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Who are the top little guys in NHL history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
Note: Updated in 2021.
10. Martin St. Louis: undrafted and a bit of a late bloomer, the 5’8” St. Louis nevertheless won a Hart Trophy, two Ross Trophies, a Pearson Award, and a Stanley Cup title while scoring over 1,000 career points en route to the Hall of Fame.
9. Paul Kariya: the first pick in the history of the expansion Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, the 5’10” Kariya was one of the most electrifying players in the NHL in the mid to late 1990s, posting both 50-goal and 100-point seasons; though he was beset by injuries later on, he still nearly scored 1,000 career points (989) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
8. Johnny Bower: despite only playing 77 NHL games before the age of 34, the 5’9” Bower still won two Vezina Trophies and led the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cup titles while playing until the age of 45.
7. Rod Gilbert: the first player in New York Rangers history to have his number retired, the 5’9” Gilbert was part of the famous “GAG” line (“Goal-a-Game”) in the late 1960s and early 1970s and had 1,021 career points during his Hall of Fame career.
6. Yvan Cournoyer: known as “The Roadrunner” for his blazing speed, the 5’7” Cournoyer was a Hall of Famer who tallied 863 career points and won 10 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, including being named Conn Smythe winner in 1972-1973.
5. Bernie Geoffrion: one of the first NHL players to utilize the slapshot, the 5’9” Geoffrion won both the Hart and Ross Trophies during his Hall of Fame career, and was just the second player in league history to score 50 goals in a season (after Maurice Richard) en route to 393 career goals scored.
4. Dave Keon: one of the top two-way players of his era, the 5’9” Keon wore the Maple Leafs uniform for 15 seasons and won four Stanley Cups (including Conn Smythe honors in 1966-1967) and two Lady Byngs while scoring nearly 1,000 career points.
3. Ted Lindsay: the namesake of the Lindsay Award (previously known as the Pearson Award) for most outstanding player in the regular season, the 5’8” Lindsay was tough as nails, winning the 1949-1950 Ross Trophy and accumulating 851 career points while leading the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cups during his Hall of Fame career.
2. Henri Richard: the younger brother of goal-scoring virtuoso Maurice, 5’7” Henri was a Hall of Fame player in his own right – in 20 seasons, he tallied over 1,000 career points and his 11 Stanley Cup titles are the most-ever for an individual player in league history.
1. Marcel Dionne: drafted second overall in 1971, the 5’8” Dionne toiled for most of his career with the Los Angeles Kings and is one of the greatest players to have never won a Stanley Cup, but was nevertheless a Ross Trophy (1x) and Pearson Trophy (2x) winner who had eight 100-point seasons and is sixth on the NHL’s all-time scoring list with 1,771 career points.
Agree/Disagree? As always, debate/discuss, and leave your thoughts and comments below.
Note: All statistics as of time of publication.
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Countdown 21: Top 10 Power Forwards in NBA History
