Best American NHL Player

[The_Admiral]

and admirial, I know you love being a pompous, sarcastic ass,

I do love it! Who wouldn't? It's fun!

Anyway, there is a salient point beneath the veneer of dismissive bitterness, which is that it's awfully myopic and silly to base an answer to a question such as this with something as admittedly limited in scope as "the guy who beats my team a lot," implying that whichever American-born player who has demonstrated the most ability against the mighty Anaheim Ducks (or Anaheim Mighty Ducks, as the case may be) must be the answer. While Modano is more than worthy of consideration, I don't think his career quite matches up to Cheli's, which is one that I find staggering. That he posted a +40 in his age 40 season--and +48 in his age 38!--is unreal stuff, the mark of one of the all-time great defensemen.

Here's an approach I like to use for these exercises: take all the players in consideration, all at their primes. You are assembling a roster. Whom do you pick first? I take Chelios.

[Eye]

and admirial, I know you love being a pompous, sarcastic ass,

I do love it! Who wouldn't? It's fun!

Anyway, there is a salient point beneath the veneer of dismissive bitterness, which is that it's awfully myopic and silly to base an answer to a question such as this with something as admittedly limited in scope as "the guy who beats my team a lot," implying that whichever American-born player who has demonstrated the most ability against the mighty Anaheim Ducks (or Anaheim Mighty Ducks, as the case may be) must be the answer. While Modano is more than worthy of consideration, I don't think his career quite matches up to Cheli's, which is one that I find staggering. That he posted a +40 in his age 40 season--and +48 in his age 38!--is unreal stuff, the mark of one of the all-time great defensemen.

Here's an approach I like to use for these exercises: take all the players in consideration, all at their primes. You are assembling a roster. Whom do you pick first? I take Chelios.

Wrong, and you know it. The best ever is Brass97. He knows so much more than anyone of us could fathom and he is the best player ever. He's great. All bow down to him and his infinite knowledge and skills of the game. It's his world and we're just living in it, yo.

[Still MIGHTY]

and admirial, I know you love being a pompous, sarcastic ass,

I do love it! Who wouldn't? It's fun!

Anyway, there is a salient point beneath the veneer of dismissive bitterness, which is that it's awfully myopic and silly to base an answer to a question such as this with something as admittedly limited in scope as "the guy who beats my team a lot," implying that whichever American-born player who has demonstrated the most ability against the mighty Anaheim Ducks (or Anaheim Mighty Ducks, as the case may be) must be the answer. While Modano is more than worthy of consideration, I don't think his career quite matches up to Cheli's, which is one that I find staggering. That he posted a +40 in his age 40 season--and +48 in his age 38!--is unreal stuff, the mark of one of the all-time great defensemen.

Here's an approach I like to use for these exercises: take all the players in consideration, all at their primes. You are assembling a roster. Whom do you pick first? I take Chelios.

Maybe it's because I have this insane disdain for Cheliosaurus, I've just never seen this greatness everyone likes to put on him.

Really the only thing I've ever taken from Chelios playing is that he played until he was really old.

Idk, I just hate Chelios.

Where with Modano it's more of a respectful hate.

Like wow this guy is good, and I hate him for that.

I just hate Chelios.

And I'm just using the "Modano beat the Ducks by himself alot" angle as one reason, not the overlying reason for picking him.

[Brass]

[quote name='Eye' date='December 4, 2009 - 01:38' timestamp='1259908701'

Wrong, and you know it. The best ever is Brass97. He knows so much more than anyone of us could fathom and he is the best player ever. He's great. All bow down to him and his infinite knowledge and skills of the game. It's his world and we're just living in it, yo.

Was that really necessary? I said what I needed to and you said what you needed to and we left it at that. Did you not expect to be called out on a very vague statement? In all honesty, that was a cheap shot you took.

[BrySmalls]

My vote is for Mike Richter.

[infrared41]

Brett Favre, for sure!!!!11

You better believe it. The only reason Brett didn't play hockey was because he had too much respect for the game. He knew that the minute he laced up a pair of skates he'd break Gretzky's single season scoring record by the all-star break. Brett would have averaged 5-6 goals a game and his plus-minus would have been + infinity! Brett's team would have played shorthanded the entire game just to make it fair. If Brett had decided to be a goalie he would have had the longest shutout streak ever with like 19 straight seasons, not games, SEASONS!

Luckily for The NHL, Brett decided to play in the NFL instead. It's kind of sad really.

[GFB]

Mike Modano for his class (right there with Stevie Y)

Chris Chelios because he's an iron horse (as much as I hated him when he played for the Canadiens)

Brian Leetch for his defencive skills

and Jeremy Roenick because of his mouth

Blasphemy.

[GFB]

and admirial, I know you love being a pompous, sarcastic ass,

I do love it! Who wouldn't? It's fun!

Anyway, there is a salient point beneath the veneer of dismissive bitterness, which is that it's awfully myopic and silly to base an answer to a question such as this with something as admittedly limited in scope as "the guy who beats my team a lot," implying that whichever American-born player who has demonstrated the most ability against the mighty Anaheim Ducks (or Anaheim Mighty Ducks, as the case may be) must be the answer. While Modano is more than worthy of consideration, I don't think his career quite matches up to Cheli's, which is one that I find staggering. That he posted a +40 in his age 40 season--and +48 in his age 38!--is unreal stuff, the mark of one of the all-time great defensemen.

Here's an approach I like to use for these exercises: take all the players in consideration, all at their primes. You are assembling a roster. Whom do you pick first? I take Chelios.

Maybe it's because I have this insane disdain for Cheliosaurus, I've just never seen this greatness everyone likes to put on him.

Really the only thing I've ever taken from Chelios playing is that he played until he was really old.

Idk, I just hate Chelios.

Where with Modano it's more of a respectful hate.

Like wow this guy is good, and I hate him for that.

I just hate Chelios.

And I'm just using the "Modano beat the Ducks by himself alot" angle as one reason, not the overlying reason for picking him.

You're a Ducks fan. You don't get to hate anyone.

[Still MIGHTY]

and admirial, I know you love being a pompous, sarcastic ass,

I do love it! Who wouldn't? It's fun!

Anyway, there is a salient point beneath the veneer of dismissive bitterness, which is that it's awfully myopic and silly to base an answer to a question such as this with something as admittedly limited in scope as "the guy who beats my team a lot," implying that whichever American-born player who has demonstrated the most ability against the mighty Anaheim Ducks (or Anaheim Mighty Ducks, as the case may be) must be the answer. While Modano is more than worthy of consideration, I don't think his career quite matches up to Cheli's, which is one that I find staggering. That he posted a +40 in his age 40 season--and +48 in his age 38!--is unreal stuff, the mark of one of the all-time great defensemen.

Here's an approach I like to use for these exercises: take all the players in consideration, all at their primes. You are assembling a roster. Whom do you pick first? I take Chelios.

Maybe it's because I have this insane disdain for Cheliosaurus, I've just never seen this greatness everyone likes to put on him.

Really the only thing I've ever taken from Chelios playing is that he played until he was really old.

Idk, I just hate Chelios.

Where with Modano it's more of a respectful hate.

Like wow this guy is good, and I hate him for that.

I just hate Chelios.

And I'm just using the "Modano beat the Ducks by himself alot" angle as one reason, not the overlying reason for picking him.

You're a Ducks fan. You don't get to hate anyone.

Judging by your avatar and location, I assume you are a Red Wings fan.

Therefore, I hate you.

[friarcanuck]

Mike Modano for his class (right there with Stevie Y)

Chris Chelios because he's an iron horse (as much as I hated him when he played for the Canadiens)

Brian Leetch for his defencive skills

and Jeremy Roenick because of his mouth

Blasphemy.

Ok, putting up beside Stevie Y might be a long shot, but Modano is still a class act.

[oddball]

While Modano is a good player in this discussion, and he is a class act, stop and think about the fact that Dallas took away the "C" from him and gave it to Brendan Morrow. That alone says a lot. If you get the "C" taken off your chest, that says that your team does not view you as a leader or even the best player on the team. Best player doesn't mean stats, it means you have an all around game that everyone respects. I wouldn't include Brett Hull on this list, just because while he was a good scorer, that whole Canadian/US thing for me eliminates Brett. Pat Lafontaine would be up there, as would Leetch, who I think is actually underrated. I would probably say the top 5 would be #5) Tom Barrasso, #4) Joe Mullen, #3) JR, #2) Mike Richter, #1) Chelios. It's not how long Chelly played, but the type of tough top notch defense he played. The top 3 were players that you feared and hated to play against.

[Lee.]

Brett Favre, for sure!!!!11

If only Ugly Bretty had signed with the Blackhawks, Madden NHL would be the best selling video game of all time.

[The_Admiral]

The best meat is in the rump.

There's a bug on it.