NEW YORK/TORONTO --The National Hockey League launched its year-long Centennial Celebration today by revealing the names of 33 legends, predominantly from the League's first 50 years (1917-1966), who have been voted among the 100 Greatest NHL Playerspresented by Molson Canadian. The following 33 players were honored prior to the 2017 Scotiabank NHL Centennial Classic in Toronto between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs:
League starts reveal of 100 Greatest NHL Players
33 legends, mostly from League's first 50 years, honored prior to Centennial Classic
SID ABEL (C, 1938-39/1953-54)
SYL APPS (C, 1936-37/1947-48)
ANDY BATHGATE (RW, 1952-53/1970-71)
JEAN BELIVEAU (C, 1950-51/1970-71)
MAX BENTLEY (C, 1940-41/1953-54)
TOE BLAKE (LW, 1934-35/1947-48)
JOHNNY BOWER (G, 1953-54/1969-70)
TURK BRODA (G, 1936-37/1951-52)
JOHNNY BUCYK (LW, 1955-56/1977-78)
KING CLANCY (D, 1921-22/1936-37)
CHARLIE CONACHER (RW, 1929-30/1940-41)
ALEX DELVECCHIO (C, 1950-51/1973-74)
BILL DURNAN (G, 1943-44/1949-50)
BERNIE GEOFFRION (RW, 1950-51/1967-68)
GLENN HALL (G, 1952-53/1970-71)
DOUG HARVEY (D, 1947-48/1968-69)
TIM HORTON (D, 1949-50/1973-74)
GORDIE HOWE (RW, 1946-47/1979-80)
RED KELLY (D/C, 1947-48/1966-67)
TED KENNEDY (C, 1942-43/1956-57)
DAVE KEON (C, 1960-61/1981-82)
ELMER LACH (C, 1940-41/1953-54)
TED LINDSAY (LW, 1944-45/1964-65)
FRANK MAHOVLICH (LW, 1956-57/1973-74)
DICKIE MOORE (LW, 1951-52/1967-68)
HOWIE MORENZ (C, 1923-24/1936-37)
JACQUES PLANTE (G, 1952-53/1972-73)
HENRI RICHARD (C, 1955-56/1974-75)
MAURICE RICHARD (RW, 1942-43/1959-60)
TERRY SAWCHUK (G, 1949-50/1969-70)
MILT SCHMIDT (C, 1936-37/1954-55)
EDDIE SHORE (D, 1926-27/1939-40)
GEORGES VEZINA (G, 1917-18/1925-26)
The remaining 67 players will be recognized on Jan. 27 in Los Angeles as part of a special event at the 2017 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend.
A Blue Ribbon Panel, comprised of 58 individuals representing more than 1,800 years of experience in the game, chose the 100 Greatest NHL Playerspresented by Molson Canadian. Every member of the panel voted for 100 players, with each vote worth one point. Voting was conducted last July and August and the results were tabulated by the accounting firm of EY.
While panel members were able to select any player who played in the 100-year history of the NHL, each was provided with biographies and career statistics for 265 players who met any of the following criteria: Retired Players - i) member of the Hockey Hall of Fame in the Players Category; ii) retired players who scored 500-plus career regular-season or Hart Trophy winner who scored 350-plus regular-season goals or; iii) goalies who won 400 regular-season games. Active Players - i) 400 regular-season goals; ii) 600 regular-season assists; iii) 900 regular-season points; iv) individual award-winner in more than one season; v) named to four or more postseason All-Star Teams; vi) goaltenders with 400 regular-season wins; vii) Vezina Trophy winner with 300 career regular-season wins.
The 58 members of the Blue Ribbon Panel represent a wide cross-section of the NHL family - including owners, executives, general managers and coaches, players, and broadcasters and media members. Following is the list of voters:
Kevin Allen; Dave Andrews; Michel Bergeron; Gary Bettman; Scotty Bowman; Dave Branch; Scott Burnside; Colin Campbell; Cassie Campbell-Pascall; Guy Carbonneau; Bill Daly; Ken Daneyko; Jim Devellano; Eric Duhatschek; Murray Edwards; Helene Elliott; Mike Emrick; Rene Fasel; Ray Ferraro; Stan Fischler; Jim Fox; Emile Francis; Jim Gregory; Ken Holland; Kelly Hrudey; Jim Hughson; Jeremy Jacobs; Keith Jones; Chuck Kaiton; Igor Kuperman; Patrick Lalime; Lou Lamoriello; Craig Laughlin; Brian McFarlane; Pierre McGuire Peter McNab; Mike Milbury; Bob Miller; Harry Neale; Vaclav Nedomansky; Gunnar Nordstrom; Dave Ogrean; Brian O'Neill; Frank Orr; Craig Patrick; David Poile; Bertrand Raymond; Daryl Reaugh; Tom Reid; Tom Renney; Jim Rutherford; Mathieu Schneider; John Shannon; Christine Simpson; Harry Sinden; Bill Torrey; Bob Verdi; Kevin Weekes
Detailed information on the 100 Greatest NHL Playerspresented by Molson Canadian, including original video vignettes for each player, can be found on NHL.com/100 later this afternoon. The vignettes feature rare footage, as well as interviews with players, their contemporaries, general managers, coaches and other personalities.
