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The Captain Or Mr. Hockey: Who Is The Greatest Red Wing Of All Time?
Steve Yzerman’s Hall of Fame induction raised this question in my mind: Who is the greatest Red Wings’ player of all time?
Is it Gordie Howe or Yzerman.
Hockey, as much as any sport, is difficult to compare eras. The game Howe played and the one Yzerman played were much different. Equipment has advanced by leaps and bounds in hockey, and that advancement has changed the sport more than any other in that regard. Skates are much better. Composite sticks. Just look at the goalie equipment?
Howe did play at the beginning of the curved-stick era, and very late in his career - with Hartford - when the equipment was quite advanced compared to when he started in the 1940s, and when he was in his prime during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Yzerman did push Howe’s stats as a Red Wing. He was the captain - Howe wasn’t most of his career. Yzerman won nearly as many Stanley Cup titles as Howe. A lot is made of Yzerman’s leadership qualities, but he was also extraordinarily skilled - especially before suffering a knee injury.
I think the bigger view of Yzerman is often overlooked because he played most of his career in the same period as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. It certainly cut down on how many first- or second-team All Star selections he garnered, or Hart and Art Ross trophies he won.
It is, admittedly, splitting hairs, but I’d still probably take Howe over Yzerman.
Maybe it’s just because I love the term "A Gordie Howe hat trick" for a goal, an assist and a fight.
Might be my favorite hockey term of all.
Oh, and by the way, can’t a case be made that Nicklas Lidstrom is the greatest Red Wings of all time?
How about Chris Osgood?
Oh stop it. I was Just kidding about Ozzie.
Random Thoughts
- I think the Lions will win Sunday in Seattle because Matthew Stafford has a full week of practice under his belt, Calvin Johnson will be back for Stafford to throw to and the Seahawks stink.
- Can we make it official now: The Packers made a huge mistake a couple years ago by not letting Brett Favre return? Aaron Rodgers puts up great stats, but are the Packers nearly the same without Favre? I’ll be honest, I’m shocked how well Favre is playing. Thought the end of last season with the Jets meant it was over for Favre. I was wrong.
My column in Friday's Oakland Press about the Rochester Adams-Birmingham Brother Rice prep football playoff game: http://tinyurl.com/yflxzfe
Is it Gordie Howe or Yzerman.
Hockey, as much as any sport, is difficult to compare eras. The game Howe played and the one Yzerman played were much different. Equipment has advanced by leaps and bounds in hockey, and that advancement has changed the sport more than any other in that regard. Skates are much better. Composite sticks. Just look at the goalie equipment?
Howe did play at the beginning of the curved-stick era, and very late in his career - with Hartford - when the equipment was quite advanced compared to when he started in the 1940s, and when he was in his prime during the 1950s and early 1960s.
Yzerman did push Howe’s stats as a Red Wing. He was the captain - Howe wasn’t most of his career. Yzerman won nearly as many Stanley Cup titles as Howe. A lot is made of Yzerman’s leadership qualities, but he was also extraordinarily skilled - especially before suffering a knee injury.
I think the bigger view of Yzerman is often overlooked because he played most of his career in the same period as Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. It certainly cut down on how many first- or second-team All Star selections he garnered, or Hart and Art Ross trophies he won.
It is, admittedly, splitting hairs, but I’d still probably take Howe over Yzerman.
Maybe it’s just because I love the term "A Gordie Howe hat trick" for a goal, an assist and a fight.
Might be my favorite hockey term of all.
Oh, and by the way, can’t a case be made that Nicklas Lidstrom is the greatest Red Wings of all time?
How about Chris Osgood?
Oh stop it. I was Just kidding about Ozzie.
Random Thoughts
- I think the Lions will win Sunday in Seattle because Matthew Stafford has a full week of practice under his belt, Calvin Johnson will be back for Stafford to throw to and the Seahawks stink.
- Can we make it official now: The Packers made a huge mistake a couple years ago by not letting Brett Favre return? Aaron Rodgers puts up great stats, but are the Packers nearly the same without Favre? I’ll be honest, I’m shocked how well Favre is playing. Thought the end of last season with the Jets meant it was over for Favre. I was wrong.
My column in Friday's Oakland Press about the Rochester Adams-Birmingham Brother Rice prep football playoff game: http://tinyurl.com/yflxzfe
posted by Pat Caputo at
2:55 PM
8 Comments:
Book,
Gordie Howe is the greatest hockey player of all time, period.
I disagree with you about Brett Favre. Check him out in December and at playoff time after the hits have piled up. He will look every bit the 40-year old that he is. The grind will wear him down. He has only played 1/2 a season. This looks like last year and the year before. What happened to Favre at the end of those seasons? He wore down and will again.
Alan
The Packers had no choice with Favre. He said he was retiring, then not retiring, then retiring, then not retiring. I say things would have been different if he never announced that first retirement and just kept intending to come back. Let's not forget that for all his greatness, he only won one Super Bowl - and I think Rodgers can match that.
I think it goes:
1. Gordie Howe
2. Nick Lidstrom
3. Steve Yzerman
Though a case could be made for Sawchuck being anywhere from 1-4.
It goes to show you how truly great the Red Wings are that this discussion renders these names from the same time.
It's clear to me that the Red Wings are the Yankees of Hockey, but without the George Stienbrenner willing to empty his pockets for the sake of buying talent.
Alan,
Obviously there is no right or wrong answer on this one. Both great players.
Caputo
Chris,
Yeah, the Packers did. And what were the Packers before Favre. What were they since he left? Rodgers is a good player, but not Brett Favre. Seems like Thompson's ego got the best of him.
Caputo
Michael C,
I'd put Sawchuk 4 on my list two behind the other three. Numbers were brilliant. Year he won all eight playoff games special.
Caputo
Fred Brill,
I always hate that when people call the Red Wings the Yankees of hockey because I see no way Detroit relates to New York. Figure Canadiens more like Yankees and Tigers more like Cardinals. But do understand where you are coming from. And what have the Canadiens done lately?
Caputo
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