THE TEAMS

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What you will see in this section are not strictly the top players in their respective teams’ histories. Rather, they are a sampling of the players who made such an impact on the squads and resonated with its fanbase that they are emblematic of their teams.

Having a single player representative is a unique task. Squads like the Montreal Canadiens have multiple stars who could easily fit the bill as great representation, while newer clubs like the Winnipeg Jets aren’t as easy to pick from. So early on, I set a couple parameters:

1. A player could only be listed with one team. This meant making a choice for some of hockey’s greatest heroes. Certainly, Mark Messier could have been listed with the Edmonton Oilers, but as great as he was in the City of Champions, he had a greater impact in the hockey world when he came to the Rangers and led the team to the promised land of the Stanley Cup.
2. The “trinity” of hockey is removed from consideration. This one was a difficult decision to make at first, but when you think about it, giving Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, and Wayne Gretzky their own space was very well justified.
3. Current teams only. I’m not alone in the belief that a defunct or moved franchise has its own history. Listing Dale Hawerchuk in the Phoenix Coyotes section or Peter Stastny among Colorado Avalanche greats borders on sacrilege.

Just as the players listed are parts to the overall story of an NHL team, so, too, are the highlighted memorabilia items I’ve selected to talk about. By no means are they necessarily the most valuable or most desired items (especially in the case of the Anaheim Ducks entry); but in identifying the treasures I discuss here, I wanted to give a bit of air to some of the rarities and oddities the collecting world has spawned.