In a list of "unforgettable" hockey players, it is not necessarily the "Best" or the "Record holders", it's those who left their mark on the game for something they did or were.

There are the Good:

Wayne Gretzky is unforgettable for many things, but the most impressive is 9 straight Hart Trophies, 92 Goals in a season, 50 goals in 39 games and recording 200 points in a season multiple times.

Mike Bossy, the only player to record 9 straight 50 goal seasons to start a career. (The 10th year, he still scored 38 in only 63 games, but was forced to retire due to back injuries)

Steve Yzerman - 22 Years with the same organization and Captain for 19 years. (3 Stanley Cups also!) Very Impressive.

How about Owen Nolan when he "called his shot" against The Dominator to record a Hat Trick in the All Star Game. (YET, he lost out on the MVP to Mark Recchi, AND the game was played in San Jose, Nolan's home rink)

The Bad:

Todd Bertuzzi for his hit on Steve Moore. Was it the Bertuzzi hit, or the the fact that Darius Kasparitis jumped on Bertuzzi causing all the players to fall on Moore that caused the damage?

Marty McSorley for his stick swing on Donald Brashear. McSorley being clearly showed up by the obnoxious Brashear after a fight, McSorley trying to hit Brashear in the shoulder, instead hits him in the head with his stick. Brashear falls, hits his head on the ice causing a massive concussion, and McSorley is criminally prosecuted ending his storied career. Had Brashear worn a proper helmet, and the shoddy helmet not come off prior to Brashear hitting the ice...would the damage have been as severe? Was the damage from the stick or the ice?

Tie Domi - It's a "TIE" (no pun intended) between the sucker punch on Ulf Samuelsson (who mind you, I won't shed a tear over) and the "bushwhacking" of Scott Niedermayer in the playoffs one year.

Claude Lemieux painting the boards with Kris Drapers blood after demolishing him into the boards on a cowardly play, sparking the great Colorado-Detroit Feud.

Then there is the UGLY:

Alexandre Daigle - Drafted 1st overall in 1993 with intense fanfare, and amounting to nothing. He played for 6 different teams, (7 if you count Edmonton who traded him the day they got him) and amassed 129 goals and 327 points in 616 games, and was a minus 176! (Notables fromt the 1993 draft: Chris Pronger drafted 2nd and Paul Kariya 4th)

Brian Lawton who was drafted 1st overall by the Minnesota North Stars 10 years earlier in 1983. Playing for 6 different NHL teams as well, Brian played in 483 games, amassing 112 Goals and 266 Points. (also 11 total playoff games scoring 1 goal) (Notables from the 1983 Draft: Pat Lafontaine 3rd, Steve Yzerman 4th, Tom Barrasso 5th and Cam Neely 9th)

Who could forget Chris Nilan being named to the All Star Game? How did that happen?

Oh Right He was selected by the BIG UGLY Mike Milbury. Here's what else Mike did to ruin the New York Islanders over the years:

He Traded Bryan McCabe and Todd Bertuzzi to Vancouver for Trevor Linden.
He Traded Roberto Luongo AND Olli Jokinen to Florida for Mark Parish and Oleg Kvasha
He Traded JP Dumont for Dimitri Nabokov
He Drafted Rick DiPietro over Dany Heatley and Marian Gaborik.
And the MOTHER OF ALL EMBARRASSMENTS...Trading Zdeno Chara and Jason Spezza to Ottawa for Alexei Yashin. (Maybe they'll invite Mike out for the Stanley Cup Parade this Year)

To me..because I did all that by memory, shows they are Unforgettable Hockey Players.

Learn more about this author, Dave Dunseith.
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