NHL Power Rankings: Alex Ovechkin and the 20 Most Fun Players in the NHL

There are some players in the NHL that you can just tell love their job.

They understand that they are part of a privileged few and do their best to entertain their fans.

Whether they wow you with their exceptional skill level or make you laugh with the things that they do, there are a bunch of guys that are just fun to watch, plain and simple.

I've compiled a list of the NHL players that, in my estimation, are the most fun in the league.

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20. Ilya Kovalchuk, New Jersey Devils

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NEWARK, NJ - MARCH 04: Ilya Kovalchuk #17 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his game winning goal at 4:35 of overtime against the Pittsburgh Penguins at at the Prudential Center on March 4, 2011 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Im

Ilya Kovalchuk, in years past, has been much more animated after scoring. I suppose that with the disappointing first half of the New Jersey Devils' season, Kovalchuk can't really be blamed for his new found reservation.

Regularly, his intensity while celebrating is rather fun to watch—you could really tell that he enjoys being an impact player in the NHL.

19. Chris Pronger, Philadelphia Flyers

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CHICAGO - MAY 31: Chris Pronger #20 of the Philadelphia Flyers handles the puck while taking on the Chicago Blackhawks in Game One of the 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Final at the United Center on May 29, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Get

As one of the toughest defensemen in the league, Chris Pronger is probably not a lot of fun to play against. He also knows how to get into his opposition's head. During the Philadelphia Flyers' playoff run last year, Pronger would do his best to steal the game pucks.

Even though some players didn't enjoy it much, I certainly did.

18. Dustin Byfuglien, Atlanta Thrashers

Dustin Byfuglien is a showman.

His goal celebrations are often quite the scene. A personal favorite of mine is the spotlight pose, especially when it's in the opposing team's arena.

Byfuglien shows no compassion to Vancouver Canucks fans in this video.

17. Matt Cooke, Pittsburgh Penguins

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PITTSBURGH, PA - MARCH 12: Matt Cooke #24 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skates with the puck against the Montreal Canadiens on March 12, 2011 at CONSOL Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images)

Perhaps Matt Cooke is the most hated player in the NHL, but he's also a pretty good prankster.

On HBO's 24/7 Penguins/Capitals: Road To The NHL Winter Classic, Cooke was portrayed cutting Paul Bissonnette's skate-laces and carrying rookie teammates' furniture into hotel hallways.

It looks like he knows how to have a good time. Now if only he can figure out how to play hockey without hurting people...

16. Jeff Skinner, Carolina Hurricanes

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BUFFALO, NY - MARCH 15: Jeff Skinner #53 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates against the Buffalo Sabres at HSBC Arena on March 15, 2011 in Buffalo, New York. Carolina won 1-0. (Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)

Watching an 18-year-old like Jeff Skinner do what he does on a nightly basis is quite entertaining. The baby-faced forward leads all rookies with 58 points and is probably the favorite to win the Calder Trophy for rookie of the year.

Hearing Superintendent Chalmers scream out "Skinner!" after he scores at home always makes me chuckle, too.

15. Teemu Selanne, Anaheim Ducks

If you didn't enjoy Teemu Selanne's classic goal celebration in his rookie season on the Winnipeg Jets, perhaps you can appreciate what he is doing 19 years later.

The 28 goals and 76 points that the 40-year-old has put up thus far this season is enough to put a smile on anyone's face.

I wish that he would throw up a glove and shoot it down with his stick for old time's sake.

14. Carey Price & 13. P. K. Subban, Montreal Canadiens

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MONTREAL, CANADA - FEBRUARY 12: P.K. Subban #76 of the Montreal Canadiens celebrates with teammate Carey Price #31 after defeating the Toronto Maple Leafs during the NHL game at the Bell Centre on February 12, 2011 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Canad

It's hard not to smile when you see Carey Price and P.K. Subban triple-low-five after a victory, at least if you're a fan of the Montreal Canadiens.

Amidst criticism, Subban is one of the most exciting young players in the game. He has brought his zeal into the locker room and found a partner in Carey Price, who also happened to be targeted for his showmanship earlier in the season.

Those who didn't like Price's B-Boy Stance after a shootout victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins probably don't like watching players have fun.

At least that's my opinion.

12. Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks

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ANAHEIM, CA - MAY 12: Corey Perry #10 of the Anaheim Ducks and Brian Rafalski #28 of the Detroit Red Wings fight after the Ducks win Game Six of the Western Conference Semifinal Round of the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs 2-1 at the Honda Center on May 12, 20

Corey Perry not only leads the NHL in goals, but he also is never scared to drop the gloves.

It's rare and refreshing to see a player in the league with so much talent that isn't afraid to get his hands dirty in a tilt.

Perry plays old-time hockey in the new NHL.

11. Ilya Bryzgalov, Phoenix Coyotes

Ilya Bryzgalov loves the spotlight.

Here's a video of the Phoenix Coyotes' goaltender doing his best stand-up routine as he talks about his former teammate, Chris Pronger, leaving the cold city of Edmonton for sunny southern California.

10. James Reimer, Toronto Maple Leafs

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ST PAUL, MN - MARCH 22: James Reimer #34 of the Toronto Maple Leafs handles the puck during a time out against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center on March 22, 2011 in St Paul, Minnesota. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Let's be honest: The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't been very lucky as far as goaltenders go. There's a laundry list of goalies that just didn't pan out.

Enter James Reimer.

The rookie has been excellent in his first season, posting a record of 20-8-4 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.54 goals against average.

Leafs' fans haven't have had much to get excited about over the past few seasons. Reimer is making hockey in Toronto fun again.

9. Paul Bissonnette, Phoenix Coyotes

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GLENDALE, AZ - MARCH 26: Paul Bissonnette #12 of the Phoenix Coyotes battles for the puck with Marc-Edouard Vlasic #44 of the San Jose Sharks during the NHL game at Jobing.com Arena on March 26, 2011 in Glendale, Arizona. The Sharks defeated the Coyotes

Phoenix Coyotes' forward Paul Bissonnette isn't really known for his play on the ice. The fourth-liner usually plays the role of enforcer: in 45 games played this season, Bissonnette has only registered one points (a goal, at least) compared to 71 penalty minutes.

What sets the tough guy apart is his Twitter persona, @PaulBizNasty, or, more recently,  @BizNasty2point0.

He's tweeted some pretty good stuff.

Here's a personal favourite, with regards to Ilya Kovalchuk's contract in the offseason:

"wow. kovalchuk signs for 100 sheets. how many lap dances can u buy for that much money?"

8. Paul Stastny & 7. Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche

Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny would perform the "Bang Bang Dance" from CBS' How I Met Your Mother after victories.

Unfortunately for Avs' fans (and those who like to watch a funny dance), Colorado hasn't been winning that much recently. Couple that with the fact that Stastny is out for the remainder of the season with a leg injury, and we won't be seeing much dancing.

Hopefully, we'll be able to watch the duo have fun again next season.

6. Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins

Pittsburgh Penguins' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has a pretty good sense of humor and he likes to show it off.

The man they call Flower once donned a Kermit the Frog mask in practice, making light of the derogatory term used for french-speaking individuals.

Funny guys like Fleury are great to have around in the dressing room and the numbers he's posting this season aren't bad to have either. With Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin out due to injuries, Fleury has had to carry the Pens.

At least he's doing it with a smile.

5. Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane really likes having fun.

Here's a photo of him topless in a limousine.

'Nuff said.

4. Jason Spezza, Ottawa Senators

It would be tough to compile a slideshow of fun NHL players without including Jason Spezza.

When asked about his feelings about Dany Heatley's departure from the Ottawa Senators, Spezza provides a golden sound byte.

Spezza's laugh kills me every time I hear it. I hope the Sens can rebound next season to brighten his mood so we can hear his non-hockey-related claim to fame.

3. Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks

The Vancouver Canucks' Ryan Kesler has really come out of his shell.

He's having a good time in this video, getting some face time as his teammate, Raffi Torres, is being interviewed.

Along with being fun-loving, Kesler is also generous: He makes sure to offer Torres some of his pizza.

2. Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins

Omitting Sidney Crosby from a list about fun would be a crying shame.

Crosby very well may be the best player in the NHL and he's certainly one of the most fun to watch.

Those awaiting Sid's return after being sidelined by a concussion were dazzled by this video of him and his rocket of a backhand shot.

1. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals

It's no secret that Alex Ovechkin loves playing hockey.  Although he's having a subpar season (for his own standards, that is), you can see how important the game is to him.

When he struggles, you can see the frustration on his face. The same goes for his reaction to success.

Ovechkin loves scoring goals more than anything.

Here's a video of a classic goal celebration.