Notable players missing from NHL's Top 100 of all time
LOS ANGELES — The Pittsburgh Penguins tweeted a photo Friday night of the seven former or current Pens selected among the NHL’s Top 100 all-time players and all anyone wanted to talk about was who was missing.
Evgeni Malkin was arguably the most surprising omission from the Top 100, selected by a panel, which included media members, NHL team executives and former players.
“Very surprised,” said Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, one of the Top 100. “He has won two Stanley Cups, Conn Smythe, Art Ross. It’s tough.”
The Penguins’ photo included Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Ron Francis, Paul Coffey, Bryan Trottier, Luc Robitaille and Sidney Crosby.
Malkin’s considerable successes have been overshadowed by the brilliance of both teammate Crosby and fellow Russian Alex Ovechkin.
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“You can see lots of great players not on the list,” Ovechkin said. “But it doesn’t mean they aren’t good. Of course, it’s hard to see lots of Russian players not on the list.”
Ovechkin, Crosby, Jagr, Duncan Keith, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews were the only active NHL players to make the list:
Here are other notable players who didn’t make the cut for the Top 100:
Joe Thornton: The San Jose Sharks star is generally considered one of top passers in NHL history. He’s led the league in assists in three different seasons. He’s a former NHL Hart Trophy winner and scoring champion (2005-06) and ranks second among active players in points (1,372).
Michel Goulet: He’s a Hall of Fame left winger who scored 48 or more goals for the Quebec Nordiques for six consecutive seasons from 1982-88. His 1.06 points per game average ranks 34th all-time.
Pierre Pilote: Before Bobby Orr showed up, Pilote was the NHL’s top defenseman in the 1960s. Over a six-season period, he won three Norris Trophies and finished second three times. He’s been in the Hall of Fame since 1975.
Ed Belfour: Ranks third all-time in goaltending wins with 474 and has two Vezina Trophies, four Jennings Trophies, a Calder Trophy and a Stanley Cup (with Dallas Stars in 1999) on his resume. Ranks ninth all-time with 76 shutouts.
Jarome Iginla: He was one of the game’s most effective power forwards for more than a decade. At one point, he netted 30 goals or more goals for 12 consecutive seasons. He has 617 goals, and 1,285 points. Incredible numbers in an era when scoring is at a premium.
Dale Hawerchuk: Ranks 19th all-time with 1,409 career points. His 891 assists rank 21st all-time and his 518 goals rank 36th. He racked 100 or more points six times in the 1980s. His absence from the list highlights that championships are often the tiebreaker in this kind of voting. Hawerchuk never won a Stanley Cup
Phil Housley: Ranks fourth all-time among defensemen with 1,252 points and he finally entered the Hall of Fame in 2015. He was the first player ever to jump from high school hockey into the NHL. Ranks second all-time on points by an American-born player.
GALLERY: NHL photo of the night
