Every NHL Team's Best Player: Hockey Legends

In the Hockey Hall of Fame, a special room celebrates the most outstanding players, athletes, builders, and broadcasters in hockey. In addition to the Stanley Cup, there are custom display cases filled with the Vezina, Hart, Art Ross, and Calder Trophies. And, of course, there are portraits and biographical sketches of each inducted member.

So many great players have skated in the NHL, and debates about who is the best of the best will continue until the end of time. However, what if we started a new discussion focusing on the best player from each team? Who would you choose? Who are you going to defend? Who truly deserves the honor?

This list considers every player from every position; everyone was eligible, whether they were forwards, defensemen, or goalies. In some cases, selecting the best player wasn't easy, and a lot was considered; Hall of Fame status, franchise records, and legacies were calculated to help in the final decision.

Wayne Gretzky is considered one of the best players of all time. Gretzky played 20 years in the NHL and is the only player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. He totaled over 100 points in 15 NHL seasons. He ranks 24th in career games played (1,487), first in goals (894), first in assists (1,963), and first in points (2,857). He has more assists than any other player in total points, with Jaromir Jagr ranking second all-time in points with 1,921.

When he retired in 1999, the Brantford, Ontario superstar held 61 NHL records. His No. 99 has been retired league-wide, making him the only player to receive such an honor.

This list features the best players from all 32 NHL franchises, highlighting their achievements and impact on each team.

Teemu Selänne, known as «The Finnish Flash,» is one of the top goal scorers in NHL history. He scored 684 goals, which ranks 12th all-time, plus another 44 in the playoffs. During the 1997-98 (52) and 1998-99 (47) seasons, he scored more than any other player in the league. Overall, he had two 50-goal seasons and scored at least 20 goals in 17 of his 21 seasons. At 36, Selänne won his only Stanley Cup title with the Ducks in 2007. He was a 10-time All-Star and won the Maurice «Rocket» Richard and Bill Masterton Memorial Trophies.

Bobby Orr revolutionized the defensive position with speed, scoring, and playmaking. He scored the Stanley Cup-clinching goal in 1970 in the most iconic hockey photo ever taken. As a nine-time All-Star, Orr is one of the game’s most decorated players, winning eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the league’s best defenseman. Moreover, he won the Hart Trophy (three times) and remains the only defenseman to win the Art Ross Trophy, which he did twice.

Jarome Iginla, the Flames' all-time leader in goals (525), points (1,095), and games played (1,219), is one of the few NHL players to score 30 or more goals in 11 consecutive seasons.

Dominik Hašek, with his unorthodox but successful style, is arguably the best goalie in NHL history. During the 1998-99 season, «The Dominator» carried the team on his shoulders and led the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Final. Hašek won the Vezina Trophy six times in eight full seasons with the Sabres, the Hart and Jennings trophies twice, and the Lester B. Pearson Award twice. He is the first goalie to win the Hart multiple times. Of all goalies who have played over 250 games, Hasek has the highest career save percentage (.922) and is first in the modern era in goals against average (2.20).

Stan Mikita, known as «Stosh,» was generally considered the best center of the 1960s. In addition to winning the Stanley Cup in 1961, he won the Lester Patrick Trophy; he won the Hart Trophy (twice), the Lady Byng Trophy (twice), and the Art Ross Trophy four times. The eight-time All-Star is the only player in NHL history to win the Hart, Ross, and Lady Byng trophies in the same season, doing it back-to-back in 1966–67 and 1967–68.

Mario Lemieux is arguably one of the best players to ever put on skates. His 17-year NHL career was plagued with injuries, including tendinitis, back issues, and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, forcing him to miss 513 regular season games, yet his accomplishments in 915 are astounding.

Alex Ovechkin is the franchise leader in goals, points, game-winning goals, and hat-tricks. Undoubtedly, he is the all-time leading goal scorer, having surpassed Gretzky's record of 894. On top of winning a ring in 2018, the «Great Eight» is a nine-time Maurice Richard winner, a three-time Hart winner, and a three-time Lester B. Pearson winner. He also has his name on the Art Ross, Conn Smythe, and Calder Trophies. Whether beating goalies on his back, wearing sunglasses at the skills competition, or snipping a one-timer from his office on the power play, Ovechkin is not only the best player to wear a Capitals sweater but one of professional hockey’s all-time greatest.

Jean Béliveau won the Stanley Cup with the Habs and seven more as an executive. He was a 10-time All-Star, a two-time Hart Trophy winner, an Art Ross winner, and the inaugural winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Béliveau is the second all-time leading scorer in Canadiens history, behind only Guy Lafleur.

This comprehensive list celebrates the players who have defined hockey, leaving a lasting legacy on each team.