Best Left Wingers in NHL History
The National Hockey League (NHL) has seen many great left wingers throughout history, but who are the top ten of all time? This question is difficult to answer, as different criteria and preferences may influence the ranking. However, based on factors such as individual statistics, team success, awards, longevity, and impact on the game, here is one possible list of the best left-wingers ever to play in the NHL:
Ted Lindsay: A fierce competitor and a leader of the Detroit Red Wings dynasty in the 1950s, He was known as “Terrible Ted” for his fierce and physical style of play, despite being only 5’8″ and 163 pounds. He was one of the founders of the NHL Players’ Association and a champion for players’ rights. He died in 2019 at the age of 93. Lindsay won four Stanley Cups and was the first player to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1966. He scored 379 goals and 472 assists in 1068 games in 17 seasons in the NHL.
Luc Robitaille: The second highest-scoring left winger in NHL history with 668 goals and 1,394 points, Robitaille played for six teams but is best known for his tenure with the Los Angeles Kings. He won the Calder Trophy as the Rookie of the Year in 1987 and the Stanley Cup in 2002 with the Detroit Red Wings. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.
Bobby Hull: Known as “The Golden Jet” for his speed and shot, Hull was a dominant force in the 1960s and 1970s, playing for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Winnipeg Jets. He played sixteen seasons in the NHL and seven seasons in the WHA. He scored 610 goals and 560 assists in 1063 NHL games, 303 goals and 335 assists in 411 WHA games. He won two Hart Trophies, three Art Ross Trophies, the Lady Byng Trophy once, and one Stanley Cup with Chicago in 1961. He led the Jets to two World Hockey Association championships (1976 and 1978 Avco Cup) and pioneered professional hockey expansion. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1983.
Michel Goulet: A smooth-skating and skilled left winger who played for the Quebec Nordiques and the Chicago Blackhawks, Goulet was one of the best players of the 1980s. He scored at least 50 goals in four consecutive seasons and finished his career with 548 goals and 1,152 points. Michel Goulet played 15 seasons in the NHL, scoring 548 goals, 605 assists, and a plus-minus of +99 in 1089 games. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in 1985 and was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998.
Brendan Shanahan: A power forward who combined physicality, skill, and leadership, Shanahan played for five teams over 21 years but had his most success with the Detroit Red Wings, with whom he won three Stanley Cups. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2002 and is one of only two players to score over 600 goals and record over 2,000 penalty minutes. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2013. Shanahan finished his career with 656 goals and 698 assists for 1,354 points in 1,524 games. He ranks 14th all-time in NHL goals scored and 23rd all-time in NHL points. He also had 2,489 penalty minutes and a plus-minus of +151. He was a three-time All-Star and won the King Clancy Memorial Trophy in 2002-03.
Frank Mahovlich: A famed “Production Line” member with Gordie Howe and Alex Delvecchio, Mahovlich was a star for the Detroit Red Wings and later for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens. He won six Stanley Cups, four with Toronto and two with Montreal, and scored 533 goals and 1,103 points in his career. He also won two Olympic gold medals with Canada in 1972 and 1976. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981. Mahovlich scored 533 goals and 570 assists for 1103 points in 1181 regular season games and added 72 goals and 91 assists for 163 points in 137 playoff games. He ranks 28th on the NHL’s all-time scoring list and 15th on the all-time goal-scoring list.
Peter Forsberg: A brilliant playmaker and a clutch performer, Forsberg was one of the most dominant players of his era. He played for four teams but is best remembered for his time with the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he won two Stanley Cups and one Hart Trophy. He also won two Olympic gold medals with Sweden in 1994 and 2006 and is one of only four players to win both the Calder Trophy and the Art Ross Trophy. He was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. He had 249 goals and 636 assists for 885 points in 708 regular season games, 64 goals, and 107 assists for 171 points in 151 playoff games.
Bobby Clarke: The captain and leader of the Philadelphia Flyers dynasty that won two Stanley Cups in 1974 and 1975, Clarke was a fierce competitor and a relentless worker who overcame diabetes to become one of the best players ever. He won three Hart Trophies, two Selke Trophies as the best defensive forward, and one Lester B. Pearson Award as the most outstanding player as voted by his peers. He finished his career with 358 goals and 1,210 points in 1,144 regular season games, ranking him among the top scorers in NHL history. He also holds the Flyers franchise records for most games, assists, and points. And was enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.
Alex Ovechkin: The current captain of the Washington Capitals and one of the most prolific goal-scorers of all time, Ovechkin has won nine Rocket Richard Trophies as the league’s top goal-scorer, three Hart Trophies as the most valuable player and one Stanley Cup in 2018. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goal-scorers of all time and holds many NHL records, including the most power-play goals, most goals in away games, most overtime goals, and most goals with the same team. He is also the first player to score 50 goals in seven seasons and is on pace to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals. As of the end of the 2022/23 NHL season, he has 822 goals, 663 assists, and 1,485 points in 1,347 games.
Wayne Gretzky: The greatest player of all time, Gretzky played mostly as a center but also spent some time as a left winger, especially in his early years with the Edmonton Oilers. He holds the NHL records for most goals, assists, and points in a season and a career, as well as many other records. He won four Stanley Cups with Edmonton, nine Hart Trophies, 10 Art Ross Trophies, and two Conn Smythe Trophies as the playoff MVP. He also won an Olympic gold medal with Canada in 2002 and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. He holds the record for the most points (2,857), goals (894), and assists (1,963) in NHL history.
