Celebrating the last 50 years of junior hockey, the Canadian Hockey League named its 50 greatest players over that span, and with a healthy crop of players that includes Connor McDavid and Wayne Gretzky, the league named a pair of Pittsburgh Penguins as the best.
As panelists voted, they came to the same conclusion that two generations of Penguins fans have reached. Following his sterling career with the QMJHL's Oceanic Rimouski, Penguins leader Sidney Crosby ranked second on the list, surpassing even Gretzky. Getting the top honors on the list and perhaps the greatest junior player ever, former Penguins owner and Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux was tabbed by voters as No. 1.
"I'm honored to be chosen among this group of great players. My time at Laval and in the QMJHL played a big role in preparing me for an NHL career," Lemieux said. "We all appreciate what the CHL has meant to Canadian hockey and the development of our players through the years."
In 1983-84, while playing for Laval of the QMJHL, Lemieux delivered the greatest season ever, scoring 282 points, including 133 goals in 70 games. Lemieux also set a CHL record with a 61-game points streak.
Yes, those numbers are real and remain junior hockey records.
"Mario Lemieux's dominance with the Laval Voisins remains one of the defining achievements in CHL history," stated Dan MacKenzie, President of the CHL. "His 1983-84 season set a standard that has stood for more than 40 years, and the career that followed only strengthened his place among the greatest players our game has ever seen. As we complete this countdown, the full Top 50 list is a powerful reminder of the elite talent the CHL has developed across generations, from era-defining stars like Mario to today's best players."
The panel was voted on by more than 40 media members who submitted ballots guided by a weighted evaluation framework designed to ensure consistency across eras. Panelists considered a player's impact beyond the CHL, including NHL and international success, major awards and championships, and Hall of Fame recognition, alongside on-ice achievement in the member junior leagues.
As a nod to the extraordinary success of the Penguins over the last 50 years, nine players on the list were former Penguins, also including Marc-André Fleury , Mark Recchi, and Ron Francis.
Mario Lemieux
Sidney Crosby
Wayne Gretzky
Connor McDavid
Mike Bossy
Joe Sakic
Eric Lindros
Steve Yzerman
Ray Bourque
Dale Hawerchuk
Scott Niedermayer
Paul Coffey
Patrick Roy
Al MacInnis
Pat Lafontaine
Doug Gilmour
Marc-Andre Fleury
Luc Robitaille
Grant Fuhr
Mike Modano
Dennis Savard
Ray Ferraro
Brendan Shanahan
Bobby Smith
Ron Francis
Cam Neely
Guy Carbonneau
Mark Recchi
Brian Propp
Scott Stevens
Larry Murphy
The list includes six goalies, nine defensemen, and 35 forwards. A total of 31 players made the Hockey Hall of Fame, 34 won the Stanley Cup, and 16 of them won the Cup at least three times:
Guy Carbonneau (Chicoutimi Saguenéens / QMJHL), Grant Fuhr (Victoria Cougars / WHL), Brendan Shanahan (London Knights / OHL), Wayne Gretzky (Peterborough Petes & Soo Greyhounds / OHL), Steve Yzerman (Peterborough Petes / OHL), Sidney Crosby
Rimouski Océanic / QMJHL), Scott Stevens (Kitchener Rangers / OHL), Scott Niedermayer (Kamloops Blazers / WHL), Paul Coffey (Kingston Canadians, Soo
Greyhounds & Kitchener Rangers / OHL), Patrick Roy (Granby Bisons / QMJHL), Patrick
Kane (London Knights / OHL), Mike Bossy (Laval National / QMJHL), Martin Brodeur
(Saint-Hyacinthe Laser / QMJHL), Mark Recchi (New Westminster Bruins & Kamloops /
WHL), Marc-André Fleury (Cape Breton Screaming Eagles / QMJHL), and Larry Murphy
(Peterborough Petes / OHL)
Scott Niedermayer and Corey Perry are the only players in hockey history to win all six major North American and international championships: the Memorial Cup, World Juniors, Olympic gold, IIHF World Championship, World Cup of Hockey, and the Stanley Cup.
And 16 members of the list were first overall picks, including Lemieux, Crosby, and Fleury.
The post Mario & Crosby Ranked Above Gretzky, McDavid; Named Two Greatest in CHL appeared first on Pittsburgh Hockey Now .
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