, and in this era, we have Crosby and Ovechkin, along with Toews, Kane, and Tavares. It's just one of those "we'll never know."
2007-12-22 16:15:01 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 6⤊ 2⤋
Who said he never played defense?
1. He had 300 votes for the selke trophy
2. Scotty Bowman used Gretzky as the defensive example that Mario Lemieux needed to follow
3. Scotty Bowman used Gretzky as the defensive example that Steve Yzerman needed to follow.
Gretzky was in the top 20 of the +/- 13 times in a 20 year career. That doesn't happen if you don't play defense.
Part of being the best is taking advantage of the rules. It's part of the game and the best players expolit every aspect of the game they can. The 1950s Montreal Canadiens developed an explosive enough power-play that the rules were changed. The 1980s Edmonton Oilers developed superior 4 on 4 play that the rules were changed. 1990s goaltenders exploited all the equipment loopholes they could fine, so that the rules were changed.
One needs to adapt to stay ahead of the curve. Gretzy was a master of that.
If he played in today's NHL, he would still be a very dominate player.
Scourge
Gordie Howe was named to the 1980 All-Star game as an honorary player, he was not on the original roster that Scotty Bowman picked, and he had the fewest minutes played in the game at just over 6 minutes.
2007-12-23 00:24:54 · answer #2 · answered by Like I'm Telling You Who I A 7 · 7⤊ 2⤋
He scored 92 Goals in a season, 212 points that year, he crushed every offensive scoring record. He saw the ice like no one else ever. Made the game look easy. Maybe the greatest ever in sports he was that dominate in his day. If I had the first pick of an all time team however, id take Robert Gordon Orr #4 BABY in fact they should change the name of the norris trophy (Best Defensmen) To the Bobby Orr award
2007-12-23 01:24:45 · answer #3 · answered by Farley 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
although gretzky was not a completely rounded player (not physical presence or top defensive player) he should still be considered in the top 3 for best ever. this is simply due to the ridiculous amount of points he was able to notch. how much defense does a guy have to provide if hes absolutely racking up goals and assists every night?
i think either hes greatest or lemieux is
2007-12-23 11:42:40 · answer #4 · answered by negaduck 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is always a debate, I loved him but a few people, including me think he was not even the best player on his team, Messier was.
I think there are five that stand out, beside the already mentioned two, Gordie Howe and Mario Lemeiuex were great but as someone already mentioned Bobby Orr, he changed the game, never before had a defenseman been the best offensive on the ice, when he was healthy he dominated almost every game he was in.
2007-12-23 11:45:21 · answer #5 · answered by Scott H 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Keep an eye on Sydney Crosby, he potentially could be the next great one. I'd say Bobby Orr and Gordie Howe both could still match with Gretzky in today's league. Mario Lemieux was also always a competitor on par with Gretzky in my opinion.
2007-12-23 06:38:24 · answer #6 · answered by hydroponix_nix_hex 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He was a great player, but like all great players in all sports, I would wonder how successful he'd be had he played on a dismal team like the Oakland Seals. It is a team game and he's a BIG reason why the Oilers won, but he had many hall-of-famers around him. You know it's a deep team when Messier starts the game on the bench.
2007-12-23 09:00:43 · answer #7 · answered by Awesome Bill 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
not the best ever that would be bobby orr after bobby it became the gretzky era . the media explosion around hocket had just started the best player in his era without a doubt . the best player of all time . to difficult to ever pick . it has to be bobby with todays media and surgeons not a doubt . both great
2007-12-24 22:26:12 · answer #8 · answered by snish 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Gordie Howe played the majority of his career in the old 6-team league. When the league expanded and the talent pool necessarily thinned, he was still a great player even though he was well beyond the age of retirement. (He played to 52, and made the All-Star team his last year on merit, not sentiment!) If he could have started out as a young man in the expanded league he would have outpaced Gretzky.
2007-12-23 00:19:16 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
He won 4 cups! Seriously though, they did have a dynasty in Edmonton, and they may have been good without him, but his defense wasn't horrible. And he wouldn't be as good today as he was in the 80s.....................he'd be even better! They have pretty much seemed to make a mission to take physical play out of the sport even though it will never happened, but it is definately not as violent as the 80s and 90s. Scoring is a little down this era because of all the goalie equipment and stuff IMO. It's also a more slowed up game. (kinda like basketball is now). But he'd be better than what we have today, that's for sure.
2007-12-23 00:17:55 · answer #10 · answered by Ray Dubb 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
He could see the ice, and was a great playmaker. the 1st player I ever saw who hung behind the net.
He would never achieve today what he did then, as his team was top notch and his players did not allow other teams to check him.
his + - is out of wack because of all the goals scored during his heyday with EDM.
2007-12-23 03:43:42 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋