Canada: Gretzky (HM to Orr, Lemieux, Howe)
USA: Hull (HM to Modano, Chelios)
Russia: Kharlamov (HM to Tretiak, Fetisov)
Sweden: Lidstrom (HM to Salming, Forsberg)
Finland: Kurri (HM to Selanne, Numminen)
Czech: Hasek (HM to Jagr)
Slovakia: Mikita (if he counts); otherwise Stastny (HM to Chara, Bondra)
Slovenia: Kopitar Germany: Ball
Austria: Vanek
Switzlerand: Streit
Edit: Now I get it, totally forgot about Rudi Ball. But for Germany it has to be Kühnhackl. He has been voted as "German player of the century". His stats are excellent on every level, national league, international.
Last edited by Harry Waters: 11-15-2012 at 05:13 AM.
__________________
Exhibit A as to how hockey doesn't matter on ESPN:
Last night an ESPN program was discussing how the Detroit Pistons needed a hero citing the heroes on the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions and no mention of the Detroit Red Wings. All this despite the Red Wings probably being the most succesful team in Detroit right now.
Maybe greatest Russian players in NHL history, but Bure isn't even top 10 as far as Russian players all time go.
So you mean none of the players in the past 20 years are good enough to crack top10 Russians of all-time? Not counting KLM guys.
I find it hard to believe. Could you name your top 10 Russian players?
EDIT:
To add to my point. Compare Kharlamov and Malkin.
Kharlamov was twice Soviet MVP: 1972, 1973
Led Soviet League in scoring once: 1972
Led Soviet League in goals once: 1971
Named best forward at World Championships: 1976
This is all against only Soviet or European competition.
Malkin:
NHL MVP: 2012 (+ 2009 2nd in Hart and a Conn Smyth)
Led the league in scoring: 2009, 2012
Named best forward at World Championships: 2012
That's a very similar resume. Only difference is that Malkin achieved all this against the toughest competition in world. While Kharlamov did not.
Frankly, it's pretty difficult to find hard evidence that Kharlamov was clearly better than Malkin. And Kharlamov is widely considered as the best Russian forward of all time. And at worst third best player behind Fetisov and Tretiak. So I find hard to believe that there are a bunch of old Soviet players with better resumes than Malkin.
Last edited by lazerbullet: 11-15-2012 at 08:13 AM.
Here's my best all-time from each country with 2 HM's in parenthesis. Went by where each player was trained not born (i.e. Hull is Canadian not American, Mikita is Canadian, not Slovak, etc.)
Tony Hand, former Oilers prospect during the Gretky days.
Sather said "At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky"
Indeed, Sather also says "At the training camp I could see that he had a great ability to read the ice and he was the smartest player there other than Wayne Gretzky. he skated well: his intelligence on the ice stood out. he was a real prospect."
Also, Nolan is from Northern Ireland. He's British (aside from being Canadian, but by birth he is).
__________________ “It’s embarrassing. I’m embarrassed to be here right now. It’s not even funny. And it’s just embarrassing, the way we, you know, the energy we have in the room and the way we approach practices and the way we approach this game. It’s not how you’re going to win any games in this league." - Jean-Sebastien Giguere, April 8 2013
France: Paul MacLean (I think almost PPG beats out Huet...)
Lithuania: Zubrus? Kasparitis?
Poland: Wolski? Czerkawski?
Taiwan: Langway
Brazil: Regehr
Italy: Sbisa?
South Africa: Kolzig
