Hockey is a game capable of creating a special bond between the players and the fans. When fans are endeared to a player it is common for them to give such a player a special name which is the sign of their love for the player.
Different factors play a role in creating a player’s nickname. Factors such as playing style, physical appearance, abilities, and mannerism all contribute to a player’s nickname. The NHL has had many spectacular players and several of them earned spectacular monikers.
Below are some of the best top fantasy NHL players:
The Great One
Every sports franchise has one great player that stands out from the rest. The NHL has its own and it is Wayne Gretzky. A look at his illustrious career and unmatchable skills which saw him dominate the NFL throughout his career. His nickname is well earned and his throne as the greatest cannot be disputed by anyone.
Boom Boom
Bernie Geoffrion was a pioneer of the slap shot and during his time, he had one of the hardest slap shots. He was an elite goal scorer and a goalie’s nightmare. His shooting ability earned him the nickname Boom Boom.
The Secretary of Defense
Defensively, only a few players in the history of the NHL are fit to lace Rod Langway’s boots. He was nicknamed The Secretary of Defense due to his incredible defensive skills that have been unforgettable in the history of the NHL.
Pickles
Some nicknames are just plain funny and almost ridiculous. These types of monikers just stick, and the source is hard to find. One of these funny nicknames is that of San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic who is nicknamed after a food—pickles.
Mr. Hockey
Some players are so versatile that there is nothing they cannot do. In hockey, that player is Gordie Howe. He could score, defend, play physical, and get dirty when he needed to. Oh boy, what couldn’t he do? His versatility earned him the moniker Mr. Hockey and he loved the nickname so much that his wife became Mrs. Hockey, and they had the nickname trademarked.
The Denominator
Some players can step up and perform at a top level that raises the rubs off on their teammates. One of such players who is so superior in his margin of quality is Dominik Hasek. He performed at a top-level that might be impossible for any goalie in the history of the NHL to match. His nickname The Denominator is evidence of how his performance shaped his team and how he could single-handedly determine the outcome of a game.
The Chicoutimi Cucumber
The Chicoutimi Cucumber is the moniker for Georges Vezina who was one of the most outstanding goalies in the NHL’s early history. He displayed remarkable calmness that he earned the nickname The Chicoutimi Cucumber such was derived from his place of birth Chicoutimi, Quebec. Today, the best goalies’ trophy is named after Vezina, who was snatched by the cold hands of death at the age of 39 from tuberculosis.
Mr. Zero
Only a few goalies can go on a mind-blowing scoreless streak and set a record that would remain unbroken for 50 years. That goalie is Frank Brimsek and this incredible run earned him the moniker Mr. Zero. He held the records for most wins and shutouts by an American-born goalie. A record that would remain for 50 years.
The Professor
Some players possess great intellectual prowess about the NHL and approach the game from an Intellectual angle. There is no one else who is brainier when it comes to NHL than Igor Larinov who was dubbed The Professor. He viewed the game from cerebral lenses, and he has tagged “a real brainy player” by Hall of Fame coach Scotty Bowman.
Igor Larinov was instrumental in the defection of Russian stars to the NHL. He was a very special player and a good student of the game.
The Pocket Rocket
Henri Richard’s brother Maurice Richard was nicknamed the Rocket and Henri earned the name the moniker The Pocket Rocket for being the smaller version of his brother. Henri Richard would go on to have an amazing career with the Montreal Canadiens with whom he won 11 Stanley Cups.
The Legion of Doom
Some players have so much synergy and natural connection when playing together that they play as if they are being controlled by one brain. An embodiment of these qualities is the Philadelphia Flyers’ trio of Eric Lindros, John LeClair, and Mikael Renberg would dominate their opponents technically, physically, and on the scoreboard. Their generational talent earned them the nickname The Legion of Doom.
Hatchet Man
Some players are so brutal and fearless in their style of play that their mere presence evokes fear in other players. One of such players is Billy Smith who sometimes weaponized his goalie stick. His ruthlessness and fearlessness earned him the nickname Hatchet Man.
Cujo
Some nicknames were the product of a simple blending of two names and an example is Curtis Joseph whose nickname Cujo is the blending of his name. He owned this moniker by wearing a goalie mask with a drawing of the snarling dog from Stephen King’s novel named Cujo.
Newsy Lalone
Some nicknames are some popular and nice that it overshadows the real name. This is the case for Edouard Cyrille whose moniker Newsy Lalone a nickname he earned from his pre-NHL days when he worked as a newspaper reporter and printer is more popular than his real name.