NHL Lines: Ranking the Top 15 Most Famous Lines in NHL History
Great players can rarely do it on their own. Two players that are great together can be a game-changer, but a line of three that's dominant can be a season-changer.
There are some great lines in the NHL today, but the league's history has been filled with incredible combinations.
In this slideshow, we're going to look at some of the most famous lines in NHL history with the nickname of the group. Some had an original nickname, some were as simple as the last names of the players. But all were effective and catchy.
Honorable Mention: Today's Best Lines
1 of 16Here are some of the best lines in the game today:
Anaheim: Bobby Ryan, Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry
Chicago: Patrick Sharp, Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane
Detroit: Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom
Washington: Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Mike Knuble
Vancouver: Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin, Alex Burrows
15. The ABC Line
2 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Tyler Arnason, Mark Bell and Kyle Calder.
Named by the alphabetically-inclined, this was a productive line for the Blackhawks.
14. The Stastny Brothers
3 of 16Quebec Nordiques
Peter, Anton and Marian Stastny.
Pretty simple nickname here...they were brothers and their last name was Stastny. More importantly, these three broke down some major barriers for Eastern European players in the NHL by defecting and producing at an incredible rate.
13. The Legion of Doom
4 of 16
Eric Lindros, John LeClair and Mikael Renberg.
A big imposing line that was dominant for the Flyers in the mid to late 1990s.
12. The LCB Line
5 of 16Philadelphia Flyers
Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke and Bill Barber.
Another "original" line nickname using the letters of each player's last name, this was (as you can see from the photo) the top scoring line in Philly for a number of years in the 1970s.
11. The Party Line
6 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Steve Larmer, Denis Savard and Al Secord.
A unique combination of fists and speed, this was one of the most dangerous lines of the 1980s. Savard and Larmer had to leave Chicago to get Stanley Cup rings, but while together, they were two of the five best scorers in Hawks history.
10. The Million Dollar Line
7 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Bobby Hull, Murray Balfour and Bill Hay.
One of the biggest lines of its time, Balfour and Hay helped Bobby Hull become one of the game's best scorers.
9. The Triple Crown Line
8 of 16
Marcel Dione, Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer.
Three of the greatest Kings ever, this was the first line in NHL history where each player scored 100 points or more in the same season.
8. The Pony Line
9 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Max Bentley, Doug Bentley and Bill Mosienko.
Three small players (all listed under 5'10") were all Hall of Famers and among the game's great scorers in the early 1940s.
7. The French Connection
10 of 16Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert.
Three French-Canadian players that have been permanently placed in the rafters together in Buffalo together because of their contributions to the Sabres.
6. The Trio Grande Line (or the LILCO Line)
11 of 16Clark Gillies, Bryan Trottier and Mike Bossy.
The top line on the last four-pete in NHL history, these three were as good as it got in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
5. The Punch Line
12 of 16
Toe Blake, Elmer Lach and Rocket Richard.
If you aren't familiar with these three, you're not much of a hockey fan. There's a trophy bearing Richard's name and Blake and Lach are two of the reasons the game honored the Rocket.
4. The Scooter Line
13 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Doug Mohns, Stan Mikita and Ken Wharram.
A dominant scoring line, they were featured in their own "History Will Be Made" commercial.
3. The Sky Line
14 of 16Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr and Kevin Stevens.
Perhaps the most impressive scoring line of the past 25 years, all three were physically imposing and could score at will.
2. The Production Line
15 of 16Detroit Red Wings
Gordie Howe, Sid Abel and Ted Lindsay
A reference to the auto industry in Detroit, there have been few (if any) lines better than this one. But one line was more famous...
1. The MPH Line
16 of 16Chicago Blackhawks
Pit Martin, Jim Pappin and Dennis Hull.
Chicago management initially wanted this line to feature the older Hull brother, Bobby, but when he held out, they gave the spot to Dennis. How respected were these guys? They were voted as the starters in the 1974 All-Star Game together, and were introduced at that All-Star game (and skated onto the ice) together.
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