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

[icarus]

Another summer 'best' thread, pretty simple question:

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

But a few rules:

1. You must have seen them in-person. (i.e. no tv, no highlights, no smuggled VHS tapes from CCCP. Maybe an arbitrary requirement but no one is going to brag to their grandkids about someone they watched on tv)
2. You must have been old/young/sober enough to appreciate (and remember) it (i.e. if you watched Bobby Orr play when you were a toddler, doesn't count)
3. They must have performed exceptionally when you watched them (i.e. not reputation-based, so if you only saw Jagr play in Flames silks, no. Likewise if you watched Bobby Orr play when he was a toddler, doesn't count).

Since most of us have seen the Flames play live more than any other team, we'll do a Flames and non-Flames selection.

Here's mine:

Flames: Jarome Iginla. I saw the Cup era team play plenty but I was more interested in ice cream in those days, so I gotta go with Iggy. His physical play, vision, speed, shot, fighting were all so exciting to watch on so many nights. The 2004 playoffs were special, he just dominated on so many shifts and blew the lid off the 'Dome.

Non-Flames: Steve Yzerman. I have been thinking about this a bit, and I just remember during the 2004 playoffs how through sheer determination, IQ, and skill just created so much every time he was on the ice -- even while not at 100% health. It was a pleasure to watch a legend of the game elevate in the playoffs and be a perpetual threat.

[getbak]

[Knightslayer]

Going to go off the board a little bit since most obvious answer would be Jarome Iginla for most forum members. I will say for Flames would have to be Robyn Regehr. Obviously wasn't flashy but his defense was like art and I always appreciated a smart defensive defenceman.

Non Flames player: Sidney Crosby. Nobody could control the boards like he can and did.

Edit: I did get to watch Mario and Gretzky but didn't want to pick them since they are obviously very easy choices. I also don't think I was old enough to appreciate Gretzky.

[dissentowner]

Wayne Gretzky.

[nobesey]

Flame: I was going to say Iggy but some of the games that Kipper outright stole were amazing performances.

Non-flame: Ovi - couple of games at the dome where he did it all - such a complete player.

[Rick M.]

Gretzky and Lemieux

[kyuss275]

Gretzky many times in the corral . I didn’t appreciate him at the time and hated him. Willi Plett he was not. Lol

[IGGYFORMVP]

Easy one for me. I seen Kipper in his second or third flames game and he absolutely stood on his head. I mean the Flames should have lost by 5 goals easily and Kipper was all over the place.

At the time we had been burned by so many goalies I thought it was a fluky one off game. Boy was I happy to be wrong.

He was spectacular in 2003 - 2004.

38 games played
24 wins
10 losses
4 ties
1.70 GAA !!
.933 SV%
4 shut outs.

That year was special.

[Erick Estrada]

Mario Lemieux by a longshot. I've never seen a big man that could skate, handle the puck, and shoot like he could. There have been a lot of players that wow you live but I couldn't take my eyes off him as he was so good that it was like a man against boys whenever he was on the ice. Gretzky was really good too but I just don't think he was nearly as imposing a player live.

[Jason14h]

Pavel Bure against the Flames in the playoffs when they upset us

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

Pavel Bure against the Flames in the playoffs when they upset us

He's in my top 5 as he was just so much faster than everyone on the ice. Another one of those players that really separated himself live as whenever he was on the ice he was so dangerous every shift.

[Snuffleupagus]

Kent Nilsson *when he tried*

[GordonBlue]

Overall I have to go with Gretzky.

as an oiler fan, the best flame I ever watched is Theo Fleury.
for the time period he played and what he was able to achieve, was really amazing. respected his play and hated him at the same time.

[troutman]

Bryan Trottier.

[Huntingwhale]

Nik Lidstrom. My favorite player of all time. I went to a bunch of Detroit games when they would come into town. Literally the perfect player every time he hit the ice. Dude would just calmly take the puck away from the opposition and calmly make a perfect pass up the ice. Over and over, year after year. Was very rarely his fault if his unit got scored on. Almost always involved in some way if his unit did score. He was a treat to watch.

And of course Iggy in his prime. Nothing like seeing him get popped on home ice, only to get up, take off his helmet and beat someone's ass. Nothing ever got the 'dome pumping like an Iggy fight. Icing on the cake when he would often score the same game.

[tkflames]

Mario Lemieux.

While not his best game ever, I recall watching this game in 2001 like it was yesterday. He had missed 3.5 years with injury/retirement and after just a couple games back lights up Montreal for the hat trick in dominating fashion despite a belligerent level of trapping in the league at the time.
http://www.espn.com/nhl/2001/20010124/recap/monpit.html

Much like the Crosby or McKinnon vs McDavid debate of today, Gretzky was the finess points producer, whereas Lemieux was his own power forward. Injuries being equal...if you wanted to win a cup...I would have picked Lemieux over Gretzky. I still feel that way today.

[howard_the_duck]

Joe Sakic, and Eric Lindros before his concussion troubles.

[timbit]

Bobby Orr by a fair bit.

[N-E-B]

Crosby for me. I did get to see Gretzky’s last game in Calgary but I was 5 and didn’t really grasp the magnitude of it.

[SportsJunky]

Gretzky and Lemieux for sure. Mario Lemieux was just amazing to watch in person.