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Countdown 64: Top 10 NHL Players of the 1980s

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Who are the top NHL players of the 1980s?  Here is our top 10 countdown:

10. Dale Hawerchuk: after bursting onto the stage in 1981-1982 as the youngest player in NHL history with 100+ points in a season, Hawerchuk racked up six 100+ point seasons and four All-Star Game appearances en route to 900+ points for the decade.

9. Denis Savard: a model of consistency throughout the decade, Savard was one of four players to rack up 1,000+ points in the 1980s, producing five 100+ point seasons and six All-Star Game selections in the process.

8. Paul Coffey: one of the greatest offensive defensemen of all-time, Coffey was far and away the highest-scoring blueliner of the decade with 950+ points (including a record 48 goals for a defenseman in 1985-1986), earning seven All-Star Game selections, a pair of Norris Trophies, and three Stanley Cup titles in the 1980s.

7. Peter Stastny: after defecting from his native Czechoslovakia and becoming the first rookie with 100+ points in a season in 1980-1981, Stastny made six All-Star Games and posted seven 100+ point seasons en route to being the second-highest scoring player of the 1980s with over 1,000 points (behind only Wayne Gretzky).

6. Mike Bossy: with the third-highest goals per game average of the decade, Bossy was a 6x All-Star Game selection and 3x Lady Byng winner who posted seven straight 50-goal seasons (including 50 goals in 50 games in 1980-1981) and led the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cup titles with a Conn Smythe Trophy.

5. Mark Messier: as part of the great 1980s Edmonton Oilers dynasty, Messier was a 6x All-Star Game selection who tallied 900+ points for the decade and won a Conn Smythe Trophy as part of four Stanley Cup-winning teams.

4. Jari Kurri: perhaps the best all-around player on the Oilers dynasty of the 1980s, Kurri was one of just four players to score 1,000+ points for the decade, tallying the second-most goals after Gretzky and earning six All-Star Game selections, a Lady Byng Trophy, a goal scoring crown, and four Stanley Cup titles.

3. Ray Bourque: the highest-scoring defenseman in league history, Bourque began the decade with the 1979-1980 Calder Trophy and proceeded to play in every All-Star Game for the decade while scoring 750+ points and winning two Norris Trophies with top-five finishes every season.

2. Mario Lemieux: the 1984-1985 Calder Trophy winner, Lemieux scored 800+ points in the 1980s and averaged the second-highest points per game for the decade (nearly 2 points per game, including career-highs of 85 goals and 114 assists for 199 points in 1988-1989) en route to four All-Star Game selections, two Ross Trophies, two Pearson Awards, and the 1987-1988 Hart Trophy.

1. Wayne Gretzky: without a doubt the top player of the 1980s, Gretzky was far and away the decade’s top scorer with 1,800+ points, nearly 800 points ahead of second place (in fact, his assists alone would still place him first); with no fewer than 137 points in a season, including single-season records for goals (92), assists (163), and points (215), he was an All-Star Game selection every year and won nine Hart Trophies, seven Ross Trophies, five Pearson Awards, four Stanley Cups, two Conn Smythe Trophies, and a Lady Byng Trophy.

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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