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Who are the top centers in NHL history? Here is our top 10 countdown:
10. Bryan Trottier: starting off his career as Rookie of the Year, Trottier tallied 1,400+ career points and won both the Hart and Ross Trophies in 1978-1979, eventually becoming a cornerstone of the New York Islanders dynasty of the early 1980s that won four Stanley Cups (and winning the Conn Smythe for the first title).
9. Stan Mikita: one of the first great European-born NHL players, Mikita spent his entire 22-year career with the Chicago Blackhawks, accumulating 1,467 career points (most in team history) while winning four Ross Trophies, two Hart Trophies, and one Stanley Cup with the team.
8. Joe Sakic: the heart and soul of the Colorado Avalanche (and predecessor Quebec Nordiques) for nearly two decades, Sakic accumulated 1,641 career points during his Hall of Fame career; in addition to leading the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup in their inaugural season (winning Conn Smythe honors in the process) he also won a Hart/Pearson/Lady Byng trifecta in 2000-2001.
7. Steve Yzerman: the longest-serving captain in NHL history, Yzerman played his entire career with the Detroit Red Wings, racking up 692 goals and 1,063 assists for 1,755 career points and leading the team to three Stanley Cups titles.
6. Sidney Crosby: dubbed “The Next One” and considered the heir apparent to Wayne Gretzky, Crosby has done it all in his NHL career so far while also serving as captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins for well over a decade: 1,200+ career points, Hart Trophies (2x), Ross Trophies (2x), Richard Trophies (2x), Pearson Awards (3x), Conn Smythes (2x), and Stanley Cups (3x).
5. Mark Messier: despite playing in Wayne Gretzky’s shadow earlier in his career (he may be the best second-line center ever), Messier is the third all-time leading scorer and the only player ever to captain two different teams to Stanley Cup titles (Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers); individually, he was a 2x Hart Trophy and Pearson Award winner and also took home a Conn Smythe as part of his six championships.
4. Jean Beliveau: the first Conn Smythe Trophy winner in NHL history, Beliveau was a 2x Hart Trophy winner who tallied over 1,200 career points and won 10 Stanley Cups during his 20-year playing career with the Montreal Canadiens; moreover, he won seven additional titles as an executive with the team, thus giving him a total of 17 Stanley Cup titles with Montreal.
3. Phil Esposito: in addition to scoring a then-record 76 goals in 1970-1971, Esposito led the league in goals for six straight years in the 1970s, including five straight with 50+, and retired as the NHL’s second-leading goal-scorer behind only Gordie Howe; he won also two Harts, two Pearson, and five Ross Trophies while leading the Boston Bruins to two championships.
2. Mario Lemieux: despite being slowed by illness and injury at various points in his career, Lemieux is one of the game’s all-time legends – his accomplishments and accolades include 690 goals (second highest goals-per-game average in NHL history) and 1,033 assists for 1,723 career points, three Hart Trophies, six Ross Trophies, four Pearson Awards, and two Conn Smythes while leading the Penguins to back-to-back Stanley Cups in the early 1990s.
1. Wayne Gretzky: known as “The Great One”, Gretzky holds a slew of NHL single-season and career records, including most career goals, assists, and points (if you took away all of his goals, he would STILL have the most points in NHL history!); moreover, he won nine Hart Trophies, 10 Ross Trophies, five Pearsons, five Lady Byngs, and four Stanley Cups with two Conn Smythes.
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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