In 1974-1975, he had his first of eight 100-point seasons (47 goals and 74 assists for 121 points, though a -15 +/- rating), finishing eighth for the Hart Trophy for MVP and winning the first of two Lady Byngs for “sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability”. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Dionne and Lafleur were two of the brightest stars in the NHL, though played under very different circumstances – on one hand, Dionne put up sterling numbers with middling Los Angeles Kings teams out west and was perhaps perpetually underrated, while on the other hand, Lafleur shone brightly as one of the all-time greats for the league’s flagship franchise in the Montreal Canadiens and for a stretch, was arguably the most dominant player in the game.īuilding on his rookie season, Dionne was a star in Detroit, racking up 90 points and 78 points, respectively, in the 74 seasons. Lafleur had a solid rookie season, scoring 29 goals with 35 assists for 64 points and a +27 +/- rating. Since the Golden Seals ended up finishing last in 1971, the Canadiens earned the top pick and proceeded to select Lafleur first overall in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft. With Lafleur and Dionne widely expected to be top picks in 1971, the Montreal Canadiens traded their 1970 first-round pick and Ernie Hicks to the now-defunct California Golden Seals for their 1971 first-round pick and Francois Lacombe. Similarly, Lafleur also participated in Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments as a youngster and then graduated to the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he scored 130 goals in a single season to lead the team to the 1971 Memorial Cup. After setting the OHA career scoring record, he was drafted second overall in the 1971 NHL Entry Draft (behind Lafleur) by the Detroit Red Wings – as a rookie in 1971-1972, Dionne posted 28 goals and 49 assists for 77 points with an even +/- rating to finish third in the Calder Trophy voting for top rookie. Catharines Black Hawks of the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) in 1969. Growing up in Quebec, Dionne played in Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournaments before joining the St. Who was better – Marcel Dionne or Guy Lafleur? The BeginningĪs mentioned, both Dionne and Lafleur dominated the junior hockey ranks and were drafted at the top of their class, thus carrying high expectations into the start of their NHL careers. Such was the case in 1971, when two Quebec junior hockey superstars, Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne, were selected with the first two picks in that year’s NHL draft – both picks worked out, as each player went on to have a legendary Hall of Fame career, thus inevitably bringing up the question: When two players are drafted first and second overall in a given year, their careers are inexorably linked and will be forever compared and contrasted to each other (think Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin in the 2004 NHL Draft, or in a different sport, Peyton Manning and Ryan Leaf in the 1998 NFL Draft). We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links. The list could be exponentially longer, but this is my top 25.This site contains affiliate links to products. I've put together a list of the classiest players in the history of the game. Like any sport, there are an equally large number of not-so-classy players, but given hockey's place in the lexicon of professional sports, the ratio is much smaller. Even with the 24-hour-a-day news cycle and the "look at me" culture of SportsCenter highlight reels, hockey players tend to avoid the larger-than-life persona. The most humble and grounded athletes in the world are found in the NHL. Conducting oneself with a certain grace and distinction sounds a bit out of place given the often barbaric nature of the sport. We win as a team, and we lose as a team.Ĭlass is difficult to define in an athlete, but it tends to reflect how a player carries himself on and off the ice. It reminds us that hockey is a team sport. The graciousness on either side of that line may not be as sincere as we'd like it to be, but it probably is more often than not. The handshake line at the conclusion of an often brutal playoff series requires humility from both victor and loser. To some it is the ultimate salt in the wound, but to most it is the consummate display of sportsmanship. Hockey has one of the greatest traditions in all of sports. The ability to lift your head in the face of failure will tell you more about the fiber of an athlete than the glory and exaltation of triumph. I have always been of the mindset that you can judge the character or class of an athlete best in defeat rather than in victory.
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