Most Underrated NHL Players of All Time
Nashville's Pekka Rinne won the Vezina Trophy in 2018.
It's hard to think of a professional athlete being underrated. After all, they are professional athletes. But for one reason or another, sometimes it happens.
In the NHL, it happens a lot because great players thrive with other great players, and just like other sports, the person scoring all the goals often gets all the credit. But plenty of players did great things outside of the spotlight.
These are the most underrated NHL players of all time on every team, and we ranked them from underappreciated to most underappreciated.
Note: To qualify, a player had to play at least 100 games with a franchise.
31. New York Rangers: Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan was the first New York native to become captain of the New York Rangers.
Born: March 21, 1985 (Rochester, New York)
Position: Right wing
Career: 13 seasons (2006-19)
Teams: New York Rangers (2006-14), Tampa Bay Lightning (2014-19)
Career stats: 757 GP, 186 G, 200 A, 386 PTS
Stats with Rangers: 450 GP, 132 G, 122, 254 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Ryan Callahan
Ryan Callahan can take a hit.
Ryan Callahan is one of the most beloved players in New York Rangers history despite playing just eight seasons with the franchise.
That's in big part because Callahan made NHL history in 2011 when he became the first native New Yorker to captain the Rangers.
Callahan was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning three years later and signed a six-year, $35 million contract extension with the Lightning a few months after the trade.
30. Columbus Blue Jackets: Oliver Bjorkstrand
Oliver Bjorkstrand has shown impressive growth since entering the NHL.
Born: April 10, 1995 (Herning, Denmark)
Position: Right wing
Career: 5 seasons (2015-present)
Teams: Columbus Blue Jackets
Career stats: 246 G, 65 G, 68 A, 133 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Oliver Bjorkstrand
Oliver Bjorkstrand is one of a long line of great players to come from Denmark.
Oliver Bjorkstrand has developed into one of the most undervalued players in the NHL over the last several seasons.
The right winger was on pace to record his second 40-plus point season in 2019-20 before he injured his ankle in late February.
For comparison, Bjorkstrand matched his 2018-19 season total of 36 points, which took 77 games to achieve, in just 49 games in 2019-20.
29. Colorado Avalanche: Stephane Yelle
Stephane Yelle, left, won two Stanley Cup titles with the Colorado Avalanche.
Born: May 9, 1974 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 14 seasons (1995-2004, 2005-10)
Teams: Colorado Avalanche (1995-2002, 2010), Calgary Flames (2002-04, 2005-08), Boston Bruins (2008-09), Carolina Hurricanes (2009-10)
Career stats: 991 GP, 96 G, 169 A, 265 PTS
Stats with Avalanche: 516 GP, 54, 90 A, 144 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 2 (1996, 2001)
Bottom Line: Stephane Yelle
Stephane Yelle was playing for the Quebec Nordiques when they became the Colorado Avalanche.
Stephane Yelle was part of one of the more amazing seasons in NHL history when his rights were traded from the New Jersey Devils to the Quebec Nordiques, who became the Colorado Avalanche.
Yelle was on the Avalanche for their first season in 1995-96, when they won the Stanley Cup.
He was part of another Stanley Cup-winning team for the Avalanche in 2001.
28. Anaheim Ducks: Travis Moen
Travis Moen, right, played 12 seasons in the NHL.
Born: April 6, 1982 (Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Position: Left wing
Career: 12 seasons (2003-04, 2005-16)
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks (2003-04), Mighty Ducks of Anaheim/Anaheim Ducks (2005-09), San Jose Sharks (2009), Montreal Canadiens (2009-15), Dallas Stars (2014-16)
Career stats: 747 GP, 59 G, 77 A, 136 PTS
Stats with Ducks: 261 GP, 22 G, 23 A, 45 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2007)
Bottom Line: Travis Moen
Travis Moen, left, helped scrap his way to a Stanley Cup championship with the Ducks in 2007.
Travis Moen found a home with the Anaheim Ducks after a trade following the NHL's 2004-05 lockout.
With the Ducks, Moen was part of the Stanley Cup-winning team in 2006-07 as part of the only line that went unchanged throughout the season alongside Samuel Pahlsson and Rob Niedermayer.
Moen got credit for the goal that won the Stanley Cup by being the last Duck that touched the puck — it was actually an own goal by Ottawa's Chris Phillips.
27. Arizona Coyotes: Teppo Numminen
Teppo Numminen, center, was the last player from the 1986 draft still active in the NHL.
Born: July 3, 1968 (Tampere, Finland)
Position: Defense
Career: 20 seasons(1988-2004, 2005-09)
Teams: Winnipeg Jets (1988-96)/Phoenix Coyotes (1996-2003), Dallas Stars (2003-04), Buffalo Sabres (2005-09)
Career stats: 1,372 GP, 117 G, 520 A, 637 PTS
Stats with Jets/Coyotes: 1,098 GP, 108 G, 426 A, 534 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Teppo Numminem
Teppo Numminen had his No. 27 retired by the Coyotes.
Teppo Numminen retired in 2009 as the leader in career games among active NHL players without winning a Stanley Cup. He was also the last player in the NHL from the 1986 draft.
Nunnimen also retired with Winnipeg Jets/Arizona Coyotes franchise records for games played, with 1,098, and still holds the record for points by a defenseman with 534.
One year after he retired, the Coyotes brought back Numminen to retire his No. 27 jersey.
26. Vegas Golden Knights: Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny, right, is the son of former NHL star Peter Stastny.
Born: Dec. 27, 1985 (Quebec City, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 14 seasons (2006-present)
Teams: Colorado Avalanche (2006-14), St. Louis Blues (2014-18), Winnipeg Jets (2018), Vegas Golden Knights (2018-present)
Career stats: 945 GP, 250 G, 476 A, 726 PTS
Stats with Golden Knights: 121 GP, 30 G, 50 A, 80 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny helped lead the Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season.
We're just going on the record to say Paul Stastny is underrated not just for his time with the Vegas Golden Knights over the last two seasons, when he's been great, but for his entire career.
Stastny probably suffers somewhat in comparison to his father, Peter, who scored 1,000 points in 15 NHL seasons and was second in the NHL in scoring in the 1980s behind just Wayne Gretzky.
25. Tampa Bay Lightning: Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis led the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup title in 2004.
Born: June 18, 1975 (Laval, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 16 seasons (1998-2004, 2005-15)
Teams: Calgary Flames (1998-2000), Tampa Bay Lightning (2000-04, 2005-14), New York Rangers (2014-15)
Career stats: 1,134 GP, 391 G, 642 A, 1,033 PTS
Stats with Lightning: 972 GP, 365 G, 588 A, 953 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2004)
Bottom Line: Martin St. Louis
Martin St. Louis played almost 1,000 games with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Is Martin St. Louis really underrated if he won the Hart Trophy and is in the Hockey Hall of Fame? Hear us out.
We think St. Louis is underrated because the greatest years of his career played out in Tampa Bay.
Had his career played out anywhere else, this six-time All-Star and three-time Lady Byng Trophy winner would be revered in hockey circles much more.
24. Detroit Red Wings: Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood won three Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings.
Born: Nov. 26, 1972 (Peace River, Alberta, Canada)
Position: Goaltender
Career: 17 seasons (1993-2004, 2005-11)
Teams: Detroit Red Wings (1993-2001, 2005-11), New York Islanders (2001-03), St. Louis Blues (2003-04)
Career stats: 744 GP, 115 GS, 401-216-66 W-L-T, 2.49 GAA, .905 SV%
Stats with Red Wings: 565 GP, 115 GS, 317-149-75 W-L-T, 2.49 GAA, .905 SV%
Stanley Cup championships: 3 (1997, 1998, 2008)
Bottom Line: Chris Osgood
Chris Osgood is on the NHL's career top 10 lists for playoff wins and shutouts.
We can't explain it, but Chris Osgood's name doesn't come up much when the greatest goaltenders in NHL history are discussed. And he should.
He won three Stanley Cup titles with the Detroit Red Wings, including two as the starter, and still is on the NHL's top 10 lists for career playoff wins and career shutouts.
23. Toronto Maple Leafs: Ron Ellis
Ron Ellis, left, played his whole career with the Maple Leafs.
Born: Jan. 8, 1945 (Lindsay, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 16 seasons (1963-75, 1977-81)
Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs (1993-96)
Career stats: 1,034 GP, 322 G, 308 A, 640 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1967)
Bottom Line: Ron Ellis
Ron Ellis helped lead the Toronto Maple Leafs to their last Stanley Cup win in 1967.
Ron Ellis was born and raised in Lindsay, Ontario, about 83 miles from Toronto, and spent his whole life playing hockey in the province's capital — first in the juniors with the Marlboros, then in the NHL with the Maple Leafs, making his pro debut at age 19.
While he might be a local legend, Ellis is not a household name outside hardcore hockey circles and Maple Leafs fan boards. But he is one of only five players to play over 1,000 games for the Leafs and ranks sixth all-time in points in franchise history, ahead of Frank Mahovlich (597 points), Bob Pulford (563) and Ted Kennedy (560), all Hall of Famers.
Ellis also had 11 20-plus goal seasons and helped the Leafs win a Stanley Cup in 1967, the last year Toronto raised the Cup. He retired in 1975 at the age of 30 and then returned to the Maple Leafs in 1977 and played four more seasons.
22. Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's top goaltender in 2020.
Born: May 19, 1993 (Commerce, Michigan)
Position: Goaltender
Career: 5 seasons (2015-present)
Teams: Winnipeg Jets
Career stats: 270 GP, 261 GS, 149-85-22 W-L-T, 2.64 GAA, .917 SV%
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Connor Hellebuyck
Connor Hellebuyck made two All-Star teams in his first five seasons.
While the rest of the hockey world might be sleeping on Connor Hellebuyck for now, we don't expect him to be underrated for much longer.
That's because the Michigan native jumped to the front of the line for NHL goalies in a big way in 2020 when he led the league in shutouts, was second in wins and won the Vezina Trophy as the league's top goaltender for the first time.
Hellebuyck, 27, is 6-foot-4 and has already been a two-time All-Star.
21. Ottawa Senators: Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson was named NHL Rookie of the Year in 1996.
Born: Dec. 11, 1972 (Gothernburg, Sweden)
Position: Right wing
Career: 18 seasons (1995-2004, 2005-14)
Teams: Ottawa Senators (1995-2004, 2005-13), Detroit Red Wings (2013-14)
Career stats: 1,246 GP, 444 G, 713 A, 1,157 PTS
Stats with Senators: 1,178 GP, 426 G, 682 A, 1,108 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson played all but one season of his career with the Ottawa Senators.
Daniel Alfredsson won the Calder Trophy in 1996 as the NHL's top rookie and made six All-Star teams in his 18-year career.
He played all but one season for the Ottawa Senators and in 2016 became the first player from the modern era to have his number retired by the Senators.
He still doesn't get enough credit for all he did.
20. Minnesota/Dallas North Stars: Neal Broten
Neal Broten won a gold medal for the U.S. in the 1980 Olympics before he played 17 seasons in the NHL.
Born: Nov. 29, 1959 (Roseau, Minnesota)
Position: Center
Career: 17 seasons (1980-97)
Teams: Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1980-95, 1997), New Jersey Devils (1995-97), Los Angeles Kings (1997)
Career stats: 1,099 GP, 289 G, 634 A, 923 PTS
Stats with Stars: 992 GP, 274 G, 593 A, 867 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1995)
Bottom Line: Neal Broten
Neal Broten came up eight games short of 1,000 career games with the Minnesota/Dallas franchise.
Neal Broten is perhaps the best pound-for-pound player on the 1980 U.S. hockey team that won the gold medal.
He had his No. 7 retired by the Dallas Stars and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. He also scored the game-winning goal for the New Jersey Devils in the 1995 Stanley Cup Finals to clinch the title.
So how come he was an All-Star only twice in 17 seasons and never won any major awards? It might have had something to do with playing in the same era as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemiuex and other great players. Broten got overshadowed.
19. New Jersey Devils: Sean Burke
Sean Burke was the first rookie goaltender to start in the NHL All-Star Game.
Born: Jan. 29, 1967 (Windsor, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Goaltender
Career: 18 seasons (1987-91, 1991-2004, 2005-07)
Teams: New Jersey Devils (1987-91), Hartford Whalers (1992-97), Carolina Hurricanes (1997-98), Vancouver Canucks (1998), Philadelphia Flyers (1998, 2004), Florida Panthers (1998-2000), Phoenix Coyotes (2000-04), Tampa Bay Lightning (2005-06), Los Angeles Kings (2006-07)
Career stats: 820 GP, 0 GS, 324-341-101 W-L-T, 2.96 GAA, .902 SV%
Stats with Devils: 162 GP, 0 GS, 62-66-23 W-L-T, 3.66 GAA, .876 SV%
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Sean Burke
Sean Burke sat out the entire 1990-91 season in a contract dispute.
Sean Burke started his career with the Devils, and few goaltenders in NHL history have entered the league with the amount of hype Burke had in the late 1980s.
In his first NHL action, Burke led the Devils to within one game of the Stanley Cup in 1988, then became the first rookie goalie to start an All-Star game the next season.
Burke played 18 seasons in the NHL, but his career took a sharp turn in 1991 when he sat out an entire season because of a contract dispute with the Devils.
18. Los Angeles Kings: Dave Taylor
Dave Taylor, left, played his entire career with the Los Angeles Kings.
Born: Dec. 4, 1955 (Levack, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 17 seasons (1977-94)
Teams: Los Angeles Kings
Stats: 1,111 GP, 431 G, 638 A, 1,069 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Dave Taylor
Dave Taylor, left, was general manager of the Los Angeles Kings from 1997 to 2006.
Dave Taylor played his entire career for the Los Angeles Kings and retired with a franchise-record 1,111 games played.
Taylor made the All-Star team four times — three times in the first decade of his career, then again in 1994, his final season in the NHL.
Taylor was the Kings' general manager from 1997 to 2006.
17. Florida Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau
Jonathan Huberdeau made his first All-Star team in his seventh season.
Born: June 4, 1993 (Saint-Jerome, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Left wing
Career: 8 seasons (2012-present)
Teams: Florida Panthers
Stats: 536 GP, 148 G, 289 A, 437 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Jonathan Huberdeau
Jonathan Huberdeau can take a hit.
Florida Panthers fans appreciate Jonathan Huberdeau. It's the rest of the NHL that just needs to catch up now.
Huberdeau won the Calder Trophy as the NHL's Rookie of the Year in 2013 at the age of 19 but didn't make his first All-Star team until 2020.
Huberdeau keeps getting better as he matures. He recorded a career-high 92 points in the 2018-19 season and 78 points in 2019-20.
16. St. Louis Blues: Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko finished his career with exactly 1,000 games played.
Born: May 12, 1956 (Foam Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 14 seasons (1976-90)
Teams: St. Louis Blues (1976-89), Detroit Red Wings (1989-90)
Career stats: 1,000 GP, 369 G, 761 A, 1,130 PTS
Stats with Blues: 927 GP, 352 G, 721 A, 1,073 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Bernie Federko
Bernie Federko, right, never played in the Stanley Cup Final.
Few players in NHL history could drive and dish like Bernie Federko, who set an NHL record by becoming the first player to have at least 50 assists in 10 consecutive seasons.
But Federko played 13 of his 14 seasons with the St. Louis Blues and never had a real shot at winning the Stanley Cup.
15. Washington Capitals: Peter Bondra
Peter Bondra, right, is one of the fastest skaters in NHL history.
Born: Feb. 7, 1968 (Bakivtsi, Lutsk Raion, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union)
Position: Right wing
Career: 17 seasons (1990-2007)
Teams: Washington Capitals (1990-2004), Ottawa Senators (2004-05), Atlanta Thrashers (2005-06), Chicago Blackhawks (2006-07)
Career stats: 1,081 G, 503 G, 389 A, 892 PTS
Stats with Capitals: 961 G, 472 G, 353, 825 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Peter Bondra
Peter Bondra didn't really like to pass.
Peter Bondra is a two-time winner of the NHL Fastest Skater Competition, in 1997 and 1999 and has a pretty unique distinction in NHL history.
He is one of only 45 players who has scored at least 500 goals, but Bondra has the least amount of total points of any player in the 500-goal club with 892.
Bondra also is among a handful of eligible players in the club who aren't in the Hall of Fame.
14. Buffalo Sabres: Phil Housley
Phil Housley is one of the best American-born players in NHL history.
Born: March 9, 1964 (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
Position: Defense
Career: 21 seasons (1982-2003)
Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1982-90), Winnipeg Jets (1990-93), St. Louis Blues (1993-94), Calgary Flames (1994-96, 1998-2001), New Jersey Devils (1996), Washington Capitals (1996-98), Chicago Blackhawks (2001-03), Toronto Maple Leafs (2003)
Career stats: 1,495 GP, 338 G, 894 A, 1,232 PTS
Stats with Sabres: 608 GP, 178 G, 280 A, 558 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Phil Housley
Phil Housley retired with the NHL record for career games without winning a Stanley Cup.
Phil Housley had one of the more understated careers of any player on this list.
He retired as the leading point scorer among American-born players in 2003, but another look at his stats reveals why his career may have been so underappreciated.
Although he was a seven-time All-Star and Norris Trophy runner-up in 1992, he retired with the NHL record for most career games without winning a Stanley Cup.
13. Carolina Hurricanes: Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour, left, graduated from player to head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes.
Born: Aug. 9, 1970 (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 21 seasons (1989-2004, 2005-10)
Teams: St. Louis Blues (1989-91), Philadelphia Flyers (1991-00), Carolina Hurricanes (2000-04, 2005-10)
Career stats: 1,484 GP, 452 G, 732 A, 1,184 PTS
Stats with Hurricanes: 694 GP, 174 G, 299 A, 473 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2006)
Bottom Line: Rod Brind'Amour
Rod Brind'Amour, center, was the No. 9 overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft.
Rod Brind'Amour was the No. 9 overall pick in the 1988 NHL draft and became one of the most durable players in NHL history, at one point playing 484 consecutive games for the Philadelphia Flyers.
His greatest success came with the Hurricanes, where he spent the last decade of his career, made it to the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and won his only Stanley Cup in 2006.
Brind'Amour became the Hurricanes' head coach in 2018 and had a .600 winning percentage in his first two seasons.
12. Calgary Flames: Theo Fleury
Theo Fleury, right, was only 5-foot-6 and dominated in the NHL.
Born: June 29, 1968 (Oxbow, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 15 seasons (1988-2003)
Teams: Calgary Flames (1988-99), Colorado Avalanche (1999), New York Rangers (1999-2002), Chicago Blackhawks (2002-03)
Career stats: 1,084 GP, 455 G, 633 A, 1,088 PTS
Stats with Flames: 791 GP, 364 G, 466 A, 830 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1989)
Bottom Line: Theo Fleury
Theo Fleury, left, won a Stanley Cup title with the Calgary Flames in 1989.
Always one of the smallest players on the ice at 5-foot-6, Theo Fleury was one of the more controversial players in NHL history and led the Calgary Flames to a Stanley Cup title in 1989.
After his retirement, Fleury bravely revealed he'd suffered sexual abuse at the hands of Canadian junior ice hockey coach Graham James, leading other survivors to come forward and ultimately leading to the conviction of James.
11. Minnesota Wild: Jared Spurgeon
Jared Spurgeon signed a seven-year, $53 million contract extension in 2019.
Born: Nov. 29, 1989 (Edmonton, Alberta, Canada)
Position: Defense
Career: 10 seasons (2010-present)
Teams: Minnesota Wild
Career stats: 653 GP, 82 G, 198 A, 280 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Jared Spurgeon
Jared Spurgeon has made almost $100 million dollars in his career but is yet to make an All-Star team.
Jared Spurgeon has not made an All-Star team and does not have the accolades of some of his fellow contemporaries, but he has been an elite NHL defenseman for many seasons.
Spurgeon can thank the Wild for paying him like one. He received a four-year, $20.35 million contract extension in 2015, then doubled down with the Wild for a seven-year, $53 million contract extension in 2019.
10. Chicago Blackhawks: Steve Larmer
Steve Larmer played 884 consecutive games for the Chicago Blackhawks.
Born: June 16, 1961 (Peterborough, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 15 seasons (1980-95)
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks (1980-93), New York Rangers (1993-95)
Career stats: 1,006 GP, 441 G, 571 A, 1,012 PTS
Stats with Blackhawks: 891 GP, 406 G, 517 A, 923 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1994)
Bottom Line: Steve Larmer
Steve Larmer was named NHL Rookie of the Year in 1983.
Steve Larmer scored 90 points as a rookie in 1983 on the way to winning the Calder Trophy, then played a staggering 884 consecutive games for the Chicago Blackhawks over the next 11 seasons.
Larmer's streak was the third-longest in NHL history until it was snapped because of a contract dispute with Chicago.
He played his last two seasons with the New York Rangers, winning his lone Stanley Cup in 1994.
9. Boston Bruins: Rick Middleton
Rick Middleton scored 100 points in 114 career playoff games.
Born: Dec. 4, 1953 (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 14 seasons (1974-88)
Teams: New York Rangers (1974-76), Boston Bruins (1976-88)
Career stats: 1,005 GP, 448 G, 540 A, 988 PTS
Stats with Bruins: 881 GP, 402 G, 496 A, 898 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Rick Middleton
Rick Middleton won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1982.
Rick Middleton retired without winning a Stanley Cup but should be given credit for being an elite player in the postseason.
Middleton finished his career with 100 points in 114 career playoff games and made all three of his All-Star appearances as a member of the Bruins.
In 1982, he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.
8. San Jose Sharks: Vincent Damphousse
Vincent Damphousse had some great years with the San Jose Sharks.
Born: Dec. 17, 1967 (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 18 seasons (1986-2004)
Teams: Toronto Maple Leafs (1986-91), Edmonton Oilers (1991-92), Montreal Canadiens (1992-99), San Jose Sharks (1999-2004)
Career stats: 1,378 GP, 432 G, 773 A, 1,205 PTS
Stats with Sharks: 385 GP, 92 G, 197 A, 289 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (1993)
Bottom Line: Vincent Damphousse
Vincent Damphousse, left, was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1986 NHL draft.
Vincent Damphousse was the No. 6 overall pick in the 1986 NHL draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.
He had his best years with the Montreal Canadiens, where he won a Stanley Cup in 1993, but was also great with the Sharks in the last five seasons of his career.
With 1,205 career points, Damphousse has seen his NHL exploits largely overlooked because of several off-ice incidents involving his former spouse, although both parties ultimately had the charges against them dropped.
7. New York Islanders: Stefan Persson
Stefan Persson won four Stanley Cup titles in just nine seasons.
Born: Dec. 22, 1954 (Bjurholm, Sweden)
Position: Defense
Career: 9 seasons (1977-86)
Teams: New York Islanders
Stats: 622 GP, 52 G, 317 A, 369 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 4 (1980, 1981, 1982, 1983)
Bottom Line: Stefan Persson
After he was traded from the New York Islanders to the Winnipeg Jets, Stefan Persson thought it was preferable to just quit the NHL and moved back to Sweden.
Stefan Persson's NHL career was short — just nine seasons — but very, very sweet.
Persson anchored the New York Islanders' defense on four consecutive Stanley Cup championship teams and was part of the first Stanley Cup champion in NHL history to have European players on its roster.
Persson's career came to a bizarre, emotional end when he was traded to the Winnipeg Jets. Persson was so hurt by the trade he never returned to the NHL.
6. Edmonton Oilers: Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe, right, won six Stanley Cup titles.
Born: April 15, 1959 (Lachute, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Defense
Career: 19 seasons (1979-98)
Teams: Edmonton Oilers (1979-92, 1996-98), New York Rangers (1992-96)
Career stats: 1,254 GP, 84 G, 347 A, 431 PTS
Stats with Oilers: 1,037 GP, 74 G, 309 A, 383 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 6 (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 2004)
Bottom Line: Kevin Lowe
Kevin Lowe won Stanley Cup titles with two franchises.
Kevin Lowe was one of the key figures on the Edmonton Oilers' dynasty.
Probably because he was a defenseman, he doesn't get his name mentioned as much as Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier or even goalie Grant Fuhr.
Lowe was a seven-time All-Star and ultimately won six Stanley Cup titles — five with the Oilers and one more with the Rangers and Messier in 1994.
5. Montreal Canadiens: Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux, on ice, won one Stanley Cup with the Canadiens.
Born: July 16, 1965 (Buckingham, Quebec, Canada)
Position: Right wing
Career: 19 seasons (1985-2003, 2008-09)
Teams: Montreal Canadiens (1985-90), New Jersey Devils (1990-95, 2000), Colorado Avalanche (1995-2000), Phoenix Coyotes (2000-03), Dallas Stars (2003), San Jose Sharks (2008-09)
Career stats: 1,215 GP, 379 G, 407 A, 786 PTS
Stats with Canadiens: 281 GP, 97 G, 92 A, 189 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 4 (1986, 1995, 1996, 2000)
Bottom Line: Claude Lemieux
Claude Lemieux is not related to Mario Lemieux.
Claude Lemieux had the unfortunate luck of playing in the same era as one of the NHL's greatest players, Mario Lemieux, who had the same surname even though the players weren't related.
Claude Lemieux won four Stanley Cup titles — two more than Mario Lemieux — and a Conn Smythe Trophy, but his skills on the ice have become somewhat overlooked because he was widely thought of as a dirty player.
4. Nashville Predators: Pekka Rinne
Pekka Rinne is a bad, bad man.
Born: Nov. 3, 1982 (Kempele, Finland)
Position: Goaltender
Career: 14 seasons (2005-06, 2007-present)
Teams: Nashville Predators
Career stats: 659 G, 645 GS, 359-201-74 W-L-T, 2.42 GAA, .917 SV%
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Pekka Rinne
Pekka Rinne is 6-foot-5, which is as tall or taller than most NFL quarterbacks.
Pekka Rinne has been one of the NHL's best goaltenders for the last decade. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2018 and has been a finalist four more times.
Rinne is also a four-time All-Star, all within the last decade, and is the Predators' career leader in wins and shutouts.
At 6-foot-5, Rinne is the tallest goaltender in the NHL by almost two inches.
3. Pittsburgh Penguins: Ron Francis
Ron Francis won a pair of Stanley Cup titles with the Penguins in the early 1990s.
Born: March 1, 1963 (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada)
Position: Center
Career: 23 seasons (1981-2004)
Teams: Hartford Whalers (1981-91), Pittsburgh Penguins (1991-98), Carolina Hurricanes (1998-2004), Toronto Maple Leafs (2004)
Career stats: 1,731 GP, 549 G, 1,249 A, 1,798 PTS
Stats with Penguins: 533 GP, 164 G, 449 A, 613 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 2 (1991, 1992)
Bottom Line: Ron Francis
Ron Francis finished his career at No. 5 on the NHL's career points leader list.
If you want evidence of how underrated and underappreciated Ron Francis was, look no further than his spot at No. 5 on the NHL career points list behind only Wayne Gretzky, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Messier and Gordie Howe with 1,798 points.
Have you ever heard Francis even mentioned in the same breath as the other four? Probably not. Most casual hockey fans today have very limited knowledge of Francis' career 16 years after his retirement.
If they remember him at all.
2. Vancouver Canucks: Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny, left, defected from the Soviet Union when he was 20 years old.
Born: Feb. 18, 1969 (Khabarovsk, Russian Soviet Union)
Position: Right wing
Career: 15 seasons (1989-2004)
Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1989-95), Vancouver Canucks (1995-2000), New Jersey Devils (2000-01, 2005-06), Toronto Maple Leafs (2001-04)
Career stats: 990 GP, 473 G, 559 A, 1,032 PTs
Stats with Canucks: 312 GP, 139 G, 169 A, 308 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: 1 (2000)
Bottom Line: Alexander Mogilny
Alexander Mogilny was traded to the New Jersey Devils in 2000, just in time to be with them for their run to winning the Stanley Cup.
Alexander Mogilny was recruited to the Soviet Union's CSKA Moscow — the "Red Army Team" — when he was just 17 years old and defected to the United States three year later to play in the NHL.
Mogilny had some of his best years with the Canucks but was gifted with a trade to the New Jersey Devils in 2000 just in time to be with their team for its run to winning the Stanley Cup.
1. Philadelphia Flyers: Brian Propp
Brian Propp, center, still holds six NHL records over 25 years after his retirement.
Born: Feb. 15, 1959 (Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Canada)
Position: Left wing
Career: 15 seasons (1979-94)
Teams: Philadelphia Flyers (1979-90), Boston Bruins (1990), Minnesota North Stars (1990-93), Hartford Whalers (1993-94)
Career stats: 1,016 GP, 425 G, 579 A, 1,004 PTS
Stats with Flyers: 790 GP, 369 G, 480 A, 849 PTS
Stanley Cup championships: None
Bottom Line: Brian Propp
Brian Propp was a six-time NHL All-Star.
Brian Propp didn't just fail to win a Stanley Cup. He set the record for the most goals in a Stanley Cup playoffs without making the finals.
Propp was a six-time All-Star who still owns six NHL records over 25 years after his retirement, including career points and assists for a left winger in the playoffs.
Propp also still has eight franchise records for the Flyers, including most game-winning goals in a single season.
Related: Greatest NHL Players Who Never Won a Stanley Cup