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Hockey

<a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/the-greatest-american-hockey-players-of-all-time/ranker-hockey?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">List of famous hockey players</a> from Canada, listed alphabetically with photos of the players when available. Canada has produced some very talented hockey players over the years, including centers, goalies, wings and defensive players. These are some of the best Canadian hockey players to ever live, so if you're a native of Canada and are aspiring to play hockey professionally then these people should be your idols. If you're searching for a particular popular hockey player from Canada then you can use the "search" box to find who you're looking for.List includes Brian Cullen, Brad Richardson and more.This list answers the questions, "Who are the greatest Canadian hockey players?" and "Which hockey players are from Canada?" You can click on the names of these <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-hockey-players-from-switzerland/reference?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">legendary hockey players</a> of Canada in order to get more information about each one. If you play hockey or just love the sport then use this list of talented <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-canadian-mlb-players-of-all-time/ranker-baseball?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Canadian baseball players</a> to find some athletes you haven't heard of before.

Famous Canadian Hockey Players | List of Hockey Players from Canada

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Patrick Roy

Patrick Jacques Roy (French pronunciation: ​[ʁwa]; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey goaltender and the former head coach and vice-president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is currently the general manager and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). He is regarded as one of the greatest goaltenders of all time. In 2017 Roy was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.Nicknamed "Saint Patrick," Roy split his playing career in the NHL between the Montreal Canadiens, with whom he played for 11 years, and the Avalanche, with whom he played for eight years. Roy won four Stanley Cups during his career, two with each franchise. Roy was born in Quebec City, but grew up in Cap-Rouge, Quebec.
In 2004, Roy was selected as the greatest goaltender in NHL history by a panel of 41 writers, coupled with a simultaneous fan poll. On November 13, 2006, Roy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is the only player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy (the award given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs) three times, the only one to do so in different decades, and the only one to do so for two teams. Roy's number 33 jersey is retired by both the Canadiens and Avalanche.
Roy is widely credited with popularizing the butterfly style of goaltending, which has since become the dominant style of goaltending around the world. He has previously served as the general manager and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), positions to which he returned in May 2018. Before stepping down in the 2016 off-season, Roy had been the head coach of the Avalanche since the 2013–14 season, during which he won the Jack Adams Award as the NHL's best coach.

Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux,  (; French: [ləmjø]; born October 5, 1965) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played parts of 17 National Hockey League seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 1984 to 2006, assuming ownership in 1999. Nicknamed "The Magnificent One" or Le Magnifique (as well as "Super Mario"), he is widely acknowledged to have been one of the greatest players of all time.  A gifted playmaker and fast skater despite his large size, Lemieux often beat defencemen with fakes and dekes.Lemieux led Pittsburgh to consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. Under his ownership, the Penguins won additional titles in 2009, 2016, and 2017. He is the only man to have his name on the Cup as both a player and an owner. He also led Team Canada to an Olympic gold medal in 2002, a championship at the 2004 World Cup of Hockey, and a Canada Cup in 1987. He won the Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player voted by the players four times, the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player (MVP) during the regular season three times, the Art Ross Trophy as the league's points leader six times, and the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoffs MVP in 1991 and 1992.  He is the only player to score one goal in each of the five possible situations in a single NHL game, a feat he accomplished in 1988.  At the time of his retirement, he was the NHL's seventh-highest ranked career scorer with 690 goals and 1,033 assists. He ranks second in NHL history with a 0.754 goals-per game average for his career, behind only Mike Bossy (0.762). In 2004, he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Lemieux's career was plagued by health problems that limited him to 915 of a possible 1,428 regular season games, between the opening of the 1984–85 campaign and the final game of 2005–2006. Lemieux's NHL debut was on October 11, 1984, and his final game took place on December 16, 2005. His numerous ailments included spinal disc herniation, Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic tendinitis of a hip-flexor muscle, and chronic back pain so severe that other people had to tie his skates. He retired on two separate occasions due to these health issues, first in 1997 after battling lymphoma before returning in 2000, and then a second and final time in 2006 after being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Lemieux also missed the entire 1994–95 season due to Hodgkin's lymphoma. Despite his lengthy absences from the game, his play remained at a high level upon his return to the ice; he won the Hart Trophy and scoring title in 1995–96 after sitting out the entire previous season, and he was a finalist for the Hart when he made his comeback in 2000. In 1999, he bought the then-bankrupt Penguins and their top minor-league affiliate, the American Hockey League's (AHL) Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, and is currently the team's principal owner and chairman.
The Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Lemieux immediately after his first retirement in 1997, waiving the normal three-year waiting period; upon his return in 2000, he became the third Hall of Famer (after Gordie Howe and Guy Lafleur) to play after being inducted. Lemieux's impact on the NHL has been significant: Andrew Conte of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review called him the saviour of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and after Lemieux's retirement, Wayne Gretzky commented that "You don't replace players like Mario Lemieux ... The game will miss him." Bobby Orr called him "the most talented player I've ever seen." Orr, along with Bryan Trottier and numerous fans, speculated that if Lemieux had not suffered so many issues with his health, his on-ice achievements would have been much greater. In 2017, he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".

Wayne Gretzky

Wayne Douglas Gretzky  (; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself. Gretzky is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player. He garnered more assists than any other player scored total points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999 and persisting through 2017, he holds 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records.Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled. He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".In 1978, Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships. Gretzky's trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, eventually leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers. Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, 10 Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times, and often spoke out against fighting in hockey.After his retirement in 1999, Gretzky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive such an honour. Gretzky was one of six players voted to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team. Gretzky became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the team won a gold medal. In 2000, he became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lock-out, he became the team's head coach. In 2004, Gretzky was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In September 2009, following the Phoenix Coyotes' bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as head coach and relinquished his ownership share. In October 2016, he became partner and vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group.

Gordie Howe

Gordon Howe  (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played twenty-six seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seasons were spent with the Detroit Red Wings. Nicknamed Mr. Hockey, Howe is often considered the most complete player to ever play the game and one of the greatest of all time. A 23-time NHL All-Star, he held many of the sport's career scoring records until they were broken in the 1980s by Wayne Gretzky, who himself has been a major champion of Howe's legacy. He continues to hold NHL records for most games and seasons played. In 2017, Howe was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players".Howe made his NHL debut with the Red Wings in 1946. He won the Art Ross Trophy for leading the league in scoring each year from 1950–51 to 1953–54, then again in 1956-57 and 1962–63, for a total of six times, which is the second most in NHL history. He led the NHL in goal scoring four times. He ranked among the top ten in NHL scoring for 21 consecutive years and set an NHL record for points in a season (95) in 1953, a record which was broken six years later. He won the Stanley Cup with the Red Wings four times and won six Hart Trophies as the NHL's most valuable player. He also led the NHL in playoff points six times.
Howe retired for the first time in 1971 and was immediately inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame that same year. He was then inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame the next year, but came back two years later to join his sons Mark and Marty on the Houston Aeros of the WHA. Although in his mid-40s, he scored over 100 points twice in six years, won two straight Avco World Trophies (1974 and 1975) and was named most valuable player in 1974. He made a brief return to the NHL in 1979–80, playing one season with the Hartford Whalers, then retired at age 52. His involvement with the WHA was central to their brief pre-NHL merger success, forcing the NHL to recruit European talent and expand to new markets.
Howe was most famous for his scoring prowess, physical strength and career longevity, and redefined the ideal qualities of a forward. He is the only player to have competed in the NHL in five different decades (1940s through 1980s). He became the namesake of the "Gordie Howe hat trick": a goal, an assist and a fight in the same game, though he only recorded two such games in his career. He was the inaugural recipient of the NHL Lifetime Achievement Award in 2008.

Aaron Rome

Aaron Rome (born September 27, 1983) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently serving as a skills coach with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Rome was selected in the fourth round (104th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft by the Los Angeles Kings.
Unsigned by the Kings, he joined the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim organization in 2004, earning most of his playing time with their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliates. In 2007, he played one game with the Ducks during their Stanley Cup-winning playoff season. The following season, he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, playing two seasons in the organization between the NHL and AHL. Becoming an unrestricted free agent in July 2009, he signed with the Vancouver Canucks and established himself as a regular in the team's lineup. He is perhaps best known during his minimal NHL experience for severely concussing Nathan Horton with a late hit in Game 3 of the 2011 Stanley Cup Final, sparking Boston's comeback and eventual championship. After three seasons with the Canucks he signed a three-year contract with the Dallas Stars as a free agent. After two seasons, playing in a combined 52 games, the Stars used a compliance buyout to terminate the final year of his contract.

Maurice Richard

Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard  (; French: [ʁiʃaʁ]; August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player in NHL history to score 50 goals in one season, accomplishing the feat in 50 games in 1944–45, and the first to reach 500 career goals. Richard retired in 1960 as the league's all-time leader in goals with 544. He won the Hart Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player in 1947, played in 13 All-Star Games and was named to 14 post-season NHL All-Star Teams, eight on the First-Team. In 2017 Richard was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.Richard, Elmer Lach and Toe Blake formed the "Punch line", a high-scoring forward line of the 1940s. Richard was a member of eight Stanley Cup championship teams, including a league record five straight between 1956 and 1960; he was the team's captain for the last four. The Hockey Hall of Fame waived its five-year waiting period for eligibility and inducted Richard into the hall in 1961. In 1975 he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame. The Canadiens retired his number, 9, in 1960, and in 1999 donated the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy to the NHL, awarded annually to the league's regular season leading goal-scorer.
The oldest of eight children, Richard emerged from a poverty-stricken family during the Great Depression. He was initially viewed as a fragile player. A string of injuries prevented him from joining the Canadian military during the Second World War. Outspoken and intense, he was renowned for his physical and occasionally violent style of play. Richard was involved in a vicious on-ice incident late in the 1954–55 season during which he struck a linesman.  NHL President Clarence Campbell suspended him for the remainder of the season and playoffs, which precipitated the Richard Riot in Montreal.  The riot has taken on a mythical quality in the decades since and is often viewed as a precursor to Quebec's Quiet Revolution. Richard was a cultural icon among Quebec's francophone population; his legend is a primary motif in Roch Carrier's short story The Hockey Sweater, an emblematic work of Canadian culture. In 1998, Richard became ill with abdominal cancer and died from the illness two years later. He became the first non-politician honoured by the province of Quebec with a state funeral.

Aaron Ward

Aaron Christian Ward (born January 17, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman who played more than 600 games over a span of 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Anaheim Ducks. He is a three-time Stanley Cup champion, having won twice with Detroit in 1997 and 1998 and once with Carolina in 2006.

Bobby Hull

Robert Marvin Hull, OC (born January 3, 1939) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, legendary skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high velocity together earned him the name "The Golden Jet". His talents were such that one or two opposing players were often assigned just to shadow him—a tribute to his explosiveness.
In his 23 years in the National Hockey League (NHL) and World Hockey Association (WHA), Hull played for the Chicago Black Hawks, Winnipeg Jets, and Hartford Whalers. He won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's most valuable player twice and the Art Ross Trophy as the NHL's leading point scorer three times, while helping the Black Hawks win the Stanley Cup in 1961. He also led the WHA's Winnipeg Jets to Avco Cup championships in 1976 and 1978. He led the NHL in goals seven times, the second most of any player in history, and led the WHA in goals one additional time while being the WHA's most valuable player two times. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983, the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1997, and received the Wayne Gretzky International Award in 2003. In 2017 Hull was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Aaron Volpatti

Anthony Aaron Volpatti (born May 30, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey winger who played with the Vancouver Canucks and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL).



Ab DeMarco

Albert George DeMarco, Sr. (May 10, 1916 – May 25, 1989) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. DeMarco started his National Hockey League career with the Chicago Black Hawks.  He would also play with the New York Rangers, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs. He played in the NHL from 1938 to 1947. He played several years in minor professional hockey until 1952, and played on in senior amateur hockey in his hometown of North Bay during the 1950s.

Bobby Orr

Robert Gordon Orr, OC (born March 20, 1948) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, widely acknowledged as one of the greatest of all time. Orr used his ice skating speed, scoring, and play-making abilities to revolutionize the position of defenceman.  He played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for 12 seasons, starting with 10 with the Boston Bruins followed by two with the Chicago Black Hawks. Orr remains the only defenceman to have won the league scoring title with two Art Ross Trophies. He holds the record for most points and assists in a single season by a defenceman. Orr won a record eight consecutive Norris Trophies as the NHL's best defenceman and three consecutive Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player (MVP). Orr was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979 at age 31, the youngest to be inducted at that time. In 2017 Orr was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. After his hockey career, he became a well-known scout for many professional teams. He also spends time talking to and mentoring young skaters.
Orr started in organized hockey at age eight. He first played as a forward but moved to defence and was encouraged to use his skating skills to control play. Orr's play in Ontario provincial competition attracted the notice of NHL scouts as early as age twelve. At fourteen, Orr joined the Oshawa Generals, the Bruins' junior hockey affiliate, and he was an all-star for three of his four seasons.
In 1966, Orr joined the Boston Bruins, a team that had not won a Stanley Cup since 1941 and had not qualified for the playoffs since 1959. With Orr, the Bruins won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1970 and 1972, and lost in the 1974 Final. In both victories, Orr scored the clinching goal and was named the playoff MVP. In the final achievement of his career, he was the MVP of the 1976 Canada Cup international hockey tournament. In 1976, Orr left Boston as a free agent to join the Black Hawks, but repeated injuries had effectively destroyed his left knee, and he retired in 1978 at age 30.
Orr's first professional contract was one of the first in professional ice hockey to be negotiated by an agent. It made him the highest-paid player in NHL history as a rookie. His second contract was the first million-dollar contract in the NHL. However, after his retirement, Orr learned he was deeply in debt and he had to sell off most of what he owned. Orr broke with his agent Alan Eagleson and sued the Black Hawks to settle his contract. Orr and his family returned to Boston where Orr went into business to rebuild his finances. Orr aided the investigations that led to Eagleson's fraud convictions and disbarment. Orr also supported the lawsuit that exposed the corruption of the NHL's pension plan.
Orr entered the player agent business in 1996 and today is president of the Orr Hockey Group agency. The agency represents over 20 active NHL players. Orr is also active in charitable works and in television commercials. Since 1996, Orr has coached a team of junior hockey players in the annual CHL Top Prospects Game. Orr was married in September 1973 to Margaret Louise Wood. He is the father of two sons and is a grandfather.

Phil Esposito

Philip Anthony Esposito  ( ESP-ə-ZEE-toh, Italian: [eˈspɔːzito]; born February 20, 1942) is a Canadian broadcaster, and former professional ice hockey executive, coach and player.  A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, he played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League for the Chicago Black Hawks, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. He is considered one of the greatest players of all time, and is the older brother of fellow Hall-of-Famer Tony Esposito, a goaltender.
After retiring as a player, Esposito served as head coach and general manager of the New York Rangers before co-founding the Tampa Bay Lightning. He was the principal studio analyst for the NHL on Fox 1995–1998. He now serves as Tampa Bay's radio colour commentator. 
In 2017, Esposito was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Terry Sawchuk

Terrance Gordon Sawchuk (December 28, 1929 – May 31, 1970) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played 21 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings and the New York Rangers. He won the Calder Trophy, earned the Vezina Trophy in four different seasons, was a four-time Stanley Cup champion, and was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame the year after his final season, one of only ten players ever for whom the three year waiting period was waived.
At the time of his death, Sawchuk was the all-time leader among NHL goaltenders with 447 wins and with 103 shutouts. In the many decades following his death, his wins record has been surpassed by only five goaltenders, and his shutouts record has been surpassed by one goaltender, though Sawchuk will forever remain the all-time leader in wins and shutouts by goaltenders who played in the Original Six era. In 2017 Sawchuk was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Joe Sakic

Joseph Steven “Joe” Sakic (; born July 7, 1969) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. He played his entire 21-year National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Quebec Nordiques/Colorado Avalanche franchise. Named captain of the team in 1992 (after serving as a co-captain in 1990–91), Sakic is regarded as one of the most capable team leaders in league history and was able to consistently motivate his team to play at a winning level. Sakic led the Avalanche to Stanley Cup titles in 1996 and 2001, being named the most valuable player of the 1996 playoffs, and honored as the MVP of the NHL in 2001 by the hockey writers and his fellow players. He is one of six players to participate in both of the team's Stanley Cup victories. Sakic was also named to play in 13 NHL All-Star Games and selected to the NHL First All-Star Team at centre three times.
Over the course of his career, Sakic was one of the most productive forwards in the game, having twice scored 50 goals and earning at least 100 points in six different seasons. His wrist shot, considered one of the best in the NHL, was the source of much of his production as goalies around the league feared his rapid snap-shot release. At the conclusion of the 2008–09 NHL season, he was the eighth all-time points leader in the NHL, as well as 14th in all-time goals and 11th in all-time assists. During the 2002 Winter Olympics, Sakic helped lead Team Canada to its first ice hockey gold medal in 50 years, and was voted as the tournament's most valuable player. He represented the team in six other international competitions, including the 1998 and 2006 Winter Olympics.
Sakic retired from the NHL on July 9, 2009, and had his jersey number retired prior to the Avalanche's 2009–10 season opener on October 1, 2009, at Pepsi Center. On November 12, 2012, Sakic was inducted in the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with Adam Oates, Pavel Bure and Mats Sundin. On April 11, 2013, Sakic and 11 others were inducted into the Canada Sports Hall of Fame. He served as executive advisor and alternate governor for the Avalanche, effective at the end of the 2010–11 season, and promoted to Executive Vice President of hockey operations on May 10, 2013. In 2017, Sakic was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Adam Brown

Adam "The Flying Scotsman" Brown (February 4, 1920 – August 9, 1960) was a Canadian ice hockey forward.
Brown started his National Hockey League career with the Detroit Red Wings in 1941-42. He won the Stanley Cup with the Wings the following year.  On October 28, 1945, Brown became the first player in Detroit history to score a hat trick in an opening night home game. His three goals helped Detroit defeat the Boston Bruins 7-0.On October 16, 1946, Brown was in the starting lineup for the Wings along with Sid Abel and 18-year-old rookie Gordie Howe, who was appearing in his first NHL game.  In the second period, Abel and Brown assisted on a goal by Howe, Howe's first goal in the NHL.He also played with the Chicago Black Hawks and the Boston Bruins.  He left the NHL after the 1951–52 season.
He died in a car accident on August 9, 1960.  His son Andy also played in the National Hockey League, as a goaltender.

Guy Lafleur

Guy Damien "The Flower" / "Le Démon Blond" Lafleur, OC, CQ (born September 20, 1951) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who was the first player in the National Hockey League (NHL) to score 50 goals and 100 points in six straight seasons.  Between 1971 and 1991, he played for the Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Quebec Nordiques in an NHL career spanning 17 seasons, and five Stanley Cup championships (all with the Canadiens). In 2017 Lafleur was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Steve Yzerman

Steve Yzerman (; born May 9, 1965) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey executive and former player who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) playing career with the Detroit Red Wings and is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame. After his retirement as a player, he served in the front office of the Red Wings, and then as general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, while also being executive director for Team Canada in two Olympics. He currently serves as the executive vice president and general manager of the Red Wings.
Prior to the 1986–87 season, at age 21, Yzerman was named captain of the Red Wings and continuously served for the next two decades (dressing as captain for over 1,300 games), retiring as the longest-serving captain of any team in North American major league sports history. Once voted to be the most popular athlete in Detroit sports history, locals often simply refer to Yzerman as "Stevie Y" or "The Captain". Yzerman led the Wings to five first-place regular season finishes and three Stanley Cup championships (1997, 1998 and 2002).
Yzerman won numerous awards during his career, including the Lester B. Pearson Award (Most outstanding player) in the 1988–89 season, the Conn Smythe Trophy (Most Valuable Player of the Stanley Cup playoffs) in 1998, the Selke Trophy as the league's best defensive forward in 2000 and the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance in 2003. He was a ten-time NHL All-Star, a First Team All-Star in 2000 and a member of the All-Rookie Team in 1984.
On July 3, 2006, Yzerman officially retired from professional hockey, finishing his career ranked as the seventh all-time leading scorer in NHL history, having scored a career-high 155 points (65 goals and 90 assists) in 1988–89, which has been bettered only by Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. Yzerman's #19 jersey was retired on January 2, 2007, during a pre-game ceremony at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. On November 4, 2008, he was inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame. He also became an honoured member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility, inducted alongside 2001–02 Red Wing teammates Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille. In 2017, Yzerman was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history. He is a Detroit sports icon, widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time.
On September 25, 2006, Yzerman was named as a vice president and alternate governor of the Red Wings, winning a fourth Stanley Cup championship as an executive in 2007–08. In May 2010, he left the Red Wings organization to become general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning, serving in that capacity until September 2018. On April 19, 2019, Yzerman was named the general manager of the Red Wings.
Yzerman has represented his country in several international tournaments as a member of Canada's national hockey team (Team Canada). In 2002, Yzerman won an Olympic gold medal, making him one of few players to win an Olympic gold medal and the Stanley Cup in the same year. Yzerman was the general manager of Team Canada for the 2007 IIHF World Championship, which they won. Yzerman was appointed executive director of Team Canada on October 7, 2008, for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Team Canada went on to win the gold medal by defeating the United States. Yzerman was again appointed executive director of Team Canada on March 5, 2012, for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Canada went on to win their second-straight gold medal after defeating Sweden.

Adam Dennis

Adam Dennis (born February 8, 1985) is a Canadian-born Italian ice hockey goalie who played for Kölner Haie.

Mark Messier

Mark John Douglas Messier  (; born January 18, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey center of the National Hockey League and former special assistant to the president and general manager of the New York Rangers. He played a quarter of a century in the NHL (1979–2004) with the Edmonton Oilers, New York Rangers, and Vancouver Canucks. He also played professionally with the World Hockey Association (WHA)'s Indianapolis Racers and Cincinnati Stingers. He was the last former WHA player to be active in professional hockey, and the last active player who had played in the NHL in the 1970s.
Messier is considered one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time. He is second on the all-time career lists for playoff points (295) and regular season games played (1756), and is third for regular season points (1887). He is a six-time Stanley Cup champion—five with the Oilers and one with the Rangers—and is the only player to captain two professional teams to championships. His playoff leadership while in New York, which ended a 54-year Stanley Cup drought in 1994, earned him the nickname "The Messiah", a play on his name. He was also known, over the course of his career, as "The Moose" for his aggression and strength. He twice won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league's most valuable player, in 1990 and 1992, and in 1984 he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player during the playoffs. He is a 15-time NHL All-Star. In 2007, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, in his first year of eligibility. In 2017 Messier was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.On June 30, 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada by Governor General David Johnston for "contributions to hockey as an outstanding player and captain, and for his leadership in encouraging children to take up the sport."

Jacques Plante

Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (French pronunciation: ​[ʒɑk plɑ̃t]; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played for the Montreal Canadiens from 1953 to 1963; during his tenure, the team won the Stanley Cup six times, including five consecutive wins. In 2017 Plante was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history.Plante retired in 1965 but was persuaded to return to the National Hockey League to play for the expansion St. Louis Blues in 1968. He was later traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1970 and to the Boston Bruins in 1973. He joined the World Hockey Association as coach and general manager for the Quebec Nordiques in 1973–74. He then played goal for the Edmonton Oilers in 1974–75, ending his professional career with that team.
Plante was the first NHL goaltender to wear a goaltender mask in regulation play on a regular basis. He developed and tested many versions of the mask (including the forerunner of today's mask/helmet combination) with the assistance of other experts. Plante was the first NHL goaltender to regularly play the puck outside his crease in support of his team's defencemen, and he often instructed his teammates from behind the play. Plante was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1978, was chosen as the goaltender of the Canadiens' "dream team" in 1985, and was inducted into the Quebec Sports Pantheon in 1994. The Montreal Canadiens retired Plante's jersey, #1, the following year. Plante ranks seventh among NHL goalies for all-time career wins with 437.

Ray Bourque

Raymond Jean Bourque (born December 28, 1960) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player.
He currently holds records for most career goals, assists, and points by a defenceman in the National Hockey League (NHL). He won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL's best defensemen five times, while finishing second for that trophy a further six times. He also twice finished second in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, a rarity for a defenceman. He was named to the end-of-season All-Star teams 19 times, 13 on the first-team and six on the second-team.
Bourque was also an Olympian with Canada and became nearly synonymous with the Boston Bruins franchise, for which he played 21 seasons and became Boston's longest-serving captain. Bourque finished his career with the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he won his only Stanley Cup in his final NHL game. In 2017, he was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players.

Cam Neely

Cameron Michael Neely (born June 6, 1965) is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive and former player. Neely played right wing for the Vancouver Canucks but is known for his time with the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League from 1983 to 1996. Neely was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005. He currently serves as the president of the Boston Bruins.

Adam Munro

Adam Munro (born November 12, 1982) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently an unrestricted free agent who last played for HC TWK Innsbruck of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL).



Doug Harvey

Douglas Norman Harvey (December 19, 1924 – December 26, 1989) was a Canadian professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1947 until 1964, and from 1966 until 1969. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman seven times.In 2017 Harvey was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Adam Oates

Adam Robert Oates (born August 27, 1962) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, former co-head coach for the New Jersey Devils and former head coach for the Washington Capitals. He played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Philadelphia Flyers, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and Edmonton Oilers. Known as an elite playmaker, his career total of 1,079 assists was the fifth-highest total in NHL history at the time of his 2004 retirement.
After retiring as a player, he served as an assistant coach for the Tampa Bay Lightning and New Jersey Devils prior to joining the Capitals as their head coach for two seasons between 2012 and 2014. In 2017, Oates was named one of the 100 Greatest NHL Players in history.As a college player, Oates was a standout forward for the RPI Engineers. He set single-season school records for assists and points and was named an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) all-star and National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American in both 1984 and 1985. He was named a tournament all-star in helping RPI win the 1985 national championship, and in 1990–91, the NHL included him in its Second All-Star Team; he played in five All-Star Games. He holds the record for most points all-time of any NHL player who also played NCAA Hockey. Oates was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 12, 2012.

List of famous hockey players from Canada, listed alphabetically with photos of the players when available. Canada has produced some very talented hockey ...