Throwdowns > Forfeited

Mr Monopoly Man said 05/17, 07:19 PM
Gordie Howe is my selection, and for very good reason. Howe is the embodiment of all around hockey talent. He scored, he assisted, he fought. And not only that, but he was incredibly durable as well, playing 26 seasons.

Howe scored 70 points in 21 straight seasons, proving he didn't peter off or compile stats in a handful of explosive seasons. He's third in NHL history in points with 1,850 of them, coming from 801 goals and 1,049 assists. He's second all time in goals and eighth in assists. Clearly a dangerous threat to pass or score, few rivaled Howe.

He was also known for being ambidextrous in an era when sticks lacked the curves they have today, a dangerous skill to have. And unlike some of the other scorers in NHL history, Howe achieved his points in a low scoring, physical era. In fact, Howe himself was renown for his toughness without a doubt. They nicknamed the Gordie Howe Hat Trick after him, when a player scores a goal, assist and gets into a fight in a game. His nickname, Mr Hockey, speaks loud enough.

23 all star selections. 4 Stanley Cups. 6 Art Ross trophies. 6 Hart trophies. Most games played in a career. Howe embodies hockey.

Mr Monopoly Man said 05/18, 12:49 PM
Six straight seasons of 100 points fails to compare to 21 straight of 70 points. I don't care if Orr was a defender. Orr was a threat on offense, sure, but not compared to the amazing consistency Howe displayed combined with his skills in scoring.

Speaking of consistency, Orr played only 9 full NHL seasons and 12 in total. I know he did a lot in those seasons, but I have a hard time declaring he's better than Mr. Consistency when he had to cut his career so short.

Gordie Howe piled up over 1600 penalty minutes, a lot from fighting. Maybe he wasn't exactly excelling at achieving Gordie Howe hat tricks, but you cannot say that takes away from how physical he was. Howe was a force on the ice, both on the offensive end and in terms of physical play.

Orr is the best defender of all time, I agree. But Howe is a true offensive genius. He excelled in countless areas, not just one. He passed, he scored, he fought. He played for years.

In matters like this, we should turn to the players who played the game and ask who they think is the back. Something many people have asked both Gretzky and Orr. Do you know who they said was the best? Howe. Even Orr knows the truth.

Mr Monopoly Man said 05/18, 04:10 PM
Well I know when I'm beaten. Thank you for the TD Fvkasm.