I dont have a video of it, but one of the Forsberg"QB" passes, where he lobs the puck in the air across the rink, and it land right at the players stick, who slips past the defenseman and has a breakaway.
EDIT: Meant Forsberg
I disagree. It takes a ton of hand-eye and vision to make those passes. One guy in particular who was great at doing that was Brian Rafalski. He wouldn't do them quite like Forsberg did, though. He would put the puck in the air right where a player could knock it down and go on a breakaway.
I agree getting the puck up that high and in the vicinity of a player streaking that fast takes a ton of vision and anticipation. But if the puck chooses to bounce a certain way it becomes just another pass.
This probably isn't the best ever but I always loved this play. It says in the title it's a Lemieux goal but he actually fakes receiving the pass to give Kariya the easy goal.
Before Tomas Kaberle's abilities fell off a cliff, he too would make those kind of saucer passes.
Here's one that I could remember and find (not best ever mind you):
This could've been one of the best assists:
Incredible pass. For the first few games of that season Versteeg was getting multiple breakaways a games it seemed and he never scored on any of them. I think the thing that differentiates this pass from other 'QB passes' is that he doesn't roof it, he just has incredible vision and finds the perfect line.
Can't find a video for it - anyone else remember that Steve Yzerman assist where he gets tripped up near the net, but from his ass he passes the puck to (I think Shanahan?) who buries it in the open net?
EDIT: That pass was also during the time there was a rule for a red-line pass.
It was a legal pass because they both was in the same zone when the pass was made, it makes the pass even more epic.
The call on the play was brutal though, "and a score".
That's exactly why that Forsberg special beats any aerial passing plays made post-two line pass era.
I'm going to go ahead and assume you meant to link this video:
If not than I really don't know what your seeing in the clip you linked
Could be. I didn't watch the video, just assumed the top Youtube result for "Bure OT goal vs Calgary" would be the amazing pass from Jeff Brown that won the 1994 round 1 series.
The Datsyuk videos bring up an interesting distinction we could make. Are we talking about the best play that ended in an assist or the best pass ending in an assist?
Datsyuk usually makes unbelievable moves precisely so he doesn't have to make an incredible pass. He can make a simple pass because he's frozen the D and they can no longer do much about the play.
edit: that Crosby video is a great example too. Unreal stickhandling, puck protection, and individual effort. Was it a special pass? I don't think so.
The best assist I have ever seen was one where the player never touched the puck and didnt get an assist.
Mario letting a pass go between his legs, while faking a shot, without ever looking to see who the pass was for. He just knew that Kariya was there. Unbelievable.
This is always used to knock Spezza, and I have never understood it. He did a great job containing the best player in the world. Crosby had to try repeatedly to find anywhere to put it, and then was forced to go to the point...a pretty low risk place as far as Ottawa is concerned.
Its extraordinarily impressive by Crosby, but I just dont get how anyone can watch it and knock Spezza (and people do for that play all the time)
I think the thing that differentiates this pass from other 'QB passes' is that he doesn't roof it, he just has incredible vision and finds the perfect line.
