I was thinking about this last night. What would a starting lineup look like, if consisted of my all-time favourite player from each position?
The trick, of course, is that this isn't about all-time greats. This is specific to favourite-players. These must be players you remember watching and being your favourite at any point in your life. A lot of people would probably pick Orr and Lidstrom if this was simply about all-time greats. Orr retired in 78, when I was 4 years old, so I don't really ever remember watching him play; therefore, it would be difficult to argue that he was ever a favourite player of mine.
Anyway, I think you get the point. So... after deliberating on this all night and again all day today...
I added the coach at the end as a bonus, partly because coaches can be just as recognizable and linked to fond memories as players can, but mostly because I felt bad that I didn't have a single Flame in my lineup, and since Badger Bob really is my favourite all-time coach, it seemed like a good way to add a Flames touch to the whole thing.
Neely over Iggy at RW was tough, but Iggy has always seemed to stop right at the edge - whereas Neely would always just blow right by it, both in terms of physical play and his completely obnoxious goal totals. Bossy is another one that I could have picked. I was 6 years old in 1980, so while the Flames moving here introduced me to hockey, the Islanders were the ones that showed me how it should be played for those first 4 years. Bossy coming down the right side and blasting the puck in the top corner was the stuff of legends. Iginla would have still been my next choice after Neely though. Players that can take over a game both on the ice, and on the scoresheet are by far my favourite types. I'm dying for Milan Lucic to pick up the torch.
Roy over Vernon was another tough one for me. No doubt that Vernie was my favourite goalie as a child (taking over from Lemelin before that), but Roy quickly became my favourite as I progressed into adulthood. I have many more fond memories of Patrick Roy moments than I do now of Vernon ones. Vernie would no-question be #2 though.