The other day our good friend Sean Leahy at Puck Daddy gave us his roster for an all-time hockey dream team. Says Sean;
Listening to Toronto's FAN590 this week inspired me to write this post. On the show Hockey Central with host Doug Farraway, he brought up a contest the station was doing about naming your dream hockey squad. Consisting of four forward lines, three defensive pairings and two goaltenders, this dream team could be made up from any players from any era.
What at first glance seems like a simple enough question is actually quite the thinker. There are just so many ways to go. Do you take current stars like Ovechkin, Crosby, Lidstrom, and Broduer, or do you go old school, taking guys like Joe Malone, Frank Mahovlich, and Sid Abel? Do you take all Hall of Famers, or do you mix things up? Can you take players based on specific moments, like Jim Craig at Lake Placid, or do you take into account his lackluster pro career and skip over him?
Leahy is encouraging all to submit their rosters, and it will be interesting to see how serious, and outlandish, people can get. There will be the numerous inclusions of Gretzky and Lemieux, and Orr and Roy (yes I've included them on my team), but it will be a treat to see how people fill out the rest of their rosters.
The choices are endless, and I have a feeling you'll be able to tell a lot about a person by who they pick? Do they follow the pack and take the easy picks, or do they go off the charts and put together an intriguing team? Will they take legendary greats from the early years of hockey, or will they stick with guys they know for a fact are scary good?
Well without further adieu, I present my own Hockey Dream Team.
First Line: Wayne Gretzky, Joe Sakic, Mario Lemieux
Yes they are all centers, but for my top line I'd like to think I have a little leeway. This is a pure scoring line, with Gretzky and Lemieux surrounded one of the least selfish and classiest players in the NHL in Joe Sakic. Who wouldn't want to see Burnaby Joe dishing the puck all over the ice to the two greatest goal scorers hockey has ever seen? Everyone will have The Great One and Super Mario somewhere on their teams, but it's Sakic that would provide the leadership and class to drive this team.
Second Line: Alex Ovechkin, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe
This is my heart and soul line. Ovechkin plays every shift like it's his last, and will without question finish his career as the best left winger ever to play the game. Espo was a great playmaker and finisher, and was a hero in Boston. Who else at the time could inspire a bumper sticker that read "Jesus saves, Espo scores on the rebound." He also holds the record for most shots on goal in a season with 550. Throw in Mr. Hockey, and you've got possibly the best crash-the-net line anywhere. Whoever is in net will be seeing so much rubber his head will be spinning.
Third Line: Valery Kharlamov, Frank "One-Eye" McGee, Maurice "Rocket" Richard
This is my skill line. The natural talent found here is unmatched. Kharlamov lead the most feared hockey team in the world for nearly 20 years. He was a hero in the Soviet Union, and was so devastating in the 1972 Summit Series that Bobby Clarke broke his ankle to slow him down. Frank McGee still holds the record for most goals in a Stanley Cup game with 14. Said Frank Patrick; "He was even better than they say he was. He had everything - speed, stickhandling, scoring ability and was a punishing checker. He was strongly built but beautifully proportioned and he had an almost animal rhythm." And of course Rocket Richard was so loved and revered he could have taken over Canada if he really wanted to. As Sean put it, "Richard ... well, he caused a riot after nailing a linesman." He also knew how to score goals...lots of 'em.
Fourth Line: Ted Lindsay, Jean Beliveau, Bernie "Boom-Boom" Geoffrion
This is the tough guy line. "Terrible Ted" was both a scoring champion and a physical player. And you've got to respect anyone that has a lifelong fued with Conn Smythe. As for Beliveau, he was a class act who just so happens to have his name on the Stanley Cup a record 17 times (10 as a player, 7 as an executive). And I'm shamelessly piggybacking on Greg when I throw in Boom-Boom Geoffrion, mostly due to the fact that he originated the slap shot, which lends its name to the famous movie, which is possibly Hollywood's single greatest contribution to mankind. Bernie also was famous for playing through bad injuries, breaking his nose several times and getting hundreds of stitches over his career.
Defense, First Pair: Bobby Orr, Nicklas Lidstrom
Much like Shaone Morrisonn was Mike Green's safety blanket this season, Lidstrom would be the safeguard for the ever-rushing Orr. While Orr would cruise the offensive zone, Lidstrom could glide up to the offensive blueline, waiting for the feed to either unleash a shot or work the puck around, quarterbacking the play from up top. They very well may be the two best defensemen ever, so they are deserving of each other as the top pairing.
Defense, Second Pair: Lionel Conacher, Doug Harvey
Conacher was such a stellar all-around athlete that he was named Canada's top male athlete of the half-century in 1950. Nicknamed "The Big Train" he was an imposing player, standing 6'2", 195 lbs. before skates. He played in a time before the Norris Trophy was awarded to the top defenseman in the NHL, or else he would certainly have one to his name. Harvey, on the other hand, has several Norris Trophies, 7 to be exact. He knew how to get the job done.
Defense, Third Pair: Ray Bourque, Chris Pronger
I'm showing a little home team pride with my choice of Ray Bourque. He holds records for most points by a defenseman and most goals. He spent nearly his entire career with the Bruins, leaving for the last year and a half to win a Cup, his only one, with Colorado. His class will offset the nastiness found with Chris Pronger. Pronger holds the last defensive spot for being a heavy hitter who also happens to be insane. He is a fan of the bodycheck and heavy slapshot, but doesn't mind resorting to stomping or clobbering someone in the head with his stick. He is so unbalanced that opposing teams will think twice before messing with anyone on the team.
Goalie, Starting: Patrick Roy
No one matches Roy's credentials. He was a Vezina winner, Conn Smythe winner, and is the winningest goalie in NHL history. His early success as a Cup and Conn Smythe winner in his rookie season, which he didn't even start in net. He was a great netminder in crucial games, and Roy wasn't afraid to mix things up, fighting both Chris Osgood and Mike Vernon. He was a sort of wild child, but there's no one you'd rather have in net to get a big win.
Goalie, Backup: Vladislav Tretiak
Tretiak paired with Kharlamov to be the other half of the feared duo on the Soviet Olympic teams. He won multiple gold medals, and it is widely regarded that he would have most likely had a 3rd if coach Viktor Tikhonov had left him in goal for the remainder of the Miracle on Ice game. Part of his success came from the mystery surrounding the Soviet team. Not many teams beat the Soviets, and Tretiak was considered to be nearly unbeatable between the pipes. The mystery only adds to his allure.
So there you have it, my personal Dream Team. Feel free to let us know who you would pick. Remember, we all know that you'll put Gretzky and Lemieux in there; we're interested to see who else you put in. So take your time and think, it's certainly not an easy process. We'll be here waiting...
