Quick Question: All-time Favorite Canes Player and Why

[Willis#1fan]

I've been registered on this board for several months, I just haven't really started posting until now. To get to know fellow board users a little bit better, I want to know your fave Canes player of all-time and why, it can go back to the players in Hartford if you want.

Mine would have to be Shane Willis. I can't explain why; he was just a really nice player who put up with me and all the pictures I constantly took of him! Lol. And him being in the Lightning org. is one reason why I love Tampa Bay, I'm also from Florida too.

My second favorite would have to be...Danny Markov. I love Russian players for how hard they play and the intensity of the game. I'm thrilled we got Markov, sad we traded Igor, and happy we got rid of Tanabe. :) Well Dave was a nice guy too, but he didn't do much last season.

So I hope alot of you will answer. I'm just curious. No right or wrong answer.

Rebecca....last name of the day....Knyazev

[SouthernHockeyChick]

Jeff O'Neill. I mean, have you SEEN him??

LOL. Totally kidding. I'll give my real answer later....I'm in a hurry right now and I want to give it some though. But, off the top of my head, I'm thinking Paul Coffey.

[Guyute]

hafta say Brindy. been a fave since he was drafted. and just one year later he was playing for my flyers. watched him grow a lot, and have spent some time as a younger lad hanging out with him in south jersey. great great guy.
I was quite happy when he came to carolina :)

and ummm... what's with this last name of the day thing??

[ausoleil]

Tough question, but I'll say Franchise. Ronnie is the calm in the storm, and he is unquestionably a leader. Seems like his goals are always the timely ones, and his play always the smart one.

[rons#1fan]

Hey there newbie :D

My favorite is Ron Francis...My first hockey game was in Hartford back in the 80's. My boyfriend was trying to teach me the game...few beers in the nose bleed section watching white jerseys on white - yeah right - well I was confused, needless to say and I guess it showed so he just told me to watch #10. As time went on I was impressed with the person off the ice and how he talked about his family, in particular his brother, and that just did it for me.

Second favorite...hmmmm...have to say Bob Boughner right now. That boy doesn't let anyone close to the net. He's checking them all the time! I like that physical kind of play. :beatup:

[constantpressure]

Hey there newbie :D

My favorite is Ron Francis...My first hockey game was in Hartford back in the 80's. My boyfriend was trying to teach me the game...few beers in the nose bleed section watching white jerseys on white - yeah right - well I was confused, needless to say and I guess it showed so he just told me to watch #10. As time went on I was impressed with the person off the ice and how he talked about his family, in particular his brother, and that just did it for me.

Second favorite...hmmmm...have to say Bob Boughner right now. That boy doesn't let anyone close to the net. He's checking them all the time! I like that physical kind of play. :beatup:

Didn't there used to be a guy named Gordie on the team way back when?

[RIO]

Archie! Hands down. :D

[rons#1fan]

Hey there newbie :D

My favorite is Ron Francis...My first hockey game was in Hartford back in the 80's. My boyfriend was trying to teach me the game...few beers in the nose bleed section watching white jerseys on white - yeah right - well I was confused, needless to say and I guess it showed so he just told me to watch #10. As time went on I was impressed with the person off the ice and how he talked about his family, in particular his brother, and that just did it for me.

Second favorite...hmmmm...have to say Bob Boughner right now. That boy doesn't let anyone close to the net. He's checking them all the time! I like that physical kind of play. :beatup:

Didn't there used to be a guy named Gordie on the team way back when?

YUP..but I guess Ron being so young - like a Staal - you sort of forget about the Great Ones...(like what's happening to Ronnie right now) and when you're new to hockey, you focus on the new guys..so that's how it was for us...but yeah...Gordie awesome :D

[Stormbringer]

Ron Francis, pretty much for the reasons Rons#1 stated. Plus, I love watching his playmaking and listening to him...just a very interesting and cool guy off the ice and an awesome, AWESOME player on the ice. :spin:

Honorable mentions: O, Boogie, Colesey, Brindy, Heddy, Staal, K. Adams, Wes, and Big Joe.

[Night Train]

Brind'Amour, then Roberts, Chiasson, Herrema in that order.

I tend to root for grittier players and I was a Brind'Amour fan befopre the 'Canes headed South.

[moonstomper]

Ronnie Francis, I just love that guy :)

[ausoleil]

Yes, some guy named Howe played for the Whalers back in their day. It was in the gloaming of the twilight of his career.

I wish we had more Whaler posters. That may have been the best part of the SCF run, was them coming down, wearing their Whaler jerseys and being wowed at the crowds and the arena. Great, great guys, they were.

[Bob-in-Alberta]

Does the C on the front of Ron Francis's jersey stand for Captain or Class? I would think it stands for both.

[RIO]

Does the C on the front of Ron Francis's jersey stand for Captain or Class? I would think it stands for both.

Or.... *glances around furtively* Canadian !! http://jm.g.free.fr/smileys/space.gif

[Bob-in-Alberta]

Well I've always thought that Class and Canadian went together but thanks for mentioning it anyway.

[SouthernCaniac]

And this is why my jersey has no name on the back...
Too damn hard to pick just one!
Markov has usurped the top spot on my list of faves. Close runners up would be Cole, Heddy, KAds.
And the rest of the team,actually, now that Tanabe is gone.

[murda338]

Irbe

All records in net rest on him, hes 5'10 and made a statement in the NHL at a position that is dominated by lankiness, he proved quick reactions and good ability to understand when to use body parts and how to get a body part in front of the puck.

Goalies like chechmanek sicken me as they dont know what their doin when they attempt to throw a body part at the puck and leave the rest of the net open on the rebound.

Archie managaed to keep most rebounds under control and could make the rebound save.

#1

[RIO]

Well I've always thought that Class and Canadian went together but thanks for mentioning it anyway.

Right you are, Bob! http://jm.g.free.fr/smileys/bearhug.sml.gif

[Kapanen024]

Kapanen... *shrugs* I don't really have a reason... do I have to? When PCF introduced me to the Canes I fell in luv, for no real reason, with Sami. And, it's a plus for me cuz 24 is my lucky number. :D

*Kali*
:angel:

[netterau]

Martin Gelinas, Bates Battaglia, Jesse Boulerice, Bruno St. Jacques, Craig Adams and Ryan Bayda (in no particular order, but all on the same top spot)... Why? Because they either gave it all or still do!

Players who display a great sense of commitment!
:beatup: :beatup: :D :cool: :beatup: :beatup:

[CallMeThrasher]

Archie, without a doubt.
Gary Roberts and Erik Cole tied for second.

[Turbulence]

It's hard for me not to say Ron Francis...the way he conducts himself off of the ice really shows his intelligence and commitment to the team. On the ice, he has been the undisputed leader of the team, being among the best in both the offensive and defensive aspects of the game. He gives the entire franchise a look and feeling of superiority.
Runner up? Brindy, for the same reasons. Two years down the road, the same could probably be said about him.

[VandyCane]

Erik Cole for me. He hits hard and he looks like he always is giving the game everything he's got. Plus, he drives all the other teams crazy. :evil:

[caveman]

Since I moved down here in the summer of 2000:

#5: Jeff O'Neill. One word: cyclops. I'm sorry, if I take a puck in the eye and can't even open it, I'm not going back to work for a couple of days. He's having a rough go of it so far this year (who on our team isn't?) but he's still the man.

#4: Erik Cole. Combines hitting with speed and nifty dekes and I love just watching him dart around the ice. If only he didn't seem to fall down every single shift!

#3: Niclas Wallin. When you absolutely, positively, have to have a playoff OT goal, accept no substitutes.

#2: Bret Hedican. He's a class act with world-class speed and grit.

#1: Marty Gelinas. First guy on the ice for practice, worked hard, gritty grinder. And I remember being out at the airport to welcome the boys home from the Toronto series win, and he was just so thrilled to have come through for his teammates. He was just so gracious with the reporters and fans, he stayed out there answering questions for many long minutes after everyone else had left.

The only thing which makes me love any of our players more is...

PLAYOFF BEARDS. :beatup:

[MoBigRed]

Bah.

Hurricane players they come and they go, but at the end of the day it's about Mo.

Coach extraordinaire. The big cheese. The head honcho. The Jedi master who instructed me.

But seriously. I can't answer that question. I'd change my mind a hundred times just contemplating it. But for starters i'll mention Trevor Kidd, Martin Gelinas, and Garry Swain.

Yes, Garry Swain.

[StormShaman]

Marek Malik, Jedi Defenseman.

He hath the Mojo.


(no, I'm not kidding.)

[SouthernHockeyChick]

OK....I think I'm sticking with Paul Coffey being a real favorite. I didn't watch the Canes (or Whalers) when he played for them but I loved him with the Oilers in the 80s and I still love him. He was my favorite part of the Mega-Stars game. I have no clue why....I just love the guy!

O'Neill is currently my favorite and he will always be for the reasons caveman mentioned....the eye. One of my favorite hockey moments EVER. And I really, really love a player with a personality....some may call it ego....I call it old time hockey personality. He is who he is and if you don't like it....tough sh*t. And I really do think he is incredibly talented.

A newcomer, Markov is so high on the list as to almost be tied with O at this point. I have Phoenix fan family and boy did they rave about this guy when we got him. And boy were they right. Not only is he incredibly talented he is an absolute joy to watch on the ice. He loves the game and loves every second he is out there. And he hasn't yet failed to "wow" me at least once in every single game.

[Shell]

I haven't been able to come up with an answer for this yet.. very tough question!
I want a jersey with a marquis that I can change on the fly ;)

[apolinar]

Agree with one other poster... Malik was such a solid defenseman the 2001-2 season that nobody noticed how strong he was at the position. He skated well that year despite his size, and had a great shot from the point. He always signed for me and acted like a machine of no emotion most of the time. He was also one of the few defensemen that would throwdown the gloves every once in a while and actually get a good shot in or two on the opponents head. Vancouver appreciates his abilities now.

Honorable mention... Jeff Daniels who walked into the crowd during the STH party in 2001-2002 to sign for EVERYONE who wanted his auto after the tables closed. He did not stop until people stopped coming up to him. Class all around

[EpiK-KA14]

This one is close for me. I have no REAL favorite. I guess I am a team guy first, and individual players second. If I HAD to choose, these would be my top four:

1) K Adams
2) Shady
3) Staal
4) Markov

And yes, Staal has already moved up to my top 3 of ALL time for this team (which only extends back about 5 seasons for me)

My problem is that for each player I enjoy watching, I see an equally glaring weakness that needs to be addressed. (I guess that's the coach in me)

However, even my top 3 guys are far from perfect. KA-14 is an incredible defender and deceptively quick, however he lacks a single natural offensive bone in his body.

Shady just makes stops. He's big, he's fast, and he makes plays. But he just looks off-balance out there all the time. He's not as smooth or as graceful as some of the other goalies out there, which makes me cringe, but as long as he keeps stopping the pucks, he's up there near the top for me.

I think my thing for Staal is that he is so new and so young that I haven't found that "weakness" yet.

As for the rest of the guys, here's what I like about each of them and what drives me crazy...

#2 - Wesley. Plays very smart hockey. His years of experience have served him well. My hang-up: He doesn't look like he's playing with any emotion (I don't mean to say he's not, because I am sure he is, but to me I love to see fire in a players eyes.)

#4 - Ward. Very steady, generally always in position. Negatives: Slow, prone to making bad passes leaving his partner out to dry

#6 - Hedican. Fast & Smooth. Negatives, often jumps into the offensive play (That's GOOD) but in the wrong lanes (That's BAD)

#7 - Wallin. I LIKE this kid. Play him more. Negatives: Never given enough time to prove himself. (Not a knock on him, but a knock on MO for going with Experience - Ward - over skill - Wallin)

#8 - Boogie. Too soon to pass any judgement

#10 - Ronnie. Awesome hands, great hockey vision. Negatives - Too old and lost too many steps to be as effective as he's been in the past.

#12 - Staal. Ronnie's replacement. Give this kid some time...

#15 - Murray. My book is still out on him. I like his hustle, but I think his grit and skills may be a bit overrated.

#16 - Bayda. Again, he's a fine young kid, but I just don't see the long-term upside for him. He's a definite step up from Craig Adams on a third line, but I don't see him ever being a true 1st or 2nd liner.

#17 - Brindy. Awesome in the faceoffs, good vision, great leadership, some scoring ability. Negatives: disappears for long stretches at a time. Turns the puck over too often.

#19 - Vrbata. Love this kid. Lots of hustle, but he's being asked to play too much of a grinder role, and then play from the point on the Powerplay. He could easily be our best goal scorer if we turn him loose between the faceoff dots in the offensive zone instead of making him play the boards or the point.

#22 - Hill. He's growing on me more now that the stupid penalties are becoming less frequent. He's Wesley with that fire in his eyes.

#25 - St. Jaques. Shrug. He's fine as a 7th or 8th defenseman. He shows up to play when asked, but he's a body with limited skills. He'll give you his all, but it's not going to help us win very much.

#26 - Cole. He's what a gritty player should be. He'd be my favorite if he would stop A) diving and then getting up slowing while looking at the refs everytime someone knocks him down and B) losing the puck in his feet.

#27 - C. Adams. All his hustle makes up for a lot of his skill deficiencies. Still, we have better players scratched each night and down in Lowell that could do a lot more to help this team.

#36 - Jessie. Love him. Give him more ice time. He's got a whole lot more skill than Mo gives him credit for. (More offensive talent than either Adams or Marty Murray, that's for sure.) Sure, he's our enforcer, but it's ok for him to be more than that...

#55 - Markov. If we had a team of this guy, we'd never lose. :beatup: OK, maybe not, but my only knock on him was the games he played in the offseason with this team about playing in Russia. However, he's worth every penny we've paid him.

#62 - Svoboda. Dunno about him. Use him for trade bait. He shows glimpses of talent, but then never capitalizes on them. He's worth the risk in moving...

#63 - Big Joe. Turning into one of our most reliable players. No real knock on him other than he looks goofy. :D

#92 - O'Neill. Very Hard Slapshot. Excellent offensive positioning. Zero aim. Often quits on the play and doesn't skate after he's taken out, or there is a turnover...

#1 - Storr. Good acquisition. Solid back-up giving this team the best goaltending tandem we have had in quite some time.

Others: Brendl. I haven't given up on this kid and I don't believe Mo's comments about him being out of shape or his lack of work ethic. I saw this guy over the summer, he WAS in great shape and he said he had been skating every day. He had one of the best pre-seasons of anyone and was still send down. And while he's down there, he's putting up the points. Look for him back up here sometime soon.

[Shell]

Great analysis Epik! I think I agree with all of it!

[Willis#1fan]

as for asking me about the last name of the day thing, well, let's just say that whatever player I like and is in my head at the moment, he is the one I will put down as who my last name is. You will never see me put down guys like Francis or Brindy, for one, they are both married, and two, I am unworthy! Lol..but seriously, I prefer the younger, European or Russian players. :eek: And I guess a new last name every day is just something fun to do!

Rebecca...Khabibulin

[7barnes]

Brind'Amour great all around player and has fantastic hand/eye coordination.

I'd probably give Cole my runner up award just because when he's on, he's so aggressive and that generates chances.

[Romney]

Erik Cole - Yes - I'm a little biased, but I still love the way he hits, skates and makes things happen.

[corylav]

#63 - Big Joe. Turning into one of our most reliable players. No real knock on him other than he looks goofy. :D

LOL! I was a Flyers fan when i moved down to Raleigh and Brindy was always my favorite player. The combination of him being traded here and Bobby Clark's George Steinbrenner-esque attitude converted me. I love Cole and how ca you not love Ronnie? Markov has really impressed me, and I always like a goon that can actually play the game a bit, so throw Jesse in.

[HockeyFan]

mine would have to be Erik Cole since he was the first player I met in person and got to know! I also like his work ethic and atittude.

My 2nd fav is a tie between Boulerice and Markov.

Now in the NHL alone...Becca, you know this one already :) Mario Lemieux! I traveled to Pittsburgh to see a game last year (against the Panthers) but he was injured and didn't play...but I eventually got to see him!

-----
Kenny (HockeyFan)

[AbNormal27]

For many obvious and already mentioned reasons, my pick is Ron Francis. I'll give honourable mentions to Staal, O' Neill, Wesley, Brind'Amour and Cole.

Aaryn

[1Irbegirlforever]

Archie! Hands down. :D

:D :D I agree...hubby would say it's a tie between Ronnie and Brindy.

[Willis#1fan]

I like Cole because he's a nice family guy, tough player (it was great watching him be a "pest" and drive Stevens absolutely crazy during the Devils series. I haven't ever seen that happen before, and for me, it was a little bit of payback to what Scottie did to Francis and Willis. He's one of those players (Cole) that plays with a lot of heart and it shows. Definitlely a great role model in my opinion!

Rebecca Brodeur

[Jeff O Rocks]

I have to vote for O for the same reason that SHC mentioned...I was a fan before, but when he took that puck in the eye, stayed in and then won the game...you gotta love him!!

I really like Kevyn Adams too...he is tough, hard working and the nicest guy you could ever hope to meet...