The top 5 players from each Original Six NHL franchises
By Daniel
Who are the five greatest players of all-time for the Original Six franchises?
NHL history dates as far back as 1917 and every Original Six franchises dates back at least as far as 1926. However, many hockey historians refer to ‘modern day’ hockey beginning with what’s known as the Original Six era (1942-1967). During this 25-year span the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, and New York Rangers battled for the right to hoist Lord Stanley’s Cup.
These are indisputably the six most historic franchises in the NHL due to their age alone. Although with more age to a franchise comes more difficulty in narrowing down the greatest players in franchise history. Just five slots for the greatest players in franchise history for teams that are well over 80 years old means that only the best of the best can be mentioned in this list.
Because of the exclusivity of these ‘top 5’ rankings for the Original Six franchises, many fan favorites and Hall of Fame players have been left off these lists. I looked long and hard and studied championships, statistics, and awards to determine which players truly should be recognized as the best ever. Only one current NHL player is represented on these lists.
Did your all-time favorite player make the cut?
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