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Top 100 Players of All-Time
The Hockey News has been providing the most comprehensive coverage of the world of hockey since 1947. In each issue, you'll find news, features and opinions about the NHL and leagues across North America and the world.
19 LARRY ROBINSON
1995 THOUGH THE MEMORIES of Larry Robinson, the Canadiens’ best blueliner during their dominating dynasty of the late ’70s, are plentiful, perhaps none stands out more than his taming of the ‘Broad Street Bullies.’ During the 1976 final, Robinson, a 6-foot-4, 225-pounder nicknamed ‘Big Bird,’ beat down notorious tough guy Dave ‘The Hammer’ Schultz during a line brawl and in the process proved the Habs would not be intimated by the two-time defending champs. “He was physically dominant,” said ’82 Norris winner and Sharks GM Doug Wilson, who won the 1984 Canada Cup with Robinson. “When the Canadiens would go into Philly, he would take care of business. He could do everything.” And he could do everything very well. Robinson, currently a Devils assistant coach, was a complete player who dominated in all three…
1 TURK BRODA
1967 IT WAS LATE afternoon on the day of a Stanley Cup game at Maple Leaf Gardens and on the massage table in the Toronto dressing room, Maple Leafs goalie Walter ‘Turk’ Broda was partaking in his usual pre-game nap. A few moments later, some of the minor leaguers called up as post-season insurance showed up and launched into a card game in the next room. Awakened by the noise, Broda politely suggested that they take their game elsewhere. When his request was rebuffed, the Toronto goalie took his pillow and smashed every light bulb in the room, leaving it in complete darkness, ending the card game and enabling Broda to resume his slumber. These were the playoffs after all and when the big games were on the line, no one loomed larger between…
4 Bobby Orr
1979 WHEN YOU TALK to Bobby Orr about his career, there isn’t a whole lot of new ground to cover. After all, his days as the best defenseman, if not the best player, of all-time were well documented and he hasn’t played a meaningful game in more than three decades. So you start the conversation by talking about how the 2009-10 season marks 40 years since he had the best offensive season for a defenseman in the history of the game. Paul Coffey came within one point of Orr’s 139 points exactly 15 years later, but nobody else has even come close in the quarter of a century that has passed since then. There is plenty of historical evidence to suggest Orr’s record for points in a season by a defenseman could stand…
2 BRIAN LEETCH
2009 THE GREATEST American-born defenseman in league history, Brian Leetch was always dangerous on the attack despite playing mostly during the trap era. Possessing great vision and a knack for finding the net, Leetch had five 20-goal seasons and sits second on the all-time scoring list for American D-men behind Phil Housley. Mark Messier gets most of the acclaim for ending the Rangers’ 54-year Cup drought, but it was Leetch who won the Conn Smythe in 1994, while leading the playoffs in scoring with 34 points in 23 games. He won the Norris in ’92 with a career-high 102-points. DEFENSEMAN 1987-2006 BORN MARCH 3, 1968 CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS HT 6-0 WT 190 SHOOTS LEFT TOTALS GP 1,205 G 247 A 781 PTS 1,028 PIM 571 AWARDS & HONORS 1988-89 CALDER TROPHY 1991-92 NORRIS TROPHY 1993-94 CONN SMYTHE TROPHY 1996-97 NORRIS TROPHY NHL FIRST ALL-STAR TEAM 1992, 1997 NHL SECOND ALL-STAR TEAM 1991, 1994, 1996…
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