Our sports review this week looks at the January 23, 1998 issue of The Hockey News. We will likely continue bouncing back and forth between old Sports Illustrated and The Hockey News, because these are two of the main publications we have in stock and they are two of the most popular items we sell at PFTP Antiques.
The Hockey News seems to be bought a lot during the Christmas season and birthdays. It is a great stocking stuffer and unique gift that hits on the nostalgia associated with when we watched our favorite players from the past. It also looks fantastic when framed and put up in a sports room/man cave.
The “Great One” or “Greatest One” Wayne Gretzky is the cover story this week. When it comes to statistics, No. 99 towers above anyone else in the history of the sport. However, points aren’t everything and there are arguments to be made for other players, but The Hockey News ultimately placed Wayne Gretzky at the top of their list of the 50 best NHL players of all-time.
Let’s see what else was happening this week in 1998!
The Hockey New's All-Time top 50 players
It is difficult to truly compare the achievements of players between different eras of sport and then try to definitively identify who was the best. There are so many differences between the way the game has evolved over the years. For example, Marc Andre Fleury recently passed Patrick Roy for 2nd all-time in wins for a goalie. This is an amazing achievement by Marc Andre and I wouldn’t want to take anything away from him, but consider that he entered the league right before ties were eliminated. As a result, Fleury only has 2 ties on his record when Patrick Roy has 131, Martin Brodeur has 105, Terry Sawchuk has 171, Ed Belfour has 111, Jaques Plante has 145. This one small rule change has likely bumped Fleury much further up the list of all-time wins than he would have been in a previous era.
If you take someone like Sidney Crosby or Alexander Ovechkin and placed them in the 1985-86 season when Wayne Gretzky scored 215 points, how would they compare? They have the benefit of more modern training, nutrition, equipment and all the endless changes that have occurred as a result of new technologies. The only way to really know would be to see them had they been born and raised under similar conditions.
There are also the considerations related to what criteria makes a player great. Some players are defensively minded, while others are offensive talents. Still more players try to be a well-rounded mix of both. Do we just consider a player’s overall dominance as compared to other players of their era? How can that be measured? What about players whose potential wasn’t fully realized due to injury like Mario Lemieux? Then again, some people argue that remaining healthy is part of the equation for greatness.
Maybe one day AI will be able to provide a realistic simulation of all previous players as if they played together and determine who is truly the greatest. Until that time, we have the joy of reading ever-changing lists and arguing over the placement of our favorite players based on our own internal criteria for what constitutes the best hockey player.
This 1998 list of the 50 greatest players will have no doubt change by now. In the past 20+ years we have seen new names enter the record books and more to come with players like Connor Bedard entering the league. The important thing is that we get to enjoy the show and watch as new hockey legends emerge in our time.
Perspectives From Around the NHL
One thing that seems to be common in hockey is that these top players always come across as very humble and appreciative to be considered in the company of other greats. You might think that a person would achieve so much and set such incredible records with the hopes that nobody will ever surpass them. Instead, we see a “records are made to be broken” attitude. In my opinion, the ultimate goal is always the Stanley Cup and personal achievements are a distant secondary consideration to these guys.
If records really mattered, then Gretzky probably could have held on to be the first player to hit 900 (894) goals, 2,000 (1,963) assists and 3,000 (2,857) points. His last season was the only season in his career where he scored less than a point per game. He ended the season with 62 points in 70 games.
The Next Generation
There is always a new crop of young players eager to break into the NHL. We are always excited to welcome them and see what they can do. At this point in 1998, Vincent Lecavalier was top in the draft rankings and he did hold on to be drafted #1 overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning. It is hard to believe that the last of this draft class retired back in 2018.
Take a look at the draft rankings. There are several familiar names on the list, but did they pan out the way they were expected? I’m sure there were a few pleasant surprises as well as some disappointments once these guys tried to make the transition to the NHL.
The Dominator
The Dominator was something to watch when he was playing! This week he was at the top with solid numbers that compare favorably with Connor Hellebuyck who went 7-0-2 in December 2023 with a .934 save percentage and a 1.88 goals-against average.
Shutout Bonanza
The Shutout numbers were on the rise and it looks like they kept on going for a while longer. In the 2003-04 season there was a record 192 shutouts. It was the first season since the 1960’s that there wasn’t a 50-goal or 100-point scorer in the NHL. Moving on to the 2022-23 season and the shutout numbers have dropped down to about 115.
I know there have been some issues regarding goalie equipment size and some rule changes over the years that have impacted scoring. I suppose every team is trying to gain whatever advantage they can (within the rules) to prevent goals against. As a result, many of the goalies of the past wouldn’t even be considered for the NHL simply based off height. Darren Pang at 5’5 would have had to find another calling. We have gone about as tall as we can, I half expect to see teams start drafting wider goalies. With the focus seemingly on goalie size nowadays, what will be the NHL countermeasure to maintain scoring?
I know many people out there have strong opinions about who is the best player in NHL history and what makes them the best. Leave a comment to let us know your thoughts on the topics covered from this issue of The Hockey News.
If you want to buy the January 23, 1998 issue of The Hockey News or check out some of our other products, you can visit our shop PFTPAntiques. Don’t forget to follow us on Pinterest or X to get notifications of new listings, posts and sales.
