# Who's the greatest AMERICAN hockey player of all time? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [September 22, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140 "2011-09-22T02:17:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/1 "2011-09-22T02:17:43Z")
Discussion of the best hockey player of all time usually center around Canadians - Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemiuex. But just a moment ago, TSN proposed a fascinating question; who’s the best \*\*American \*\*hockey player ever? Of course, there’s the issue of whether or not you count Brett Hull as American. I threw him into the poll, what the hell, but disqualify him if you wish. Discuss and vote! ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/2 "2011-09-22T02:19:39Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I threw him into the poll… Uh, poll? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/3 "2011-09-22T02:46:28Z")
Moved Cafe Society --\> the Game Room. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/4 "2011-09-22T02:55:22Z")
I voted for Tom Barasso mainly because I went to high school with him. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/5 "2011-09-22T02:58:12Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I voted for Tom Barasso mainly because I went to high school with him. 🙂 LOL! I voted for Chelios, in part, because I went to college with him. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/6 "2011-09-22T02:59:54Z")
Hobey Baker. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/7 "2011-09-22T03:21:48Z")
Just because, I’ll vote for Chris Drury. > [@](#): > > Christopher Drury (born August 20, 1976) is an American retired professional ice hockey player. Drury is a Hobey Baker Award-winner with Boston University, a Calder Trophy winner with the Colorado Avalanche, a Stanley Cup champion with the Avalanche, a two-time Olympic silver medalist with the United States, and a former captain of the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. As a child, he also won the Little League Baseball World Series Championship with his hometown team from Trumbull, Connecticut. He is sometimes known by the nickname “McDrury”. Why, “just because”?: Any kid that can be the premier pitcher on a team that wins the Little League World Series, chooses hockey, wins the Hobey Baker award, have his name on the Stanley Cup, etc. Well, in my mind that’s quite a career. ---
**Author:** ![Hap\_Shaughnessy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecc23a/32.png) [@Hap\_Shaughnessy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hap_Shaughnessy)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/8 "2011-09-22T04:17:38Z")
I voted for Leetch, but almost voted for Lafontaine. I consider them like 1a & 1b among USian hockey players, but as a defenceman myself, I had to lean Leetch. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/9 "2011-09-22T04:24:58Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > LOL! I voted for Chelios, in part, because I went to college with him. 😃 I am near Detroit and I have been in his bars. He will work in back of the bar and is nice for meet and greet. That is why I voted for Hull. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/10 "2011-09-22T04:40:03Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > I am near Detroit and I have been in his bars. He will work in back of the bar and is nice for meet and greet. That is why I voted for Hull. 😕😕😕 ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/11 "2011-09-22T12:35:56Z")
Sorry, but Brett Hull isn’t the best American player. He was the best player that never played for Canada. I voted, no big surprise, for Modano. The way his game developed over the course of his career was amazing. He added strong, responsible defense to his ability to make things happen on offense. Hockey works in Dallas (it really does) because of Modano. He is a nice guy with a smoking hot wife, and I expect he’ll be a Hall of Famer at the earliest possible chance. ---
**Author:** ![kjckjc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e36b37/32.png) [@kjckjc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kjckjc)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/12 "2011-09-22T12:47:52Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I voted for Tom Barasso mainly because I went to high school with him. 🙂 And I voted for him mainly because we are (second) cousins. 🙂 And because I think he is a great hockey player. ---
**Author:** ![HongKongFooey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c4cdca/32.png) [@HongKongFooey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HongKongFooey)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/13 "2011-09-22T15:04:57Z")
I voted Modano. Strangely it’s because I think he’s the best player to come out of the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/14 "2011-09-22T17:59:54Z")
I voted Lafontaine and my rational was that he was the closest player on that list to be considered ‘best in the league’ at any point. I’d put leech second, modano third, then hull. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/15 "2011-09-22T23:13:51Z")
If Hull is eliminated, then it has to be Modano. he has the numbers. But Chelios played defense. that is not where the numbers are. But he played solid D for 2 decades. ---
**Author:** ![Harborwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@Harborwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harborwolf)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/16 "2011-09-22T23:29:19Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > If Hull is eliminated, then it has to be Modano. he has the numbers. But Chelios played defense. that is not where the numbers are. But he played solid D for 2 decades. That’s why I voted for Cheli. The man was a machine. His stats aren’t as glossy as Modano’s, but he was rock solid for longer than most even play the sport. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/17 "2011-09-22T23:47:04Z")
> [@drm](#): > > I voted Lafontaine and my rational was that he was the closest player on that list to be considered ‘best in the league’ at any point. I’d put leech second, modano third, then hull. Chelios won 2 Norris Trophies, as did Leetch, which means the voters thought they were the best defensemen in the league in those seasons. Chelios got my vote, BTW, mainly because his +/- was significantly better then Leetch’s, and 19th all time. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/18 "2011-09-23T00:39:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > I voted for Tom Barasso mainly because I went to high school with him. 🙂 > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > LOL! I voted for Chelios, in part, because I went to college with him. 😃 > [@gonzomax](#): > > I am near Detroit and I have been in his bars. He will work in back of the bar and is nice for meet and greet. That is why I voted for Hull. I’m not really a hockey fan, but I was kind of curious about the answer to this question. Apparently U.S. hockey is so poor that no one takes the question seriously. > [@HongKongFooey](#): > > I voted Modano. Strangely it’s because I think he’s the best player to come out of the U.S. Almost no one. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/19 "2011-09-23T01:32:56Z")
I find it kind of strange that there is such a divergence of opinion on who the best American hockey player is. When you consider the, relatively small, number of Americans who have played in the NHL it is incredible that a strong case can be made for so many players. If you ask the same question about Canadian players, despite the overwhelming numbers of Canadian players the conversation is really only going to revolve around maybe 5 players. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140/20 "2011-09-23T01:38:49Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > I find it kind of strange that there is such a divergence of opinion on who the best American hockey player is. When you consider the, relatively small, number of Americans who have played in the NHL it is incredible that a strong case can be made for so many players. If you ask the same question about Canadian players, despite the overwhelming numbers of Canadian players the conversation is really only going to revolve around maybe 5 players. One. The conversation about the second best Canadian hockey player will revolve around maybe 5 guys, but the conversation about the best is just boring. Coffee shop patron #1: So who’s the greatest hockey player ever? Coffee shop patron #2: Wayne, of course. Coffee shop patrons #3-17: Yup. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whos-the-greatest-american-hockey-player-of-all-time/597140.md?page=2)