Most Talented Hockey Players of All Time

Nicknamed "The Great One," he is generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL), and has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. Upon his retirement on April 18, 1999, he held forty regular-season records, fifteen playoff records, and six All-Star records. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season—a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, he tallied over 100 points in 16 WHA/NHL seasons (15 in NHL and 1 in WHA), 14 of them consecutive. Gretzky's jersey number, 99, has been retired by all teams in the National Hockey League. He was voted one of six players to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team in a poll conducted by a group of 56 experts from 16 countries. Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers.[2] Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and he could consistently anticipate where the puck was going to be and execute the right move at the right time. Gretzky also became known for setting up behind the net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office" because of his skills there. After his retirement in 1999, he was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and is the most recent player to have the waiting period waived.

In his 16-season National Hockey League (NHL) career, he played for the Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres, Detroit Red Wings, and the Ottawa Senators. During his years in Buffalo, he became the league's finest goaltender, earning him the nickname "The Dominator". His strong play has been credited with establishing European goaltenders in a league widely dominated by North Americans. Hašek was one of the league's most successful goaltenders of the 1990s and early 2000s. From 1993 to 2001, he won six Vezina Trophies, and in 1998 he became the first goaltender to win consecutive Hart Trophies.[2] During the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, he led the Czech national ice hockey team to its first and only Olympic gold medal. The feat made him a popular figure in his home country[3] and prompted hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to call him "the best player in the game".[4] While with the Red Wings in 2002, Hašek became the first European starting goaltender to win the Stanley Cup.[5] In the process, he set a record for shutouts in a postseason year. Hašek is considered an unorthodox goaltender, with a distinct style that has labeled him a "flopper".[6] He is best known for his concentration, foot speed, flexibility, and unconventional saves, such as covering the puck with his blocker rather than his trapper.[6] Hašek is the only goalie in NHL history to win the Hart Memorial Trophy twice (most valuable player). He holds the highest saving percentage in all time career (92.23%) [7] and the highest saving percentage in a single season [8] (1998–99) (93.66%). Hašek is regarded as a future Hall of Famer by those in the hockey world.[

One of the most naturally gifted forwards in NHL history, Gilbert Perreault dazzled fans and the opposition defenses with his famed end-to-end rushes. He was the first building block in place when Punch Imlach began assembling the Buffalo Sabres in 1970. Throughout his nearly 17-year career that was spent entirely with Buffalo, Perreault was consistently one of the game's most entertaining figures. His laid-back and shy personality kept him from gaining the fame of some of the other stars of his era. The fortunes of the Buffalo franchise were enhanced by the placement of wingers Richard Martin and Rene Robert with Perreault. The French Connection became the most exciting trio in the league and was a major reason the Sabres qualified for the playoffs in only their third year of existence. A gentleman on the ice, Perreault was the recipient of the Lady Byng Trophy in 1973. Perreault was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1990.

Norris trophy winner in 2012... enough said