SN 140: All-time All-NHL team with best players in hockey history

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SN 140: All-time All-NHL team with best players in hockey history originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The NHL has seen some impressive players throughout the history of the greatest hockey league in the world.

Fans have been blessed to watch different eras of phenomenal players, and they’ve witnessed the game change dramatically as players have become faster and more skilled.

As we celebrate The Sporting News’ 140th anniversary, we take a look at the greatest individual seasons of 21 NHL players and make a roster with them.

SN 140: The greatest NHL teams of all time

NHL all-time team​

Forwards​

Left wing	Center	Right wing
Jaromir Jagr (1995-96)	Wayne Gretzky (1985-86)	Mike Bossy (1981-82)
Alex Ovechkin (2007-08)	Mario Lemieux (1988-89)	Brett Hull (1990-91)
Luc Robitaille (1992-93)	Connor McDavid (2022-23)	Teemu Selanne (1992-93)
Bobby Hull (1968-69)	Phil Esposito (1970-71)	Maurice Richard (1944-45)

Defensemen​

Bobby Orr (1970-71)	Chris Pronger (1999-2000)
Paul Coffey (1985-86)	Erik Karlsson (2022-23)
Denis Potvin (1978-79)	Cale Makar (2024-25)

Goaltending​

Dominik Hasek (1997-98)

Martin Brodeur (2006-07)

Bernie Parent (1973-74)

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Jaromir Jagr, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1995-96​

• Position: Right wing
• Season stats: 62 goals, 87 assists, 149 points
• Individual awards: None
• Team awards: None

If you looked at individual awards for Jaromir Jagr this season, you might be puzzled as to why he’s featured, but the Czech-born winger, alongside the great Mario Lemieux, dominated the NHL.

Jagr finished second in goals and points, only to Lemieux. Although there were seasons when Jagr carried the Penguins while Lemieux dealt with health problems, this was the season when Jagr went from star to mega superstar.

This was the first season in which Jagr eclipsed the 40-goal and 100-point plateau, but he annihilated those marks, registering 62 goals and 149 points. Younger fans may know Jagr as the ageless wonder, but older fans remember him for his unbelievable talent — a wizard with the puck.

Wayne Gretzky, Edmonton Oilers, 1985-86​

• Position: Center
• Season stats: 52 goals, 163 assists, 215 points
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award
• Team awards: None

No player in NHL history has hit the 200-point mark in a single season, except the Great One. Wayne Gretzky hit the 200-point plateau four times in his career, but his highest-ever scoring season was in 1985-86, when he notched 215 points.

Shockingly, the Edmonton Oilers lost in the second round of the playoffs that season, which split Gretzky and the Oilers’ four-year cup run.

Gretzky’s dominant 1985-86 season was a part of his eight consecutive Hart Memorial Trophy wins and part of his 10 Art Ross Trophies.

SN 140: When Wayne Gretzky passed Gordie Howe as NHL's leading scorer

Mike Bossy, New York Islanders, 1981-82​

• Position: Right wing
• Season stats: 64 goals, 83 assists, 147 points
• Individual awards: Conn Smythe Trophy
• Team awards: Stanley Cup

Before Gretzky could win his first Stanley Cup, Mike Bossy and the New York Islanders stood in his way. Bossy was the leader of this Islander’s squad that won four consecutive Stanley Cups.

Injuries hampered Bossy’s career, as one of the NHL’s greatest goal scorers was only able to play 752 career games. Similar to Lemieux, Bossy remains one of the biggest what-ifs in NHL history, as he could have crushed NHL goal-scoring records.

Nonetheless, the 1981-82 season was a healthy campaign for Bossy, and he took advantage, scoring 64 goals and 147 points in 80 games. In the playoffs, he poured in 17 goals and 27 points in just 19 games, en route to winning the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy. Bossy finished second to Gretzky in goals and points that season, or else he would have brought home more hardware.

Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals, 2007-08​

• Position: Left wing
• Season stats: 65 goals, 47 assists, 112 points
• Individual awards: Rocket Richard Trophy, Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award
• Team awards: None

Alex Ovechkin had already introduced himself to the NHL with a 52-goal, 106-point Calder Trophy-winning rookie season, but Ovechkin’s third season in the NHL is what made the generational tags placed on him worthwhile.

In addition to his hardware dominance, Ovechkin became the first player to score 60 or more goals since Lemieux did it in 1995-96. Ovechkin also did this in the hardest era to score goals.

At just 22 years old, Ovechkin was physically dominant and was a driver of offense. Ovechkin’s personality and electric playing style made him must-see television.

SN 140: Alex Ovechkin scores another to pass The Great One

Mario Lemieux, Pittsburgh Penguins, 1988-89​

• Position: Center
• Season stats: 85 goals, 114 assists, 199 points
• Individual awards: Art Ross Trophy
• Team awards: None

If it weren’t for health issues, many people who watched Mario Lemieux would argue that he could have been better than Gretzky. And most will say Lemieux is arguably the most talented player in NHL history.

The 1988-89 season embodied that talent everyone said Lemieux had. Lemieux led the league in goals and points that season, but did not win the Hart Trophy or Ted Lindsay Award, as both went to Gretzky.

Standing 6-foot-4, watching Lemieux weave his way through defenders with his silky hands was a sight to see.

Brett Hull, St. Louis Blues, 1990-91​

• Position: Right wing
• Season stats: 86 goals, 45 assists, 131 points
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay
• Team awards: None

Like his father, Brett Hull was a goal scorer who loved to entertain fans.

Hull wasn’t known much for his defensive game, but that didn’t matter much when he was finding the back of the net as often as he did. Hull finished his NHL career with 741 goals in 1269 games, but the 1990-91 season saw Hull notch 86 goals.

Hull would win his one and only Hart Trophy, but he would have to wait until 1999 to win his first Stanley Cup as a member of the Dallas Stars.

Luc Robitaille, Los Angeles Kings, 1992-93​

• Position: Left wing
• Season stats: 63 goals, 62 assists, 125 points
• Individual awards: None
• Team awards: None

Luc Robitaille wasn’t highly touted, and he had to wait two years before making his NHL debut after being drafted, but Robitaille did not care. The Canadian left winger posted 45 goals and 84 points in 79 games in his rookie season, but his best season came in the 1992-93 season.

Robitaille would post career highs of 63 goals and 125 points. Although this Kings team featured Gretzky and Jarri Kurri, it was Robitaille who led the team in goals and points.

The Kings would go on to lose to the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup final, but Robitaille’s offense was a key reason why they were so successful that year.

Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers, 2022-23​

• Position: Center
• Season stats: 64 goals, 89 assists, 153 points
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award, Rocket Richard Trophy, Art Ross Trophy
• Team awards: None

Connor McDavid’s 2022-23 campaign was not just the most dominant campaign in recent history, but truly one of the best seasons of all time.

With a change in the sport, many thought the days of 150-point scorers were done, but McDavid proved those people wrong. Additionally, most critics of McDavid said he didn’t shoot the puck enough and that he would never win the Rocket Richard Trophy, but he proved them wrong.

McDavid, alongside Lemieux, might be the most talented player to play in the NHL, but at the moment, the only thing holding back his NHL career is a Stanley Cup.

Teemu Selanne, Winnipeg Jets, 1992-93​

• Position: Right wing
• Season stats: 76 goals, 56 assists, 132 points
• Individual awards: Calder Trophy
• Team awards: None

The greatest rookie season of all time, Teemu Selanne scored 76 goals and made an immediate impact in the NHL. Selanne never replicated these stats, but the great Finnish winger still amassed 50 goals and 100 points on several occasions.

Selanne was a consistent offensive threat throughout his entire career. Even when he was in his 40s, Selanne was still producing offensively at an elite rate.

His point totals would have been even higher if he had started his NHL career before 22, but he likely wouldn’t have had his historic and untouchable rookie season.

Bobby Hull, Chicago Blackhawks, 1968-69​

• Position: Left wing
• Season stats: 58 goals, 49 assists, 107 points
• Individual awards: None
• Team awards: None

Bobby Hull led the NHL in goals in the 1968-69 season and finished second in points to the legendary Phil Esposito, which is why he didn’t win the Hart Trophy. Hull had won a pair of Hart Trophies earlier in his career, but the 1968-69 season saw Hull post career highs in goals and points.

Hull scored 50 goals five times in his career, but only eclipsed the 100-point mark once. Hull won one Stanley Cup in his career, but fans will also remember him for being a showman who claimed the NHL is part of the entertainment business.

Phil Esposito, Boston Bruins, 1970-71​

• Position: Center
• Season stats: 76 goals, 76 assists, 152 points
• Individual awards: Art Ross Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award
• Team awards: None

76 goals and 76 assists, yet Esposito didn’t take home the Hart Trophy because the greatest defenseman of all-time, and a teammate of Esposito, Bobby Orr, posted an absurd 37 goals and 139 points as a defenseman.

Esposito was physically dominant, but had the skill to create offense whenever he touched the puck. Esposito had stops with the Blackhawks and the New York Rangers, but his best moments came with the Bruins.

Maurice Richard, Montreal Canadiens, 1944-45​

• Position: Right wing
• Season stats: 50 goals, 23 assists, 73 points
• Individual awards: None
• Team awards: None

You had to be a pretty incredible scorer to have the goal-scoring award named after you, and Maurice “Rocket” Richard was a spectacular player. In the 1944-45 season, Richard scored an outstanding 50 goals in just 50 games.

Richard won eight Stanley Cups, but surprisingly, his most dominant offensive season didn’t result in a Stanley Cup win for the Montreal Canadiens.

Bobby Orr, Boston Bruins, 1970-71​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 37 goals, 102 assists, 139 points
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Norris Trophy,
• Team awards: None

Falling into a similar category as Lemieux and Bossy, Bobby Orr had his NHL career cut short due to injuries. When he was healthy and playing, there was nothing else like him.

Orr dominated on both ends of the ice, but his offensive game from the blueline feels almost incomprehensible. In the 1970-71 season, everything clicked. It wasn’t his highest goal-scoring season, but Orr notched 37 goals and 139 points, one of his six 100-point campaigns.

But the most impressive feat was the 102 assists. In today’s game, it’s rare to see a defenseman score 100 points, but back then, Orr recorded 100 assists, a feat NHL fans celebrated recently when McDavid and Nikita Kucherov achieved it in 2024-25.

SN 140: The moment Bobby Orr took flight to win the Cup

Chris Pronger, St. Louis Blues, 1999-2000​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 14 goals, 48 assists, 62 points
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Norris Trophy
• Team awards: None

Chris Pronger is the last defenseman to win the Hart Trophy, but he did it in a different way than the previous defenders who did so.

Pronger was a mean, physical defenseman who shut down the opponent’s top players for fun. Pronger wasn’t a slouch offensively, but he wasn’t posting point-per-game seasons.

Instead, Pronger is partly responsible for ushering in a new era of defensemen, one of big bruisers.

Paul Coffey, Edmonton Oilers, 1985-86​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 48 goals, 90 assists, 138 points
• Individual awards: Norris Trophy
• Team awards: None

The second-highest point-producing season of all time came from Paul Coffey, who finished just one point behind Orr’s record.

This Oilers roster featured the likes of Jarri Kurri, Mark Messier, and Glenn Anderson, yet Coffey finished second on the Team in points behind Gretzky.

Coffey was a consistent point producer throughout his NHL career, finishing well above a point per game despite playing over 1400 NHL games.

Erik Karlsson, San Jose Sharks, 2022-23​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 25 goals, 76 assists, 101 points
• Individual awards: Norris Trophy
• Team awards: None

Erik Karlsson became the first blueliner to record 100 points since Brian Leetch did so in the 1991-92 season. In doing so, Karlsson became one of the five defensemen to do so.

To add to the lore of Karlsson’s magnificent season, many people believed Karlsson’s career was on the decline, as ankle injuries had really hampered the Swedish defender’s skating and impact on the game.

He quieted those critics and delivered a season to remember. Like McDavid, the only thing really left for Karlsson to win is the Stanley Cup.

Denis Potvin, New York Islanders, 1978-79​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 31 goals, 70 assists, 101 points
• Individual awards: Norris Trophy
• Team awards: Stanley Cup

Like Gretzky needed Coffey, and Esposito needed Orr, Mike Bossy and the Islanders needed Dennis Potvin to control the game from the blueline. He did that and more.

In the 1978-79 season, Potvin recorded 31 goals and 101 points, and was arguably the most important player on the Islanders.

Potvin finished his NHL career with 1060 games and 1056 points, but the 1978-79 season was one of many that proved how great a defender he was.

Cale Makar, Colorado Avalanche, 2024-25​

• Position: Defense
• Season stats: 30 goals, 62 assists, 92 points
• Individual awards: Norris Trophy
• Team awards: None

Possibly the greatest defender since Bobby Orr, Cale Makar was at his best during the 2024-25 season. It’s a lofty comparison, especially considering defensemen like Coffey, Ray Bourque, and Nicklas Lindstrom playing in between Orr and Makar.

But Makar has done everything he can to live up to it. At just 27 years old, Makar has already won a Stanley Cup, a Conn Smythe Trophy, and two Norris Trophies.

In 2024-25, Makar notched what is, at the moment, a career-high 30 goals and 92 points. By the time Makar’s career is done, he’ll likely have a different season as his best, because if any current defensemen can score either 40 goals or 100 points, it’ll be Makar.

Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres, 1997-98​

• Position: Goaltender
• Season stats: 72 games, .932 save percentage, 2.09 goals-against average
• Individual awards: Hart Memorial Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Ted Lindsay Award
• Team awards: None

Some may argue Dominik Hasek is the best goaltender of all time, and some may say Patrick Roy; either way, Hasek’s 1997-98 season may be the best goaltending season of all time.

Hasek played in 72 of the 82 games that season and posted outstanding numbers despite a really poor Sabres offense. The Sabres earned a playoff spot despite their leading scorer posting just 46 points.

In the playoffs, Hasek continued to dominate, posting a .938 save percentage over 15 games before losing in the Eastern Conference finals. Hasek pulled off one of the ultimate carry jobs, but it just fell short.

Martin Brodeur, New Jersey Devils, 2006-07​

• Position: Goaltender
• Season stats: 78 games, .922 save percentage, 2.12 goals-against average
• Individual awards: Vezina Trophy
• Team awards: None

Playing 78 of 82 games is unheard of nowadays, as most goalies are capped out at around 50 games. Brodeur was a workhorse, and although he played behind one of the greatest, if not the greatest, defensive teams throughout his NHL career, he was critical to the Devils’ success.

Brodeur became so good at playing the puck that the NHL had to change the rules and add the trapezoid behind the net, as it became impossible to break down the Devils’ trap defense.

Over those 78 games, Brodeur also posted a .922 save percentage and a 2.12 goals-against average.

Bernie Parent, Philadelphia Flyers, 1973-74​

• Position: Goaltender
• Season stats: 73 games, .932 save percentage, 1.89 goals-against average
• Individual awards: Vezina Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy
• Team awards: Stanley Cup

When talking about the Philadelphia Flyers of the 70s, most people talk about the Broad Street Bullies and Bobby Clarke, but Bernie Parent was critical for the Flyers, highlighted by his Conn Smythe Trophy win in the 1973-74 playoffs.

Parent started his career with the Bruins and spent a couple of seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but, through and through, he was a Flyer.

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