Hockey News

This is the The Hockey News' top 100 National Hockey League players of all-time. The Hockey News is a newspaper that specializes in ice hockey. This list is included in the book The Top 100 NHL Players of All-Time (ISBN 978-07710-4175-4).

Judges

The judges involved in making the selections for this list include writers, journalists, and broadcasters (Don Cherry, John Davidson, Milt Dunnell, Stan Fischler, Dick Irvin, Brian McFarlane, Bob McKenzie, Jim Matheson, Harry Neale, Frank Orr), as well as coaches, referees, general managers, and former players (Al Arbour, Scotty Bowman, Emile Francis, Howie Meeker, Scotty Morrison, Roger Neilson, Bud Poile, Sam Pollock, Marcel Pronovost, Billy Reay, Glen Sather, Harry Sinden, Red Storey).

The list

† Player was active in the NHL when the list was published.

#	Name	Position	Team(s) ↓	Birthplace	HHOF
1	Wayne Gretzky †	Forward	Edm, LA, Stl, NYR	Brantford, Ontario	1999
2	Bobby Orr	Defenceman	Bos, Chi	Parry Sound, Ontario	1979
3	Gordie Howe	Forward	Det, Har	Floral, Saskatchewan	1972
4	Mario Lemieux^[1]	Forward	Pit	Montreal, Quebec	1997
5	Maurice Richard	Forward	Mtl	Montreal, Quebec	1961
6	Doug Harvey	Defenceman	Mtl, NYR, Det, Stl	Montreal, Quebec	1973
7	Jean Beliveau	Forward	Mtl	Trois-Rivières, Quebec	1972
8	Bobby Hull	Forward	Chi, Har, Wpg	Pointe Anne, Ontario	1983
9	Terry Sawchuk	Goaltender	Det, Bos, Tor, LA, NYR	Winnipeg, Manitoba	1971
10	Eddie Shore	Defenceman	Bos, NYA	Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan	1947
11	Guy Lafleur	Forward	Mtl, NYR, Que	Thurso, Quebec	1988
12	Mark Messier †	Forward	Edm, NYR, Van	Edmonton, Alberta	2007
13	Jacques Plante	Goaltender	Mtl, NYR, Stl, Tor, Bos	Notre-Dame-du-Mont-Carmel, Quebec	1978
14	Ray Bourque †	Defenceman	Bos, Col	Montreal, Quebec	2004
15	Howie Morenz	Forward	Mtl, Chi, NYR	Mitchell, Ontario	1945
16	Glenn Hall	Goaltender	Det, Chi, Stl	Humboldt, Saskatchewan	1975
17	Stan Mikita^[2]	Forward	Chi	Sokolče, Czechoslovakia	1983
18	Phil Esposito	Forward	Chi, Bos, NYR	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario	1984
19	Denis Potvin	Defenceman	NYI	Ottawa, Ontario	1991
20	Mike Bossy	Forward	NYI	Montreal, Quebec	1991
21	Ted Lindsay	Forward	Det, Chi	Renfrew, Ontario	1966
22	Red Kelly	Defenceman	Det, Tor	Simcoe, Ontario	1969
23	Bobby Clarke	Forward	Phi	Flin Flon, Manitoba	1987
24	Larry Robinson	Defenceman	Mtl, LA	Winchester, Ontario	1995
25	Ken Dryden	Goaltender	Mtl	Hamilton, Ontario	1983
26	Frank Mahovlich	Forward	Tor, Det, Mtl	Timmins, Ontario	1981
27	Milt Schmidt	Forward	Bos	Kitchener, Ontario	1961
28	Paul Coffey †	Defenceman	Edm, Pit, LA, Det, Har, Phi, Chi, Car, Bos	Weston, Ontario	2004
29	Henri Richard	Forward	Mtl	Montreal, Quebec	1979
30	Bryan Trottier	Forward	NYI, Pit	Val Marie, Saskatchewan	1997
31	Dickie Moore	Forward	Mtl, Tor, Stl	Montreal, Quebec	1974
32	Newsy Lalonde	Forward	Mtl, NYA	Cornwall, Ontario	1950
33	Syl Apps	Forward	Tor	Paris, Ontario	1961
34	Bill Durnan	Goaltender	Mtl	Toronto, Ontario	1964
35	Patrick Roy †	Goaltender	Mtl, Col	Quebec City, Quebec	2006
36	Charlie Conacher	Forward	Tor, Det, NYA	Toronto, Ontario	1961
37	Jaromir Jagr †	Forward	Pit	Kladno, Czechoslovakia
38	Marcel Dionne	Forward	Det, LA, NYR	Drummondville, Quebec	1992
39	Joe Malone	Forward	Mtl, QueB, Ham	Sillery, Quebec	1950
40	Chris Chelios †	Defenceman	Mtl, Chi	Chicago, Illinois
41	Dit Clapper	Defenceman	Bos	Newmarket, Ontario	1947
42	Bernie Geoffrion	Forward	Mtl, NYR	Montreal, Quebec	1972
43	Tim Horton	Defenceman	Tor, NYR, Pit, Buf	Cochrane, Ontario	1977
44	Bill Cook	Forward	NYR	Brantford, Ontario	1952
45	Johnny Bucyk	Forward	Det, Bos	Edmonton, Alberta	1981
46	George Hainsworth	Goaltender	Mtl, Tor	Toronto, Ontario	1961
47	Gilbert Perreault	Forward	Buf	Victoriaville, Quebec	1990
48	Max Bentley	Forward	Chi, Tor, NYR	Delisle, Saskatchewan	1966
49	Brad Park	Defenceman	NYR, Bos, Det	Toronto, Ontario	1988
50	Jari Kurri	Forward	Edm, LA, NYR, Ana, Col	Helsinki, Finland	2001
51	Nels Stewart	Forward	MtlM, Bos, NYA	Montreal, Quebec	1962
52	King Clancy	Defenceman	Ott(I), Tor	Ottawa, Ontario	1958
53	Bill Cowley	Forward	StlE, Bos	Bristol, Quebec	1968
54	Eric Lindros †	Forward	Phi	London, Ontario
55	Busher Jackson	Forward	Tor, NYA, Bos	Toronto, Ontario	1971
56	Peter Stastny	Forward	Que, NJ, Stl	Bratislava, Czechoslovakia	1998
57	Ted Kennedy	Forward	Tor	Humberstone, Ontario	1966
58	Andy Bathgate	Forward	NYR, Tor, Det, Pit	Winnipeg, Manitoba	1978
59	Pierre Pilote	Defenceman	Chi, Tor	Kénogami, Quebec	1975
60	Turk Broda	Goaltender	Tor	Brandon, Manitoba	1967
61	Frank Boucher	Forward	Ott(I), NYR	Ottawa, Ontario	1958
62	Cy Denneny	Forward	Ott(I), Bos	Farran's Point, Ontario	1959
63	Bernie Parent	Goaltender	Bos, Phi, Tor	Montreal, Quebec	1984
64	Brett Hull †	Forward	Cgy, Stl, Dal	Belleville, Ontario	2009
65	Aurele Joliat	Forward	Mtl	Ottawa, Ontario	1947
66	Toe Blake	Forward	MtlM, Mtl	Victoria Mines, Ontario	1966
67	Frank Brimsek	Goaltender	Bos, Chi	Eveleth, Minnesota	1966
68	Elmer Lach	Forward	Mtl	Nokomis, Saskatchewan	1966
69	Dave Keon	Forward	Tor, Har	Noranda, Quebec	1986
70	Grant Fuhr †	Goaltender	Edm, Tor, Buf, LA, Stl	Spruce Grove, Alberta	2003
71	Brian Leetch †	Defenceman	NYR	Corpus Christi, Texas	2009
72	Earl Seibert	Defenceman	NYR, Chi, Det	Kitchener, Ontario	1963
73	Doug Bentley	Forward	Chi, NYR	Delisle, Saskatchewan	1964
74	Borje Salming	Defenceman	Tor, Det	Kiruna, Sweden	1996
75	Georges Vezina	Goaltender	Mtl	Chicoutimi, Quebec	1945
76	Charlie Gardiner	Goaltender	Chi	Edinburgh, Scotland	1945
77	Clint Benedict	Goaltender	Ott(I), MtlM	Ottawa, Ontario	1965
78	Steve Yzerman †	Forward	Det	Cranbrook, British Columbia	2009
79	Tony Esposito	Goaltender	Mtl, Chi	Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario	1988
80	Billy Smith	Goaltender	LA, NYI	Perth, Ontario	1993
81	Serge Savard	Defenceman	Mtl, Wpg	Montreal, Quebec	1986
82	Alex Delvecchio	Forward	Det	Fort William, Ontario	1977
83	Babe Dye	Forward	Tor, Ham, Chi, NYA	Hamilton, Ontario	1970
84	Lorne Chabot	Goaltender	NYR, Tor, Chi, Mtl, MtlM, NYA	Montreal, Quebec
85	Sid Abel	Forward	Det, Chi	Melville, Saskatchewan	1969
86	Bob Gainey	Forward	Mtl	Peterborough, Ontario	1992
87	Johnny Bower	Goaltender	NYR, Tor	Prince Albert, Saskatchewan	1976
88	Sprague Cleghorn	Defenceman	Ott(I), Tor, Mtl, Bos	Montreal, Quebec	1958
89	Mike Gartner	Forward	Was, MNS, NYR, Tor, Phx	Ottawa, Ontario	2001
90	Norm Ullman	Forward	Det, Tor	Provost, Alberta	1982
91	Sweeney Schriner	Forward	NYA, Tor	Saratov, Russian Empire	1962
92	Joe Primeau	Forward	Tor	Lindsay, Ontario	1963
93	Darryl Sittler	Forward	Tor, Phi, Det	Kitchener, Ontario	1989
94	Joe Sakic †	Forward	Que, Col	Burnaby, British Columbia
95	Dominik Hasek †	Goaltender	Chi, Buf	Pardubice, Czechoslovakia
96	Babe Pratt	Defenceman	NYR, Tor, Bos	Stony Mountain, Manitoba	1966
97	Jack Stewart	Defenceman	Det, Chi	Pilot Mound, Manitoba	1964
98	Yvan Cournoyer	Forward	Mtl	Drummondville, Quebec	1982
99	Bill Gadsby	Defenceman	Chi, NYR, Det	Calgary, Alberta	1970
100	Frank Nighbor	Forward	Ott(I), Tor	Pembroke, Ontario	1947

Team names

NHLteamabbr

^ Mario Lemieux was retired at the time the list was published, but returned later for a few more seasons.
^ Stan Mikita is the highest-ranked European-born player, though he was raised in Canada from a young age.

[[Category:Lists of ice hockey players]] [[fi:The Hockey Newsin luettelo 100 parhaasta NHL-pelaajasta]] [[sv:Ranking över tidernas 100 bästa ishockeyspelare enligt The Hockey News]]

[Lemieux-1] Mario Lemieux was retired at the time the list was published, but returned later for a few more seasons.

[Mikita-2] Stan Mikita is the highest-ranked European-born player, though he was raised in Canada from a young age.

[1]

[2]

v t e National Hockey League-related lists and topics
History	Pre-NHL seasons National Hockey Association 1917–1942 1942–1967 Original Six 1967–1992 1992–2017 2017–present All-time standings Seasons Playoff series Tied games Streaks Droughts Retired numbers First NHL player by country Ice hockey in Canada Ice hockey in the United States
Personnel	Famous linemates Captains Careers with one franchise Head coaches General managers Owners Notable families Presidents and Commissioners Referees and linesmen
Records	League records (individual, team) Statistical leaders (by country of birth) Points, career (min. 1,000) Assists, career (min. 600) Goals, career (min. 500) Points, season (min. 100) Goals, season (min. 50) 50 goals in 50 games Games, career (min. 1,000) Consecutive games, career (min. 500) PIMs, career (min. 2,000) 5+ goals, game 8+ points, game Goaltender wins, career (min. 300) Goaltenders who have scored Wayne Gretzky's records Gordie Howe's records Longest winning streaks Longest losing streaks
Related	International games with NHL teams International games with NHL players 4 Nations World Cup of Hockey Hockey Fights Cancer
Other	Attendance totals Trade deadline Waivers Player salaries NHLPA CBA Video games Mascots Advanced statistics NHL uniform