Who's the best player you've ever watched?

[Redlan]

The OP rules made this difficult...essentially #3 makes it best individual performance in a game. That being said Johnny Gaudreau's hat trick (3 G, 1A) against the Bruins (Dec 2015) is up there - could be because of the game as well - Flames tied it up with 2 seconds to go and Johnny nets the hat trick in OT. Another for me is Joe Nieuwendyk's first 2 of his 51 goal rookie season (Oct 1987). I am not as enamored with Lemieux as everyone else, in the 2 times I seen him live, he floated around the blueline waiting for an outlet - he did get 3 assists in the one game. I will say that Gretzky never disappointed me in the games I seen him live (Oilers and the Kings).

[Bend it like Bourgeois]

Maybe mentioned somewhere, but there was something to seeing the whole arena react to Al MacInnis getting the puck at the point, taking a stride and starting the windup.

The goalie, The players, and every fan held their breath for that little second. The goalie got set. You knew what was coming. And it might go in anyway.

I was a teenager so maybe a filtered memory, but awesome.
Other players have had amazing shots, but they tend to be one timed. There was something different about MacInnis in my memory.

[Sandman]

I forgot about Pronger-I have seen him play live. He's another one of my all-time faves, and one of the best D-men ever. He could carry a team on his back, and he could do it through the playoffs, too.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Sandman

I forgot about Pronger-I have seen him play live. He's another one of my all-time faves, and one of the best D-men ever. He could carry a team on his back, and he could do it through the playoffs, too.

Evidence: Edmonton Oilers. Only one decent PO run in almost 30 years. That was the year they had Pronger, the year they went to the finals.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Stanley

best single game performance live for me was Joe Sakic, with Peter Forsberg a close 2nd. The two of them putting on a clinic vs Flames.

I watched a late-career Sakic dominate a game against the Flames. He was totally dialed-in from puck drop to buzzer. Every shift.

One thing you notice watching live is which players are as dialed-in away from the puck as when they have it on their stick. Not coincidentally, it’s a trait shared by many of the dominant players cited in this thread.

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Technically, Sam Gagner as I saw him put up 8 points in a single game. I also saw Hakan Loob score 4 goals against Buffalo.

If we're factoring reputation into this then it has to be Iginla on the Flames side. Overall, I saw Mario Lemieux rip into the Flames in the late 80s. I'd have to check the box score, but I think he got 5 points and he scored on a breakaway. One of the first ever games I saw at the Saddledome (I must have been about 8 or 9).

[Scroopy Noopers]

People of course are going to hate this… and I’ve soured on him a bit as an overall player…

But since I’ve moved away from Calgary, and NHL games have been too far away to attend, I started going to more junior games in Guelph. I make a point of catching the top OHL prospects when they come to town. I got centre ice row 5 seats for when McDavid rolled through. There was one play in particular where he picked up the puck in his end and took off, Strome was booking it for an outlet pass and was almost at the red line when McDavid was at his own hash marks…. Passed the guy without a need for a leg dragging inside play, skated around the net and found someone in front. I’ve never seen someone move like that on skates, it was truly unbelievable. I was shook, his speed looked inhuman. I’ll never forget that. Freaking wild.

But best I’ve ever seen live is Crosby.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Sidney Crosby's Hat

Technically, Sam Gagner as I saw him put up 8 points in a single game. I also saw Hakan Loob score 4 goals against Buffalo.

If we're factoring reputation into this then it has to be Iginla on the Flames side. Overall, I saw Mario Lemieux rip into the Flames in the late 80s. I'd have to check the box score, but I think he got 5 points and he scored on a breakaway. One of the first ever games I saw at the Saddledome (I must have been about 8 or 9).

Except Gagner had a fake assist the league was too scared to take back

[Cheese]

Ive seen most of the greats....
Id rank Bobby Orr as tops for me because he changed the way defense plays the game.

[timbit]

For those who never saw Orr play, have a look at these stats.

https://www.hockey-reference.com/players/o/orrbo01.html

[Enoch Root]

The craziest Orr stat is the +/- of 574 in 631 career games.

He had a 6 year stretch in his prime where he was more than +1 per game - for 6 years!! (+480 in 447 games)

And so many young people just assume that he was just an offensive Dman.

[timbit]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

The craziest Orr stat is the +/- of 574 in 631 career games.

He had a 6 year stretch in his prime where he was more than +1 per game - for 6 years!! (+480 in 447 games)

And so many young people just assume that he was just an offensive Dman.

Orr led the league in plus minus in 6 of a 7 year span including a still NHL record, +124, in a season.

Gretzky is second all time leading the NHL in plus minus 3 years, in a much longer career.

[Sec214]

#34.

[sketchyt]

Maybe not the BEST, but one of the most memorable players I've ever watched in person is Dustin Byfuglien.

It's really something watching a monster that size skate like the wind, shrug off checks from grown ass hockey players like it's mosquitoes being a bit of a bother, and then being able to turn on a dime to cleanly demolish guys (but still getting called penalties for basically hitting too hard).

It's like a tank having a baby with a ballerina.

Yeah, he wasn't the most defensively sound player but my god was he ever noticeable always.

[Buff]

Originally Posted by GioforPM

Lemieux had games where it seemed he could just score at will, and his "5 goals, 5 ways" game is just a singular accomplishment that may never be repeated.

I can't remember if it was the "5 goal, 5 ways game", but I recall reading an article in Hockey News or another hockey publication an article about Mario. In that article Phil Bourque mentioned that they were down early in the game and Mario was sitting beside him on the bench and he turned to Phil and said. "What me. I'm going to put on a show" Mario went on to score a bunch and they won the game.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Maybe not the BEST, but one of the most memorable players I've ever watched in person is Dustin Byfuglien.

It's really something watching a monster that size skate like the wind, shrug off checks from grown ass hockey players like it's mosquitoes being a bit of a bother, and then being able to turn on a dime to cleanly demolish guys (but still getting called penalties for basically hitting too hard).

It's like a tank having a baby with a ballerina.

Yeah, he wasn't the most defensively sound player but my god was he ever noticeable always.

On this vein, you know who was a hoot to watch?

Eddie Shack!

[Sandman]

Clear the track, here comes Shack!

[kaddy]

Boring pick, but Nick Lidsrom was a magician on the ice

[Huntingwhale]

Originally Posted by sketchyt

Maybe not the BEST, but one of the most memorable players I've ever watched in person is Dustin Byfuglien.

It's really something watching a monster that size skate like the wind, shrug off checks from grown ass hockey players like it's mosquitoes being a bit of a bother, and then being able to turn on a dime to cleanly demolish guys (but still getting called penalties for basically hitting too hard).

It's like a tank having a baby with a ballerina.

Yeah, he wasn't the most defensively sound player but my god was he ever noticeable always.

I feel the same way about Matt Martin with the Isles. Isles are my favorite Eastern team so I've been to every Flames vs Isles game since '06. By and large, even with Tavares on the team, nobody stood out to me more then Matt frickin' Martin. Almost every shift he made something happen. Getting into fights. Roughing it up after every play. Got into some epic battles with Engelland when he was here. Flames players always knew when he was on the ice. Me and my buddy had a running gag at how this 4th line guy, year after year, was the most noticeable player every year we'd come see the Isles play.

Of course he's not the best player I ever saw play. But he's right up there as one of the most noticeable I've seen play live.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

I was at this 1996 World Cup of Hockey pre-tournament game...so that's probably the greatest collection of players I've ever seen on the ice at one time live.

https://theihlc.com/1996/08/25/ihlc-...a-aug-25-1996/

Best player i've ever seen live has to be Mario or Gretzky.

Me too!