Sports fans always love to debate who’s the best.
Who is the best player or coach? Which fanbase is the best? And what venue tops your list?
It happens in every sport, every year.
But when we hear players talking about who’s No. 1, it’s only natural that we put more stock in their answers because they are living it.
The National Hockey League Players’ Association released the 2017-18 player poll on Wednesday, and while most of the results were predictable, there were a handful of surprises.
To no one’s surprise, the more than 500 players who voted in the poll picked Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid as the fastest skater in the NHL and the player they would choose to start a franchise.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was voted the most difficult player to play against, the best role model and best team player.
There were a handful of Toronto Maple Leafs who made the list, including D.J. Smith who was the top current assistant coach who should be the next head coach.
Among the surprises, 23 per cent of the players polled (which seems high to me) said they did not like the way points are currently awarded for a win or a loss in the regular season and some of them suggested a three-point system as an alternative.
The Chicago Blackhawks were voted to have the best fans, followed by Nashville, Montreal, Toronto and Winnipeg.
Interesting that the top two are U.S. teams.
And Peter Forsberg topped the chart for favourite player growing up, edging out Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Nicklas Lidstrom and Mats Sundin.
Now that we’ve heard from the players, let the debate rage on.