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Bourque by the by Your Take: Who should have made the Top Eight?
Posted: Monday April 19, 1999 04:25 PM
CNN/SI asked users who should have made the Top Eight list for the Century's Best Hockey players. Many of you affirmed your support for most of the list, with the exception of a large contingent of users who thought Ray Bourque should have made it. Here's a handful of your responses... Mike Bossy won four consecutive Stanley Cups, and averaged 1.50 PPG in his career. If Bossy had played as many games as Gordie Howe he could have amassed 2646 points! Considering what Bossy could have accomplished had his career not been cut short by injuries, it becomes obvious that he is one of the greatest players ever. -- Mark Norman, Vancouver, British Columbia Jaromir Jagr. Perhaps it's too early, but he is the only player other than Gretzky and Lemieux to lead the league in scoring since Gretzky entered the league. Alos, Mark Messier is the greatest leader in sports history. -- Ed Friedman, New York, NY
Phil Esposito comes to mind. He is third on the all-time scoring list. He and Bobby Orr led the Bruins to a pair of Stanley Cups. -- Wayne Tillman Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Rather than complimenting or criticizing you on your short Top Eight list, let me list some of the great names that were omitted: Turk Broda, Ted Lindsay, Henri Richard, Jean Beliveau, Georges Vezina, George Hainsworth, Guy Lafleur, Marcel Dionne, and Ted Kennedy. Each of these greats could single handedly turn a game around, and did just that, time after time. -- Chris Gory, Toronto, Ontario What other perennial 50-plus goal scorer so completely changed his game to one based in Scotty Bowman's defense first philosophy, yet continues to excel in all facets, including goal production, playmaking, defense, penalty killing, power plays and face offs (an overlooked statistic) year in and year out? Add in the intangible qualities of leadership on and off the ice and how he makes everybody on his lines play better? The answer is clearly Stevie Yzerman, who is one of the best eight players in the NHL. -- Al Golden, Ann Arbor, MI I agree with seven of your eight picks. Guy Lafleur should be on the list. Art Ross(3),Hart(2),Conn Smythe(1) and several Stanley Cups(5). He sold hockey in the 1970's. He was part of the greatest team ever (Les Canadiens de Montreal). He was an impact player as much as Richard, Howe, Gretzky, Lemieux, and Orr. -- Jean Jobin, Dallas, TX Vladislav Tretiak. He was possibly the greatest goalie ever and is certainly the most decorated. He was a model ambassador for the sport and the only player adored on a team hated unanimously (but respected) by North American fans. -- Steve Saunders, Calgary, Alberta I believe Ken Dryden should have been included on your list of greats. Though his career spanned only a decade, his accomplishments are staggering. Consider: 6 Stanley Cups in 10 seasons -- including a championship the season before he was named rookie of the year! -- Steve Caratzas, Brooklyn, NY Patrick Roy. The games all-time winningest net minder with several good years left to play. Three Stanley Cup rings -- and he keeps them in his ears. Few players in the history of sports consistently elevate their game to such greatness in the playoffs. Can win a Cup for you by himself. -- Chris Graham, Phoenix, AZ I think there should have been separate sides for players and goalies. Influential people like Terry Sawchuck, Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, Billy Smith, Grant Fuhr, Patrick Roy all have contributed to the future of hockey. Paul Coffey also has a strong case to be added to the list. -- Scott All, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada In a time where the level of talent in the NHL has soared, Ray Bourque has consistently remained one of the best defensemen in the NHL. He has carried the cash-strapped Bruins for many years and is the main reason the Bruins have made the playoffs during Bourque's career. Aside from Mario Lemieux turning him inside-out in the playoffs a few years back, Ray Bourque has had a picture perfect career. I would have preferred seeing gentleman Ray Bourque amongst the best instead of loud mouth Bobby Hull who scored half of his goals because the goaltenders ducked out of the way! -- Steve Russell, Rochester, MN Mark Messier is the greatest team player in the modern era. Others may have scored more points, played a flashier game, but nobody played a better two-way game -- and no one was a greater on-the-ice leader than Messier. Wayne Gretzky won four Stanley Cups with Messier, but Messier did the impossible with the Rangers. -- Matt Carnicelli, New York, NY
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