Gretzky versus Lemieux. Arguably two of the best players to lace up the skates at their prime at the same time. We were privliged to see it in the 80's and early 90's, when the game was wide open and 200 points was possible.
Until his most recent comeback, Lemieux could claim he was the only player to average two points per game for his entire career. In 1992-93, Lemieux tallied 160 points in only 60 games. Similarly, in 1987-88 Gretzky put up 149 points in only 64 games and he holds the record of 215 points in 80 games.
Over the course of their careers, Gretzky and Lemieux averaged 1.92 points per game and 1.88 points per game, respectively.
After Lemieux retired for the second time in 1997 and Gretzky retired in 1999, the NHL really lost its offensive identity. It had even started before they retired but there were no full-fledged international icons in the game when they left.
There were important players such as Steve Yzerman, Dominik Hasek, Mats Sundin, and Peter Forsberg, but none of them could hold the mantle of the NHL like Gretzky and Lemieux had.
Today's Must Reads
Until now.
The NHL is in the middle of a renaissance. Sydney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin appear to be set to fill that NHL mantle. Crosby, like Gretzky, has held the mantle since he was playing major-junior hockey in the QMJHL. Ovechkin, like Lemieux, has slowly grown in to the mold of standard-bearer.
Last year, Crosby led the league in scoring, and this year Ovechkin is setting the pace. You get the feel that these two are setting the stage for some epic scoring races.
Ovechkin has already eclipsed the 60 goal mark for the first time since Lemeiux and Jaromir Jagr did in the 1995-96 season. With only 6 games left, it is unlikely that Ovechkin will be the first to eclipse the 70 mark since Teemu Selanne (as a rookie) and Alexander Mogilny did it in the 1992-93 season.
Earlier this month, Ovechkin told The Washington Times, "If I could score 70, I will be very happy. It is good when you score lots of goals, but it is hard."
Looking at the supporting casts of Crosby and Ovechkin, you would have to assume that Crosby is going to have the easier time piling up the points.
In Crosby's extended injury absence this year, Evgeni Malkin has really stepped up. Malkin as Crosby's Jari Kurri. Jordan Staal would be Gretzky's Messier, and the other players on Pittsburgh are young as well.
Ovechkin has, well, Ovechkin. He finally got some help at the trade deadline in Sergei Federov, but Federov is on his last legs. Alexander Semin is supposed to develop into a top talent, but not yet. I guess Ovechkin will just have to keep searching for his Jagr.
Until then, I will continue to enjoy the scoring escapades of the NHL's newest icons.
comments (4) write a comment »
write a new comment
5 months ago
awesome article...i really enjoyed it
5 months ago
um no. Crosby reminds me of a quicker Stevie Y and Alex is a dead ringer for Maurice Richard, Gretzky Lemieux i don't see it, great players both, but probably will never be that good.
5 months ago
The storylines are similar, but Gretzky and Lemieux had that 1986 Canada Cup experience together. They were teammates on Team Canada. This rivalry, if you can call it that, has the ability to spill over into international hockey as well.
And if anyone's been following the IIHF-NHL player negotiations, the IIHF isn't too happy that the NHL is sucking Europe dry of it's talent, so non-North American talent is going to become increasingly hard to come by. What's even more important than that is the possibility of a league in Europe set up just like the NHL, which could create some interesting trans-Atlantic competitions. Basically, Ovechkin might be the last of a dying breed in the NHL, unless the NHL and IIHF resolve their problems.
In the skill department I'm going to say Ovechkin is the more talented of the duo. He does what he does with less talent around him, furthermore, from what I've heard, we haven't even seen everything he can do.
3 months ago
Great article....one of the more objective articles I have read on the subject.
I often read that its unlikely that anyone will ever approach the 200 point achievement, because the game has changed. I think this undermines how great Gretzky and Lemieux were. After all, before Lemieux last retired, his points per game were still well above anyone elses, despite the health problems. The game hasn't changed that much since he retired.
While Crosby and Ovechkin are developing into great players, I don't know that they will ever rise to the same greatness as Gretzky or Lemieux. For the sake of our "viewing pleasure", lets hope that they can.
write a new comment