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Greatest Teams 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.
NO. 1 1976-77 MONTREAL CANADIENS
IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE, BUT the Montreal Canadiens actually had a losing record against the Boston Bruins in 1976-77. After one of those losses superstar Guy Lafleur said, “I will never accept losing. Never. The law of averages is bound to catch up with us, but that’s no excuse for a bad performance.” And, that, in a nutshell, is what made the ’76-77 Canadiens the greatest collection of talent in the history of the game. The rest of the NHL provided Montreal such feeble competition that they had to fabricate it from within by challenging themselves to be better and more dominating every game. Practices, for the most part, were even more demanding than the games. “When we scrimmaged, you were playing against the best players in the world,” recalled…
MOST DRIVEN DEVILS OF ALL
THE 2002-03 NEW JERSEY Devils were comprised of multiple future Hall of Fame players nearing crossroads in their NHL careers. So it was no wonder they played virtually every game like there was no tomorrow and won the third Stanley Cup in franchise history. The Devils rampaged through the regular season, finishing first in the Atlantic Division and second in the Eastern Conference thanks to yeoman’s work by the usual suspects – winger Patrik Elias, goaltender Martin Brodeur and defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens. After relatively easy wins in their first two playoff series, against Boston and Tampa Bay, the Devils faced a real test in the Eastern Conference final against the Ottawa Senators, who won the Presidents’ Trophy that year as the NHL’s best regular-season team. They beat the seemingly superior…
NO. 15 2012-13 CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS
YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE teams and some of the stars the Chicago Blackhawks have had over the years and you marvel at how they couldn’t have won more Stanley Cups. Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita won just one apiece. Tony Esposito, Denis Savard and Ed Belfour, all Hall of Fame players and Chicago icons, combined for a grand total of nada while playing there. Then came along Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, one a playoff MVP in 2010 and the other three years later. We wonder if there will be statues outside the United Center when Kane and Toews retire, the way there are of Hull and Mikita. If sheer excellence is any prerequisite for having your likeness immortalized on Madison Avenue, the sculptor might want to start heating…
INTO THE DEEP END
THE SAN JOSE SHARKS franchise has been teetering on the edge of glory for many years now. A perennial regular season powerhouse, the team has experienced only minimal playoff success. The 2003-04 version of the teal and black weren’t loaded with stars and offensive power, but they were young and they gelled at the right time. It was a season that saw the emergence of a new generation in San Jose. The Sharks were led in goal scoring by 24-year-old Patrick Marleau and 23-year-old Jonathan Cheechoo. Both players found the net 28 times and Marleau led the Sharks in points with 57. A 25-year-old Marco Sturm also had a productive campaign, netting 21 goals and 41 points. Brad Stuart, 24, led the rearguards with 39 points. The Sharks believed in their youth…
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