While the NHL still views fisticuffs as a part of the game, the truth is players are often injured during fights on the ice and a young man in Ontario, Canada died last season several days after falling to the ice during a fight. That incident alone should have been enough to get rid of fighting from hockey, but sadly it hasn’t changed a thing.

The hockey higher-ups will argue that fighting is already illegal in the sport as players who engage in it are penalized for their actions. Technically that’s correct, but a five minute penalty isn’t nearly harsh enough. Severe punishment needs to be dished out and players need to be banned from games to stamp out fighting as much as possible.

It’s not that I don’t like fights. I love boxing and actually used to enjoy the bench-clearing brawls of the 1970s. But times have changed, and not for the better. When two guys went toe-to toe in the old days it was because somebody had ticked somebody else off and tempers reached a boiling point. Gloves were dropped and punches were thrown in anger.

But these days NHL fights resemble professional wrestling as the majority of them are staged or premeditated. There’s no anger involved in most of today’s hockey scraps and you’ll often see guys face off against each other for their first shifts of the game and proceed to go at it. I don’t see how these players can be agitated with each other after sitting on the bench all night.

The hockey culture itself is mainly to blame as it teaches youngsters that the sport is policed by the participants. By the time junior players reach their teenage years they’re so immune to it. The whole concept of protection and revenge on the ice is ridiculous. Other than the designated goons, nobody else fights anyway. Why not just let them slug it out at 7pm, get it out of the way with and then drop the puck at 7:30.

NHL scouts and general managers are also partly to blame. It’s hard to understand that ‘tough guys’ such as Brad May and Wade Belak were drafted in the first round while skilled players such as Tomas Kaberle, Steve Sullivan, Pavel Datsyuk, Steve Thomas, Brian Rafalski, Martin St. Louis, and Henrik Zetterberg went near the end of the draft or weren’t drafted at all.

It doesn’t seem right that young players work their butts off to make it in the NHL only to have some goon drafted before them just because they can fight. There are way too many skilled players being released, put on waivers, and sent down to the minors due to roster spots being taken by fighters. If the NHL banned fighting from the game, these youngsters would be given the chance to play. When skilled players are losing their spots to guys like Donald Brashear, fans should be alarmed. Young players are never going to develop into elite NHLers if they don’t get the opportunity to play.

There aren’t too many skilled players around these days who can take care of themselves and play the game at a high level. But if you can’t stand up for yourself, you’re probably better suited to a less-physical sport.

Brian Burke – The worst kept secret in hockey, might officially come to an end soon. Brian Burke has left his post as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks, for personal reasons, which will clear his path to Toronto. Burke led the Ducks to a cup in a couple years back and has long been rumored for the vacant Maple Leaf job. The reason Burke wanted out of Anaheim is simple he has family on the east coast and the travel has just become to much for him and his family. Brian didn’t just quit on the Ducks, he informed them he wouldn’t sign an extension past this season and they decided to go in another direction. The rebuilding Maple Leafs have been linked to Burke ever since they fired John Ferguson Jr as there GM last season. It will take a week or two for all the papers to be signed and for Burke to be able to negotiate with another team. That team will be Toronto and I don’t see any way he doesn’t become the next GM of the Toronto Maple Leafs. This is going to be fun, the outspoken Burke and the media in Toronto should be entertaining to say the least. Whether you think Burke is the right man for the Maple Leaf job or not, you have to hope that if he takes the job, they will give him the power to build the team as he chooses. Toronto needs some stability and direction and Burke will give them that. Hire him Toronto, give him what he wants and the time to get this franchise heading in the right direction.

Senators forward Jarkko Ruutu has been suspended for two games for an elbow the other night against the Canadiens.

Brendan Shanahan - Well, a future Hall of Famer looks to be returning to the NHL soon. His destination is yet to be determined and the rumors are swirling. Brendan would like to stay close to New York where his family is, but it won’t be with the Rangers. That would make it seem like he will either sign in New Jersey or Philadelphia. I don’t know if these are the best places for Shanny to play, Philadelphia is already very deep up front and New Jersey plays a defense first system. Brendan has done a lot of things in this league and I think he still has the ability to put the puck in the net. He can help a power play and give some veteran leadership in a locker room. I would like to see Shanahan go to a younger team and help them get to the next level, Chicago would be perfect. If Brendan wants to win a cup this year, how about adding some depth to the forward lines in Pittsburgh or provide some leadership in Buffalo. Where ever he goes I am glad he is going to come back, he is one of my favorite players and the league is better with him. For my money I think he will sign somewhere close to New York, but if he keeps his options open, most teams in the league would love to have a guy like Shanny on there team.

Columbus Blue Jackets activated Pascal Leclaire off the injured reserve and is expected between the pipes soon. Pascal got off to a bad start this year, but he is one of the best young goalies in the league, who has shown the ability to get shutouts and lead the Jackets to wins.

Alexander Semin still leads the league in three major categories, goals (13), points (27) and plus /  minus ( +17). Everyone already new Semin has the ability to be a top notch player in this league, he is now just starting to perform on a nightly basis. He keeps this pace up he will be the MVP at seasons end.

Tampa Bay Lightning – There are some major problems with this team, and not the ones everyone expected they would have pre season. I for one never thought this team would have no trouble scoring goals with guys like Lecavalier, St Louis, Malone, Prospal and Stamkos. This team has managed just 31 goals in 15 games so far, just over two a game, by far the worst production in the league. There is way to much talent here to be this bad, the big question is why? Well, I don’t really know, but they have done a lot of line juggling and made a lot of changes before the year. Basically this is an entirely new dressing room and it is possible the team just hasn’t gelled. I for one thought the Lightning would play a lot of high scoring games this season, and defense would be there problem ultimately. Fixing this problem will not be easy, the last thing you want to do is disrupt that room again and move more players in and out. The coach is also new this season, and the owners and the general manager. The best thing I could suggest here is be patient, and wait and see if this group of guys can work it out, but I doubt they will be.

The NHL is in full swing, and there are great games every night. It is that time of year when gossip gets around and people search for things to talk about. If you like to keep up with the rumors that’s fine, just take it with a “grain of salt” and wait and see what happens. Gossip and rumors are all for entertainment purposes, enjoy the product on the ice.

Three Stars of the Month – The National Hockey League has released its three stars of the month and they may not be the guys you would have picked prior to the season. The first star is Washington Capitols star forward Alexander Semin, who is off to the best start of his career. Semin has 8 goals and 17 points for Washington and led the team when Ovechkin was in Russia. Semin has become a true star in the league and has all the talent to keep these numbers up all season long. The second star is Henrik Lundqvist, the Rangers all world goalie. Henrik is now the favorite for the Vezina with Brodeur being hurt and hasn’t disappointed the New York fans. Early on this year Lundqvist has posted 8 wins and a save percentage of .926. The third star might be a surprise to you and its Nashville d man Shea Weber. Shea is off to a great start averaging a point a game and is a plus 3 for the Predators.  All three of these players had great starts and will look to continue there success through November and the rest of the season.

Rookie Duo - If you are Columbus Blue Jacket fan, you should be incredibly excited about the future of your franchise on the ice. Derick Brassard leads all rookies in scoring recording 12 points in just 12 games, while Jakub Voracek is second with 10 points. Brassard is 21 years of age and Voracek is just 19 and have surprised some with there early season production. Hopefully these two forwards along with Nikita Filatov, can represent a great future for the fans of Columbus. The Columbus franchise has never made the playoffs, but if they keep finding great young players like these guys that streak will end sooner rather then later. Its unknown whether or not these guys can keep up there numbers, but with plenty of ice time I think they will become great NHL players. With a great young base of players hopefully Columbus finds a way to win some games, before they lose all there fans. The Blue Jacket fans deserve a winner, no matter how good a market might be if you never make the playoffs it will be hard to sell tickets. With players like Brassard, Voracek, Filatov and Nash it shouldn’t be to long until Columbus finds themselves in the playoffs.

Hockey Hall of Fame - Its that time of year when it is time to induct new members into the hockey hall of fame. This year the class includes Glen Anderson, Igor Larionov and Ray Scampinello. “Scammpy” might be the most popular referee in the history of sports, and served as NHL linesman for a lot of years. Anderson will be remembered as a member of the great Oiler teams of the 80’s playing along side Gretzky and Messier. Anderson was at his best in the playoffs and always seemed to score the big goals at the big moments. Larionov might be the best Russian born player of all time. He was solid at both ends of the rink and could skate and stick handle as good as anyone in the league. Larionov will fondly be remembered as part of the Russian 5 in Detroit with Fedorov, Konstantinov, Fetisov and Kozlov. Being enshrined in the hockey hall fame is great honor and all these men should be extremely proud of all there accomplishments. Being inducted is the final chapter the Stanley Cups are behind you, there will be no more game winning goals, but you will forever be remember as a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Surprise Teams - When you look at early season successes two teams will jump out at you the Buffalo Sabres and the Minnesota Wild. Neither was projected by most to be as good as they seem to be, both teams are leading there respective divisions. The Wild play a strict defensive system and for years have frustrated opponents and that trend continues. The Sabres have a set of highly talented and fast forwards that can change a game in a hurry. These teams haven’t won the same way, The Sabres with exciting fast hockey and Minnesota with boring defense. This shows that you can win hockey with a lot of different styles. Its to early to tell, but the Sabres in particular look like they will stick around the top of the Eastern Conference all year long

The Tricks

Toronto Maple Leafs - Sorry Leaf fans, but your team just isn’t very talented. Yes, your teams plays hard and you have a great goaltender, but its not likely this team has a chance at a playoff spot. Look at it this way, if you play at the pace you are playing at right now you will end up fighting it out for the 8th and final playoff spot. Currently the Maple Leafs are in a three way tie for 8th in the East and they have scored 7 less goals then they have allowed. For the Maple Leafs franchise the worst thing that could happen is if they once again finish in 9th or 10th in the East and once again don’t get a lottery pick next year.

Mats Sundin - Here we go again, is he coming back for real this time? All summer long rumors of where Mats would end up were everywhere and now it looks like we are back to where we started. Mats is a great hockey player and most teams would love to have him. The way this ends up will be up to Mats, he can sign for big money with a team with cap space or take a smaller contract to join a Cup contender. I assume if Mats is coming back it is to be a winner and he will sign with the Rangers or Canadiens. Both those teams are up against the cap and I would like Mats to sign with a younger up and coming team that he could lead, Vancouver, Phoenix, Chicago and what about Mats in Pittsburgh. The rumors will continue to swirl until Mats makes a decision about his future, don’t get tricked, take these rumors with a grain of salt.

Tim Thomas - The Bruins goaltender continues to surprise everyone by playing excellent Vezina like net. Thomas is a fine goalie, but he is not this good, and his numbers will come back down to earth. Currently he has a goals against average under 2 and a save percentage of .939, those numbers are Vezina like and Thomas is good, but not that good.

Old Guys, Big Numbers – I love this, there are some old grizzled veterans off to great starts this year and look to be the players of old. Most of these guys cannot keep this pace up, but if they do it will be a great story all year. 34 year old Paul Kariya has 12 points in 9 games for St Louis, he is on pace for 100 points a mark he hasn’t reached since 1999. Markus Naslund (35), Mike Modano (38), Joe Sakic (39) and Keith Tkachuk (36) are all at or near a point a game so far. All these guys are proving they can still play this game, and I for one hope they keep it up, but it is unlikely.

The Treats

Martin Brodeur - Brodeur is a legend, and by the end of this year this might end up being the season of Brodeur. He is getting close to breaking two all time goalie records, wins and shutouts. Its not if its when he breaks those records he will get serious consideration as the best net minder in National Hockey League history. This generation has been treated to a lot of great NHL players, and Martin is definitely one of those guys that will never be forgotten. The 35 year old net minder is off to a great start posting 5 wins, 2 shutouts and a save percentage of .914. Brodeur cannot play forever and we should enjoy his skill, while we can.

Fast Starts - Pre season predications are usually a crap shoot, but his year some of those highly predicted teams are off to great starts. The New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings and San Jose Sharks are all living up to the hype. These are the top four teams in the league and have been fun to watch on a night to night basis. I look for these teams to keep it up all year they have the talent, coaching and structure to compete for the Stanley Cup. Without injuries these might end up being the top 4 teams at years end.

Dynamic Duos – All hockey love watching skill play with skill, and this year we have found some new duos to excite us. At the top of this list Pittsburgh has put there stars Malkin and Crosby together and it has been great to watch ever since. The two have combined for 29 points in 11 games and are leading there team to wins. The Red Wings new duo of Hossa and Datsyuk have been great to watch combining for 26 points and Heatley and Spezza are still good in Ottawa with 11 goals.

Thomas Vanek – The highly paid and very talented winger in Buffalo has come in to his own early this year. The Sabres have to be extremely happy that Vanek has scored 9 goals in 10 games and has recorded 12 points. Vanek and the rest of the Buffalo team is exciting to watch, they are fast and highly talented. He may not score at this pace all year, but I think he will keep his points up and lead the Sabres all year.

The year has been full of treats thus far, fights are up goals are up and there is a lot of good young talent in the league. Happy Halloween and enjoy the action this weekend

Alfredsson re-signs - The Ottawa Senators have re-signed there captain and best all around player Daniel Alfredsson. Daniel inked a four year extension that should keep him in Canada’s nation capitol for the rest of his career. This wasn’t a big surprise, Alfredsson has been the captain of this team for a long time and it looks like he will be a career Senator. Ottawa is off to a slow start and a lot of rumors are swirling around the organization, but with some better defense and goaltending this team should be good. Its always nice to see a player and an organization come to an agreement that works for both sides, Sens fans should be happy that they will have Daniel for a few more years.

Marian Hossa - Hossa caught a lot of criticism after signing a one year deal in Detroit in the off season. Well after a slow start he is starting to look like the true all star he is. Playing along side Pavel Datsyuk, Hossa is on fire and near the league lead in points. He has 9 points he his last 5 games and if he keeps it up the gamble he took in the off season will pay off. The Red Wings are a great team and with Hossa playing this well they will be tough to beat every night.

Trade Deadline – Well the NHL made a mistake, but an agreement was reached quickly. The league has decided to push the trade deadline back one day to March the 4th. The reason for the move was because there are to many games scheduled on the original date. With a lot of games scheduled it would make it tough for teams to make trades and still be able to ice a full team on the same day. The NHL and the NHLPA came to a fast agreement and pushed the date back one day.

Steven Stamkos - The 1st overall selection in this past years NHL entry draft has finally recorded his first career point. There has been a lot of talk recently about Stamkos and the ice time he has been receiving in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are talented in the forward lines, and they are still searching for the best mix of lines. Stamkos will have a great career and he is off to a slow start, but I wouldn’t panic just yet. Tampa Bay has a lot of new players on there roster and once they find the right mix and chemistry Stamkos will start to produce on a regular basis. I hope the coaching staff in Tampa starts giving him the proper ice time, he need to be playing more then just 10 minutes per game. Play him in some power play situation and let him play with the stars like Lecavalier and St Louis and you will see the numbers jump.

Phoenix Coyotes claim Ken Klee off re-entry waivers from the Anaheim Ducks. Claiming someone off re-entry waivers means that Phoenix will pick up half his salary and Anaheim will be on the hook for the other half. Klee is a veteran and still has the skills to play a decent NHL defense for the Coyotes.

Alexander Ovechkin - Last years MVP has made a trip back to his homeland, Russia, to visit with an ailing family member. Ovechkin had played more 200 hundred consecutive games and has proved that he is a consistent NHL player. This isn’t a huge deal for the Capitols, it’s a part of life, family comes first. It’s a bigger deal for fantasy owners out there who will miss “Alex the Great” for a few games this early in the year. Ovechkin should be back in Washington’s lineup early next week.

Rick Dipietro - Seems to be a big secret on long island, but there is one thing for sure is that it will be hard for them to win without Rick. Its listed as a lower body injury? Who knows what that means. Dipietro is coming off knee surgery in the off season and hopefully the injury hasn’t re-occurred. Rick is a great goaltender, but he seems to get hurt an awful lot and the Islanders will struggle to win without him. I for one am sick of this upper body, lower body injury stuff, lets just be honest and let us know what is really going on. Hopefully Dipietro will be back soon and helping the Islanders win some hockey games.

Luke Schenn will be staying with the Leafs, as he has played in his 10th game of the season. Playing 10 games means his entry level contract kicks in and its more then likely he will be in Toronto for the rest of the season. The 18 year old defenseman has looked solid defensively for Toronto and they feel the best way for him to develop is to stay with the big club.

The product has been good so far this years, fights and goals are up which make everyone happy. Alexander Semin is leading the league in goals and points, while Ryan Miller leads the goalies with a 1.60 goals against average. Nikolai Zherdev surprisingly leads the league in plus / minus and Evgeni Malkin leads with 12 assists. The season is off and running and hopefully there will be plenty of more great storylines throughout the year.

10 – Buffalo Sabres - I didn’t see this happening before the season started, but the Sabres are off to a great start. They have a very deep set of forwards with guys like Roy, Vanek, Kotalik, and Pominville off to good starts. Right now Thomas Vanek looks like a true all star and has become the leader up front for this team. Great goaltending by Ryan Miller has gotten this team off to a 6 – 1 – 2 and leading there division. Buffalo is a great team to watch they have a great mix of speed and aggressiveness and seem to beat there opponents in many different ways.

9 – Minnesota Wild - Well I really don’t understand this one and I would have to say I am not sold yet. There isn’t a whole lot of talent on this team especially with Gaborik being hurt, but you cannot over look the fact that they are winning hockey games. They win by playing a great defensive system, they are allowing a league low 2 goals a game. To this point they still haven’t lost a game in regulation and are the leaders in the Northwest division.

8 – Anaheim Ducks – The Ducks got off to a horrible start, but seem to be getting it together. The reason for there bad start was that the team just wasn’t gelling, there seemed to be no unity on the ice. Top forwards Perry, Getzlaf and Selanne seem to be breaking out of there funk and will start to lead this team to more consistent victories. This team has great goaltending and a solid defense, if they get some goals they will win more then there share of games in the Western Conference. Keep your eye on this team, I think they will start playing as they should.

7 – Calgary Flames – Another team that didn’t get off to a great start, but seem to be putting it all together. Before the season I thought Calgary was truly a cup contender and I am not ready to take them off this list yet. Iginla, Bertuzzi and Cammalleri are starting to get some chemistry and will lead this team throughout the season. For this team to stay on this list Miikka Kiprusoff is going to have to play like the all star he should be. To me the Flames look like a building team that will only get better as the year goes on.

6 – New Jersey Devils - The Devils are still good, because they still have Martin Brodeur. Brodeur is still the best goalie in the world and as long as New Jersey has him they will be a top 10 team. The goaltending is great, but they still need to find away to score more goals, they are only scoring 2.5 goals a game. If they manage to get some more goals and get healthy this team will be near the top of the Eastern Conference all season long. The Devils have some injury problems in the forward lines, but still need to take the pressure off the goaltending and defense  by manufacturing some goals.

5 – Pittsburgh Penguins – You can’t over look the talent on this team, they are off to a bit of a slow start, but they will only get better as the year goes on. Recently they have been playing all world forwards Malkin and Crosby together and they have been scoring at a high pace. The injuries to there puck moving defense has really made it hard for this team in the early going. Fleury is also playing some great goal for the Penguins and gives them a shot to win every night. To win consistently the Pens will need secondary scoring from Staal, Satan and Fedotenko. In my opinion this team has no where to go, but up on this list.

4 – Montreal Canadiens – Still Stanley Cup favorites, and off to a great start. Not a lot of weaknesses on this squad, they are fast, balanced and get great goaltending every night. If they keep it up, they will be at the top of this list all season long.

3 – San Jose Sharks - The Sharks are proving they are still a great regular season team and will be near the top of the Western Conference all year. Highlighted by great goaltending and a solid group of forwards, there is no doubt the Sharks are one of the most talented teams in the league. If they continue to get secondary scoring they will have no problem being in the top three all year long.

2 – New York Rangers - They have slowed a bit from there great start, but still are right at the top of the NHL. Secondary scoring has really led this team with Dubinsky, Zherdev and Voros all off to great starts. They have gotten the great goaltending and defense that they expected, and if that continues I see them near the top of this list all season long. The Rangers are a great team in a great market and it is good for the league to have them playing this well.

1 – Detroit Red Wings – Defending Stanley Cup champions, and still the most talented team in the league. After a loss on opening night, they have played some great hockey and will only get better. A team full of stars like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa and Lidstrom, this franchise continues to be the best in the league. They are perfect on the road, and if they play any where near this good all year they will fight for the Presidents trophy. Detroit will be at the top of this list until another team proves they can play as consistently great as they do.

Stockholm Sweden - The Pittsburgh Penguins and. Ottawa Senators, will play two regular season games in Sweden. The NHL has sent there poster boy Sydney Crosby across the pond to grow the game in new markets. The league has shown that they will use Crosby in special events and he will participate in high profile games for the second straight year, last year he played in the Winter Classic. Last years Winter Classic was a success for the league and they hope that this years European schedule will be much of the same. The Penguins are going to use this trip as a team building experience, they hope this trip will bring the team closer together. There are big expectations on Pittsburgh this season after they made the Cup final a year ago. The team has some new faces in the locker room this year and there hope is when they come back to North America the team will be one and ready to have a great year. Yes Crosby is in Sweden, but he probably isn’t going to be the fan favorite, Senators forward Daniel Alfredsson is a home town hero. Alfredsson will be met with great fan fair and the expectations of putting on a good show in his home country. Daniel will skate on the top line with Spezza and Heatley, and they will look to put on a show. Ottawa will be looking for a bounce back year and will need to get off to a good start in Europe. These teams will play two games one on Saturday night and the other on Sunday night and should be fun to watch.

Prague Czech Republic - In Prague the New York Rangers will play the Tampa Bay Lightning in two regular season games. Both these teams made big changes in the off season and are looking forward to having big seasons. The Rangers have two Czech players in Petr Prucha and Michal Rozisal, that will no doubt be the fan favorites. The Lightning have some of the NHL’s biggest stars in Vincent Lecavalier, Martin St Louis and 1st overall selection Steven Stamkos. Stamkos will play in his much anticipated NHL debut and will draw attention from both sides of the pond. Tampa Bay has a lot of new players and will be looking to build some chemistry and build towards what they hope is a much improved season.  The Rangers are a big market team and the NHL will be looking to draw a lot of fans out to the games. Both these teams will be looking to get off to good starts, to prove that they are favorite teams in the Eastern Conference. The games will be Saturday and Sunday, the crowds should be rocking and hopefully the NHL gives them a good product.

Traveling to Europe has ups and downfalls for these four teams.  The travel and time change can take a lot of the players and put a damper on early season expectations. On the other hand, you can use these trips as team building experiences and bring the teams closer together. The teams are going to end up being in Europe for almost two weeks this season, I would expect when they get home it will take a while to get readjusted. Last year Anaheim and Los Angeles played in London and both teams got off to rough starts when they got home. Hopefully all four of these teams will adapt well and there will only be positive impacts on there seasons.

The future in Europe for the NHL is yet to be determined, but it makes sense for the league to expand its European fan base. The NHL more then any other North American professional sports league has a lot of European talent. Stars like Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin, Marian Hossa and Henrik Lundqvist all are European, and could go along way to the NHL being a success in Europe. In my opinion I like that four teams are going to these countries to start the year, but that is enough. You don’t need to send anymore then that, go over to Europe for a couple weeks and show off the great product the league has. This is not a vacation for these teams, the games matter and it will be important for them to get off to good starts.

It has been said that maybe there will NHL franchises in Europe within the next 10 years. I’m not sure I agree with that, the travel would be tough on everyone and the time changes would make it hard on the schedule makers. In my opinion if there is a good European league I could see an opportunity for the NHL’s Stanley Cup Champions to play the European Champion in a series at the seasons end. I’m not sure that will ever happen, but it might be interesting.  Whatever the NHL does, they need to capture the hockey market in Europe. Hockey is big in Sweden, Russia and the Czech Republic and the league has a lot of great stars from those countries. Who knows what the future holds, I hope the fans in Europe enjoy the NHL games this weekend and continue there love for hockey.

#5 Jaromir Jagr - Jagr was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins 5th overall in 1990 and went on to team up with Mario Lemieux and become one of the most feared duos in NHL history. With 1,599 career points Jagr sits second in career scoring at his position. His best year was in 1995-1996 when he scored 62 goals and recorded 149 points. Jaromir won the Art Ross as the leagues top scorer five times and won the Hart as league MVP in 1999. A nine time all star, Jagr played his career with three franchises the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitols and the New York Rangers. Playing in 169 career playoff games Jagr recorded 77 goals and 181 points, he won two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh. Along with great goaltending by Dominic Hasek, Jagr led his Czech Republic team to Olympic gold in 1998. There is no question that Jagr was one of the flashiest and most dynamic players of his generation and he belongs on this list.

#4 Mike Bossy – With the 15th overall choice in the 1977 NHL entry draft the New York Islanders selected Mike Bossy.  Bossy didn’t disappoint winning the Calder as top rookie in the league in 1978, recording 91 points in his first campaign. Bossy was part of the great Islanders dynasty, winning the Conn Smythe in 1982 as MVP of the playoffs. He recorded an amazing 160 points in only 129 career playoff games. Mikes career was cut short by injury and only played 752 regular season games, but he did record 1,126 points. Bossy never averaged less then a point a game in a single season, and quickly became one of the most consistent players in NHL history. In 10 NHL seasons Bossy recorded 100 plus points and 50 goals 7 times. If injuries hadn’t cut his years short Bossy way have been the best Right Winger of all time.

#3 Guy Lafleur – Lafleur was fast and dynamic every time he set foot on the ice. He was a legend at the famed Montreal Forum and a fan favorite all across the province of Quebec. Guy recorded six straight 100 points seasons between 1975 -1980 and was widely considered the best player in the league. 560 goals and 1,353 over his career that ranks him 5th among right wingers in NHL history. He led the league in scoring three times and won the Hart as league MVP twice in 1977 and 1978. While leading Montreal to the Cup, Guy won the Conn Smythe recording 26 points in just 14 games. Arguable his best season was in 1976-1977 when he scored 136 points while being an amazing plus 89. Lafleur was one of the, if not the best player of the 70’s and is easily one of the best right wingers in National Hockey League history.

#2 Maurice Richard - Guy Lafleur was a legend in Montreal, Maurice “The Rocket” Richard was God like. “The Rocket” was the definition of a sniper, he became the first NHL’er to ever score 50 goals in a single season in 1944-1945. Richard was a first team all star eight times and won the Hart Trophy in 1947. Maurice played in 13 straight all star games between 1947 and 1959 proving that he was one of the best players around. “The Rocket” was the first player to record 500 career goals, ending with 544 and retired as leagues top point getter with 965 points. He was also a tough player, not afraid to get into the mix, he had more then 100 penalty minutes in a single season five times. “The Rockets” numbers don’t look like that much compared to the numbers players are putting up today, but it was a different game in his generation. He was the best player in the original six era and he led Canadians to a lot of Stanley Cups.

#1 Gordie Howe - “Mr. Hockey”, Gordie Howe is a living hockey legend. He was the picture of longevity, he loved the game and played as long as he physically could. He played 25 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings between 1946 and 1971. He wasn’t done there he played six seasons in the WHA, and returned to the NHL along side his sons in the 1979-1980 season. Gordie played professional hockey in five decades, he completed this feat by dressing for one game with the Detroit Vipers (IHL) in 1997-1998. Howe retired from the NHL as the leader in both goals and points with 801 goals and 1,049 points. He led the league in scoring six times and was the MVP six times. In 1968-1969 Howe recorded 100 points for the first time, 44 goals and 59 assists and may have been his best season. Mr. Hockey was tough and not scared to get in a fight and throw his weight around. Interesting fact about Gordie is that he could use both hands and shoot both left and right handed. Gordie Howe represents hockey with great pride and passion and in many ways is the best thing to ever happen to the game, “Mr. Hockey” is a legend.

As stated earlier the right wing position is the deepest in all of hockey. Players like Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, Lanny McDonald and Mike Gartner could have easily made this list. The right wing position has hall of famers from all generations and eras. It is hard to compare the players from the 50’s to the players of today, but it is fun to look at. Whether it is Gordie Howe’s longevity or Jaromir Jagr’s pure talent these men are all NHL legends.