THW's Hockey History

THW's Hockey History for 09/08/2020

September 08, 2020

The latest from The Hockey Writers.

09/08/2020 edition:

By THW Archives on Sep 08, 2020 12:00 pm

The State of Hockey… What does it mean? Where does it come from? It’s hardly a secret that Minnesota has long been a hockey Mecca. The first hockey teams in Minnesota were formed a couple of decades before Henry Ford’s Model-T changed the world. The University of Minnesota first organized a hockey team in 1895 and though unsanctioned by the University, played a game against a team from Winnipeg on February 19, 1895. Around the turn of the century, indoor games begun to pop up around Minnesota in increasing frequency. Slowly and deliberately, the landscape of Minnesota hockey began to take shape and before we knew it, Minnesota became the beating heart of USA Hockey with the game flourishing at all levels.

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When the North Stars left Minnesota in 1993, a void was left in the Minnesota hockey landscape. Luckily, the National Hockey League didn’t take long to realize this and they awarded Minnesota an expansion NHL franchise in 1997. This franchise wanted to capture the spirit of Minnesota’s hockey passion to help heighten the existing excitement of the NHL returning to Minnesota. From this, the “State of Hockey” was born, but what started as a marketing scheme quickly became so much more.

Real Passion in the State of Hockey

You’d be hard pressed to find an area of the country that displays its passion for hockey on such a broad platform like Minnesota does. That starts with youth hockey, from mini-mites to high school and every level in between. There is a reason Minnesota has been called the 11th province of Canada and while we’re content in Minnesota to remain south of the border and proudly represent USA Hockey, it speaks to the level of passion the north land truly has for hockey.

In 2014, Minnesota again ranked first in the nation in terms of number of players registered at USA Hockey with over 54,000. That number becomes even more impressive upon the realization that high school hockey players are technically not affiliated with USA Hockey so that number could be a few thousand higher even. The number two state is Michigan with slightly more than 50,000. The staggering statistic here is that Minnesota has considerably more hockey participation despite Michigan having nearly double the population. This video for the 2014 Olympics was shot in Minnesota and shows the type of attitude displayed towards the game not found anywhere else in the country.

Speaking of passion, Minnesota’s high school hockey scene is the perfect example of it. Each year in March, fans flock to the Xcel Energy Center for the state boys high school hockey tournament. The overall attendance at this year’s “tourney”? Over 135,000 fans attended 8 sessions, a new record. It’s worth bearing in mind, as well, that some of the small class A schools that make it to the tournament are home to no more than 500 students and yet they regularly draw crowds of over 10,000 for tournament games. This year’s class AA final was witnessed by over 21,000 people, also a new record. To put these numbers in perspective, the NHL’s Florida Panthers draw an average attendance of little more than 11,000 per game. Just remarkable.

Minnesota is also a hotbed for college hockey, boasting 5 division I hockey schools. This year, 4 of those schools are part of the NCAA tournament, including number 1 overall seed, the Minnesota State University Mankato Mavericks. Also in the tournament are St. Cloud State, the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities and the University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs. Minnesota’s most recent national champion is UMD; the Bulldogs won 3-2 in overtime of the championship game held in St. Paul at the Xcel Energy Center, defeating the University of Michigan Wolverines. With 4 teams in the field this year, Minnesota schools make up 25% of the teams involved and all have a legitimate chance to win it all. College hockey players continue to rise to the NHL ranks at an increasingly large rate and many of those players are Minnesotans.

Professionally, Minnesota is on its second franchise and this is one thing many critics point out when we examine Minnesota hockey, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves, more on those detractors later. For now let us examine the history of professional hockey in Minnesota. In 1967, the NHL decided to expand for the very first time and boldly

double its membership. In one fell swoop, the league went from the “original 6” to a total of 12 teams. Among those expansion franchises was Minnesota and a team that would become known as the North Stars. The North Stars would play 26 years in Minnesota, including two memorable runs to the Stanley Cup Finals. In 1993, the North Stars moved to Dallas after controversy surrounding ownership and the inability to finalize a deal on a new arena for the team pushed them out. To this day, North Stars memorabilia is still present all over the state of hockey and many fans don the green and gold with the iconic “N” logo to Wild games. And, if you’re coming to Minnesota and want to fit it, just tell everyone you see how much “Norm Green sucks” and you’ll be sure to make a few friends right away.

It wouldn’t be long, however, before the NHL returned to Minnesota. Just 4 years after the North Stars left, the league announced that Minnesota would be one of four cities to receive and expansion franchise along with Nashville, Atlanta and Columbus. This new team became known as the Wild and it began play in the 2000 season. Some were slow to come around to cheering for a new team and still missed the North Stars while some were just elated to have hockey back in Minnesota.

Regardless, the State of Hockey immediately validated the decision to bring pro hockey to the area again with staggering attendance numbers and rabid enthusiasm despite a sub par team in the early years. Minnesota quickly garnered the 6th highest attendance numbers in the league during the inaugural Wild season and they never slowed down. From 2000 to 2010, the Wild sold out every single game from exhibition to regular season and playoffs, an unprecedented run of over 400 consecutive games. In terms of average attendance by percentage of capacity, Minnesota ranks fourth in the league this year at 105.9% and 6th in average overall attendance. Since its inception, Minnesota has never been in the bottom half of the league in attendance and only twice out of the top 10, all while having only three playoff appearances the first 10 years of the franchise. Minnesota’s infatuation with hockey is clear, but not everyone believes in the State of Hockey.

Minnesota Hockey Detractors

In Minnesota, the State of Hockey moniker is revered as a symbol of our heritage and our passion for the game. Not everyone agrees though, detractors are quick to point out the fact that Minnesota has never won a Stanley Cup. And “the North Stars left, how could they possibly keep the moniker?” The North Stars made it to two Stanley Cup finals and lost in 1981 to the budding New York Islanders dynasty that would win four consecutive Stanley Cups, the 2nd coming at the expense of Minnesota. The North Stars again made it to the finals in 1991 against Pittsburgh and won two of the first three games in that series but fell in six games to Mario Lemieux’s Penguins. The Minnesota Wild have yet to make it to a Stanley Cup finals series but the franchise is still young and if you believe in trends, Minnesota is certainly headed in the right direction.

Citing the lack of Stanley Cup success in Minnesota however, is missing the point. It’s not just about success on the ice, though Minnesota has plenty of that, it’s about passion for the game through thick and thin. It’s about the heritage and history first and foremost. Still, critics also point out that the North Stars left for Dallas and claim that it was due to lack of support from the fans, so therefor, how is Minnesota still called the State of Hockey?

It’s a fair point, but let us debunk some myths about the departure of the North Stars. While it is true that the North Stars saw attendance drop during some lean years in the late 80’s, that was not unheard of and was not truly the sole cause of the Stars moving to Dallas. Suffice to say there exist various hypotheses on why the North Stars truly left. Theories range from the ability to make more money in a bigger market like Dallas, to the owner Norm Green’s wife apparently giving him an ultimatum to either file for divorce or move the team following a sexual harassment allegation. In Minnesota however, it all circles back to one prevailing ideology; “Norm Green sucks”. If you want to learn more about the feelings in Minnesota, please Google or YouTube search that phrase on your own as posting a video in the article might be frowned upon given the amount of vulgarity that is found in those recorded moments of emotion.

The bottom line is this: yes, no Minnesota franchise has ever won a Stanley Cup and yes, the North Stars did leave town. But neither one of those facts has yet to slow the enthusiasm for hockey in Minnesota, and that is what really matters.

Unparalleled Production from State of Hockey

It would be a travesty to leave out of this article the history of producing NHL talent in Minnesota. Producing the largest amount of American-born National Hockey League talent has long been part of the lore of Minnesota hockey. Minnesota has produced nearly 60 more NHL players than the next closest state, Massachusetts, and nearly 100 more than the third place state of Michigan. On top of that, some of the best U.S. talent in history has come out of Minnesota, including Phil Housley, Neal Broten and Dave Christian. Current Minnesotan’s in the NHL include David Backes, Zach Parise, Blake Wheeler, Nick Bjugstad, Dustin Byfuglien, Kyle Okposo, Derek Stepan, Ryan McDonagh, Justin Faulk, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee and more.

Minnesota is also an attractive place to play for developing players not from Minnesota originally. Sydney Crosby and Jonathan Toews both spent time at Shattuck St. Mary’s prep academy in Faribault, Minnesota. Shattuck is one of the premier hockey development schools in all of North America and has produced countless NHL talents. Minnesota’s division I colleges have also been called home by many NHL stars. Brett Hull went to the University of Minnesota Duluth and Wisconsin native and current Toronto Maple Leafs sniper Phil Kessel went to the University of Minnesota. Additionally, TJ Oshie, one of the highlights of the 2014 Sochi Olympics, is from Washington originally but moved to Minnesota to develop his game and play high school hockey for the Warroad Warriors.

The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” Olympic hockey team also featured 12 Minnesotans out of a 20 man roster. Coach Herb Brooks also hailed from Minnesota.

The Numbers speak for themselves, but while impressive, numbers are not what truly makes up the fabric Minnesota Hockey.

Culture

It’s easy to throw out numbers and names of great players from Minnesota. It’s considerably harder to capture the true essence of Minnesota and the spirit of the game, after all we truly eat sleep and breathe hockey on a level that borders obsession. It’s something that almost has to be lived to be believed. To truly understand the State of Hockey, you would have to brave the cold and attend an event like the U.S. Pond Hockey Championships on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis and witness the passion for the game. You would have to immerse yourself headfirst into the emotional celebration that is Hockey Day Minnesota. You would need to tour the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in Eveleth, Minnesota and feel the history surrounding you. To truly understand the State of Hockey, you would have to attend the state high school hockey tournament and be one of over 20,000 fans going crazy for an amateur game or go to a MN Wild hockey game and see first hand the love affair Minnesota shares with the game.

In truth, it is perhaps impossible for someone who didn’t grow up here to ever truly understand what the State of Hockey is really all about. It’s not about gloating or showing off, it’s not about belittling other hockey communities in our great country and it’s not about fame or recognition. Simply put, it’s about passion. It’s about the feeling of waking up at dawn for a game, or breathing in ice-cold air on a frozen pond. It’s about a special bond; one that can’t be broken. The State of Hockey is maybe best summed up, however, in one simple song.

Originally published in March of 2015, hockey in the great state of Minnesota only grows stronger with each passing year.

By Josh Bell on Sep 08, 2020 10:30 am

It’s often said that the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win in professional sports. Of the league’s 31 teams (and with Seattle joining in 2021-22), only 20 have won the Stanley Cup and just 13 have won multiple championships. In the modern era, it’s become tougher to win championships and build dynasties which begs the question: what are the longest active Stanley Cup droughts?

Dating back to the original expansion year of the NHL, there are 11 active teams that haven’t won a Stanley Cup since their inception. The record for the longest drought ever goes to the New York Rangers who went 54 years (1940 to 1994). Although the Toronto Maple Leafs are catching up, currently sitting at 53 years since their Cup win in 1967.

Numerous teams in recent memory have ended their Cup drought. The Chicago Blackhawks went 47 years before winning the Cup in 2010, and the Los Angeles Kings went 43 seasons prior to their 2012 win. The Washington Capitals were on this list before Alex Ovechkin and the team won their first championship in the team’s history in 2018. They went 43 years without winning the ultimate trophy before that. In 2019, the St. Louis Blues got to take their name off of this list after 51 years of never winning a Cup.

Here is a list of the longest Cup droughts, with several notable teams and a few that have come agonizingly close on multiple occasions.

Top 5 Longest Stanley Cup Droughts

5. Arizona Coyotes

 Length of Drought: 41 Years

Originally coming into the league as the Winnipeg Jets in 1979, the Arizona Coyotes are one of those 11 teams to never win the Stanley Cup. They relocated to Phoenix as the Phoenix Coyotes in 1996, and then in 2014 changed the name to the Arizona Coyotes. No matter their location or name though, the team has never even reached the Stanley Cup Final.

Their closest encounter came in the 2011-12 season, the only trip in franchise history to the Conference Final. They had just won the franchise’s first-ever Division title and were heading into the playoffs with home ice. In Round 1, they defeated the strong Blackhawks in six games, their first series win since 1987. They then defeated the Nashville Predators in five games to reach the third round and the Kings.

While they had a great run, the team fell in five games to the eventual Cup champions (who ended their 43-year drought in the process). Goaltender Mike Smith was the main reason the team went as far as they did, posting a 1.99 goals against average and a .944 save percentage.

Despite having some amazing players through the years like Teemu Selanne, Bobby Hull, Phil Housley, Keith Tkachuk, Shane Doan and Jeremy Roenick, the team has yet to really contend for the Cup.

4. Philadephia Flyers

 Length of Drought: 45 Years

The Philadelphia Flyers joined the league in 1967 and took just seven years to win their first Stanley Cup. That was in 1973-74 and they didn’t waste any time with their second, winning it again the following season. This was the most famous era in Flyers history, with the Bobby Clarke-led Broad Street Bullies terrorizing the league. Having Bernie Parent in net didn’t hurt either who, along with the Cup, won the Vezina Trophy and the Conn Smyth Trophy in both seasons.

Since their back-to-back Cup wins, the Flyers have had their chances. The season after their second title they were back in the Final when they were swept by the Montreal Canadiens. Since then, they’ve been to the Cup Final six times, most recently in 2009-10 when they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks, losing in overtime of Game 6. In that run, they joined a legendary list of sports teams to overcome a 3-0 playoff deficit and win the series in the Conference Semifinals versus the Boston Bruins.

The Flyers have had tremendous talent since their back-to-back Stanley Cups, from Eric Lindros to Marc Recchi to Mark Howe. Even now they have some of the best players in the league, including Claude Giroux and Jakub Voracek, but haven’t been able to get past the first round since 2011-12, not even making the playoffs every other season since.

T-2. Vancouver Canucks

 Length of Drought: 50 Years

The Vancouver Canucks have come awfully close on a few occasions. There were two Cinderella runs in 1982 and 1994, both against New York teams. They lost the first against the Islanders during their dynasty years despite the goaltending heroics of “King” Richard Brodeur. They then came agonizingly close in a heartbreaking Game 7 defeat against the Rangers in 1994.

That 1994 Canucks team led by Trevor Linden, Pavel Bure, and Kirk McLean might’ve been the most beloved team in franchise history, but it was the 2011 team that arguably hurt the most. Led by the Sedin Twins, Ryan Kesler, and Roberto Luongo, the Canucks exorcised their playoff demons against the Chicago Blackhawks before running into a wall against the big bad Bruins.

There was the infamous riot that ensued and shut down the downtown core of the city, and the Canucks haven’t come close since. After going through some turmoil and roster turnover, the Canucks are retooling and are expected to finish in the NHL basement for the next few seasons. As they look to get back into contention, Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser will be very much a part of that.

T-2. Buffalo Sabres

 Length of Drought: 50 Years

After joining the league in 1970-71 alongside the Canucks, the Buffalo Sabres took just four seasons to make it to the Stanley Cup Final. They did that in 1975 against the Flyers during their Broad Street Bullies era. The Sabres weren’t to be outdone with their French Connection trio of Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Rick Martin, but the Flyers were just too deep for the Cinderella Sabres who lost in six games.

The Sabres made another miraculous run to the 1999 Cup Final on the back of Dominik Hasek during the height of his league dominance. Despite all the magical stories from that spring, the only thing people still talk about is Brett Hull’s controversial foot in the crease goal that won the series in overtime.

After the 2005-06 lockout, the Sabres took off and looked poised to win their first Stanley Cup with an offensively gifted and deep roster led by Chris Drury, Daniel Briere and Ryan Miller in goal. They lost in back-to-back Conference Finals in 2006 and 2007, with the loss to the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006 going seven games.

The future is bright in Buffalo. If they contend soon, it’ll be Jack Eichel and Rasmus Dahlin who will hopefully bring the franchise their first Stanley Cup.

1. Toronto Maple Leafs

 Length of Drought: 53 Years

The Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in the NHL since joining the league in 1917. The Leafs have the second most Stanley Cup championships in league history behind the Canadiens (24) with 13 titles. The last came in 1966-67 when Toronto faced off against their arch-rivals from Montreal in a thrilling six-game series. Dave Keon was named just the third Conn Smythe Trophy winner in league history, and it capped off a remarkable four Stanley Cups in six years.

Since then the Leafs have gone through an agonizing stretch from trading Frank Mahovolich a year after winning the Cup, or the Harold Ballard years to that controversial Doug Gilmore high stick on Gretzky during the 1993 Playoffs. The Leafs have come close a few times but haven’t made it past the Conference Final since their 2002 loss to the Hurricanes.

Luckily for Toronto fans, with a core of Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Mitch Marner, the team has a real shot to end the drought in the near future.

Complete List of Stanley Cup Droughts

Here’s the complete 31-team list of Stanley Cup droughts in alphabetical order:

NOTES

Team Notes:

* The Arizona Coyotes were formerly the original Winnipeg Jets and became the Coyotes in 1995-96, so their streak is from when the Jets joined the NHL in 1979.

** The Minnesota Wild are a separate franchise than the former Minnesota North Stars. The North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993-94, winning the Stanley Cup in 1999.

*** Then there are the new Winnipeg Jets who were formerly the Atlanta Thrashers. The Thrashers joined the NHL in 1999-2000 and that franchise relocated to Winnipeg for the 2011-12 season.

Current Length of Drought Notes:

* The Dallas Stars, New York Islanders, Tampa Bay Lightning, and Vegas Golden Knights are all still competing in the 2020 NHL Playoffs, so their years have not yet been updated.

The post Longest Stanley Cup Droughts appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

By Josh Bell on Sep 07, 2020 01:07 pm

The NHL is getting faster. Gone are the days when hitting and grinding are enough to compete in the best league in the world. Now, speed and skill reign supreme. For some players, this comes more naturally than others.

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In today’s NHL, players have shifted their focus because of this. NHL trainer Matt Nichol noted this shift in focus, “It used to be guys would come into the gym and say they wanted to do a mixed bag of, ‘Get stronger, get stronger on the puck, get tougher in the corners.’ This, that, and the other. Now all you hear all day long is ‘Speed. Speed, I want to improve my speed.”

While more and more players in the league are blowing past their opponents, this is nothing the league hasn’t seen before. Throughout the history of the league, there have been players who flew through the neutral zone, circled the offensive zone, and left defenders in their snow.

Speed gives players a big advantage because of this. If no one can catch you, they can’t take the puck from you. With that in mind, let’s take a look back at some of the fastest players in NHL history (alphabetical order).

Peter Bondra, Right Wing

In the 1990s, Peter Bondra became a fixture for the Washington Capitals. The two-time 50-goal scorer participated in the NHL All-Star Game five times through the ’90s, and he did it largely based on his speed.

Bondra is a two-time winner of the NHL’s Fastest Skater competition, first winning in 1997 with a time of 13.610, and again two years later with a time of 14.64. Bondra was the third player to ever win the competition twice – we’ll get to the two others.

The “Slovakian Bullet” is one of the most explosive skaters of all time, using his wide stance to make him nearly impossible to knock off the puck. Of course, you’d also have to catch him to do that. Bondra finished his career with 503 goals, 389 assists, and 892 points in 1,081 games.

Pavel Bure, Right Wing

If only Pavel Bure had experienced the offensive overindulgence of the 1980s or the paroled freedom of the game’s modern form. A virtual prisoner during an era known for natural-zone traps, Bure still earned the nickname, “Russian Rocket.”

Like a muscle car stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Bure did his best to skate through the defensive muck. He added a bit of grace to what was a stagnant style across the league. Three times Bure led the NHL in goals and twice topped the 60-goal milestone. Bure was at his best racing with the Vancouver Canucks all the way to Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Final.

Even in his first shift in the league, he left fans, opponents, and his own team in awe. Teammate Cliff Ronning remembers watching, “I’ve never seen a guy skate that fast, that confident and go end-to-end. I don’t know if you’ll ever see it again how fast he skated. I don’t know how fast he was going. I don’t think anyone’s ever skated that fast.”

Despite injuries and left-wing locks, Bure managed to register 437 goals among 779 points. He was enshrined into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Paul Coffey, Defenseman

There was Bobby Orr and then there was Paul Coffey, two of the best skating defensemen to ever patrol a blue line. A member of the speed-dominated Edmonton Oilers’ teams of the 1980s, Coffey skated at full bore by his second step. His top-end speed, which only took him one or two steps to get to, was evident during the Oilers’ dynasty years when he often commanded offensive charges.

What’s interesting about Coffey, is that while he’s one of the smoothest skating players of all time, he did it while wearing skates two sizes too small. This apparently gave him the control he needed to fly across the ice. Well, it seems to have worked for him as he holds the mark for most goals in a season by a defenseman (48 in 1985-86) and ranks second in career goals (396), assists (1,135) and points (1,531).

A four-time Stanley Cup champion and three-time Norris winner, Coffey played roles in three titles with the Oilers (1984, 1985 and 1987) and one with the Penguins (1991). Able to outrace forwards, Coffey often collected loose pucks and pinched in the offensive zone to challenge the reflexes of opposing goalies.

Yvan Cournoyer, Forward

Considered by many to be the fastest of the famous “Flying Frenchmen,” Cournoyer ignited a Montreal Canadiens attack featuring more than one speed burner. The “Roadrunner” just couldn’t be caught.

Chicago Blackhawks defender John Marks described Cournoyer the best during the 1973 Stanley Cup Final. After defeating the New York Rangers, Marks and the Blackhawks faced the Canadiens.

“One step and Cournoyer is gone. I thought I’d be able to skate with him the way I skated with the Rangers, but he’s something else. He just disappears on you.”

Cournoyer was small (5-foot-7, 175 pounds), agile and quick from the first step. He capped his Hall-of-Fame career with 428 goals and helped propel the Canadiens to 10 Stanley Cup championships during his 15-year career, which ended in 1979. Named one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players,” Cournoyer often credited the longer blades he used on his skates for his additional boost.

Sergei Fedorov, Center

A top two-way talent, Sergei Fedorov’s speed helped the Detroit Red Wings capture three Stanley Cups (1997, 1998 and 2002). He also earned the 1994 Hart Memorial Trophy. A center who often played the point on power plays, Fedorov was able to quickly drive from one end of the rink to the other and cover plays.

While he didn’t have the acceleration that some of the others on this list have, it was his long, powerful stride that left defenders spinning. This high top speed is what helped Federov win the first NHL Fastest Skater Competition in 1992 with a time of 14.363, and then become the first player to win it twice in 1994 with a time of 13.525.

On offense, Fedorov’s quick stride consistently created space between the puck and defenders. The 2015 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee collected 483 goals and 696 assists in 1,248 career games with the Wings, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets and Washington Capitals.

Fedorov endured a cloak-and-dagger beginning to his NHL career. In 1990, he escaped the Iron Curtain and was smuggled out of Russia by Red Wings officials. Fedorov’s speed was so enticing, the Red Wings dared to execute the Cold War mission and pioneered the wave of Europeans currently competing in the NHL.

Mike Gartner, Right Wing

Mike Gartner was generally known as the fastest skater in the NHL while he played. Gartner was exhausting. Just ask any defender who attempted to match stride-for-stride with him. In his 30s, Gartner captured two of the NHL’s Fastest Skater competitions in 1993 with a time of 13.510 and in 1996 with a new-record of 13.386. The mark stood for 20 years.*

Gartner’s speed helped separate himself from defenders, gaining enough space to collect 708 goals among 1,335 points in 1,432 games. He maintained his elusive speed throughout his career, scoring 30-plus goals for 15 consecutive seasons.

If Gartner exhausted opponents, imagine how difficult it was for his linemates to match strides with the 2001 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee? Talk about exhausting.

Bobby Hull, Left Wing

Some players are fast skaters. Some players have a hard shot. Few, if any, possess the combined talents at such elite levels, like Bobby Hull. It’s little wonder opposing coaches often assigned two defenders to guard the “Golden Jet.”

In 1968, Popular Mechanics released a story that Hull reached speeds of 47.8 kilometres per hour (29.7 miles per hour). Whether the math behind that is correct or not, there’s now questioning he lived up to his nickname.

One of the NHL’s most polarizing personalities, Hull tested league and team boundaries with his off-ice antics. He even jumped to the WHA in 1972 over a salary spat and became a $1 million (plus) man. During his 23-year professional career, Hull claimed the Hart Memorial Trophy twice and Art Ross Trophy three times.

Hull led the Blackhawks to the 1961 Stanley Cup and the WHA’s Winnipeg Jets to three Avco Cup titles (1976, 1978 and 1979). He scored 610 NHL goals and 303 WHA goals, including a 77-goal season in 1974-75. Hull led the league in goals seven times. He is the only player to accomplish the feat.

Sami Kapanen, Left Wing

Not as big a name as some of the others on this list, Sami Kapanen needs to be mentioned as one of the fastest players in the history of the game. One of just six players to ever win two of the NHL’s Fastest Skater competitions, with times of 13.649 in 2000 and 14.039 in 2002. Kapanen had bested those numbers though, once recording a lap of 12.7 seconds.

The father of Toronto Maple Leafs Kasperi Kapanen played in 831 games in his NHL career, scoring 189 goals, 269 assists and 458 points. So far, it looks as though his speed has been passed down to his son.

Connor McDavid, Centre

If there’s one player that is currently playing in the NHL that deserves to be on this list, it’s Connor McDavid. McDavid is the first player to win back-to-back NHL Fastest Skater competitions and the first to win three – and he did so consecutively. His three winning totals are the first, second and fourth times in the event all-time at 13.310, 13.378, and 13.454.*

With new technologies now available, Sportsnet broke down McDavid’s speed – a speed that crosses 40 kilometres an hour (40.9 and 25.4 miles per hour). The Edmonton Oilers’ captain wouldn’t be able to skate through school zones.

McDavid’s speed has his peers across the league stumped. They can’t keep up with him, they can’t catch him, and they can’t figure out what to do with him.

Washington Capitals’ centre Evgeny Kuznetsov: “The way he skates, it’s something impossible, right?”

Winnipeg Jets’ forward Mark Scheifele: “He glides faster than a lot of us skate.”

Dallas Stars’ captain Jamie Benn: “I don’t know how he does it.”

Even Coffey’s jaw dropped when he first saw McDavid blowing past defenders.“What the hell was that?” Coffey asked. “That McDavid looks like he’s in another league.”

To which Wayne Gretzky responded, “Paul, you used to do that every other game.”

McDavid credits his speed and skating to rollerblading growing up. He went from ice skates to inline skates and back. It seems to work, as the superstar is already arguably the best, or at least the fastest, skater of all time.

Scott Niedermayer, Defenseman

When one thinks about graceful skaters, Niedermayer instantly comes to mind. A two-time winner of the NHL’s Fastest Skater competition (13.560 in 1998 and 13.783 in 2004), Niedermayer’s speed fueled four Stanley Cup championship drives with the New Jersey Devils and Anaheim Mighty Ducks.

When one thinks of Niedermayer’s style, “fluid” is often utilized to describe the 2004 James Norris Memorial Trophy winner. The precision of the plays he executed while at top speed prevented opponents from keeping pace. Pinching in to make an offensive play as he often did, Niedermayer had enough speed to blaze his way back to defend a play at the other end of the ice.

Voted as a member of the “100 Greatest NHL Players,” the Hall-of-Famer played in 1,263 career games, scoring 172 goals, 568 assists and 740 points.

Bobby Orr, Defenseman

When Bobby Orr entered the NHL in 1966, he was a blur. From Point A to Point B, no one could get there quicker. Orr’s skating ability is legendary. He revolutionized his position and modernized the sport with each smooth glide. He was true athletic poetry in motion.

Orr was the first true offensive defenseman. He often led Boston Bruins forwards down the ice for scoring chances. He compiled a record 139 points in 1974-75, the season before suffering a major knee injury.

In his prime, Orr earned the popular vote for being the fastest skater ever. It’s a true shame he retired at 30 because of recurring knee issues and couldn’t play on. Just recall the buzz-haired wonder zipping around the ice. His speed couldn’t be matched or duplicated. It was such a thing of beauty.

Maurice Richard, Right Wing

Early in his career, Maurice Richard was known as “The Comet.” Later, teammate Ray Getliffe joked Richard “went in like a rocket” when he charged the net for scoring opportunities. Local media members heard the quip and ran with “The Rocket.” A legend was born.

Honoured as one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players,” Richard’s speed and tenacity drove him to become the first skater to score 50 goals in a season (1944-45) and reach the 500-goal milestone. Over his 18-year career, all with the Canadiens, Richard scored 544 goals and played a role in eight Stanley Cup championships.

Richard’s swiftness allowed him to bolt around defenders and his agility prevented them from pausing his progression toward the net. Named to 14 NHL All-Star Teams, Richard earned the 1947 Hart Trophy after scoring 45 goals in just 60 games.

Honourable Mentions (Alphabetical)

Syl Apps, Bob Bourne, Andrew Cogliano, Marian Gaborik, Michael Grabner, Carl Hagelin, Erik Karlsson, Guy Lafleur, Dylan Larkin, Frank Mahovlich, Alexander Mogilny, Howie Morenz, Gilbert Perreault, Teemu Selanne.

*In 2012, 2015, and 2016, Carl Hagelin, Jonathan Drouin and Dylan Larkin set what would be the top-three all-time records in the NHL Fastest Skater competition. However, in these three years, players were given a head start to the red line, where the timer started. In all other years, players started from a standing position.

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