Mount Rushmores

[RP-29]

NHL -- Updating every NHL team's Mount Rushmore

ESPN's John Buccigross, who is essentially your average fan with a press pass, posted his team Mount Rushmores back in '09 when it was the hot thing. A few days ago he published updates to it.
Here's what he's got:

• Anaheim Ducks: Getzlaf, Giguere, Perry, Selanne.
• Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets: Ferraro, Heatley, Kovalchuk, Odgers / incomplete
• Boston Bruins: Bourque, Esposito, Neely, Orr.
• Buffalo Sabres: Hasek, LaFontaine, Martin, Perreault.
• Calgary Flames/Atlanta Flames: Fleury, Iginla, MacInnis, Vernon.
• Carolina Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers: Brind'Amour, Dineen, Francis, Staal.
• Chicago Blackhawks: Hull, Kane, Mikita, Toews.
• Colorado Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques: Forsberg, Roy, Sakic, Stastny.
• Columbus Blue Jackets: Bobrovsky, Johansen, Nash, Vyborny.
• Dallas Stars/Minnesota North Stars: Benn, Modano, Seguin, Zubov.
• Detroit Red Wings: Howe, Lidstrom, Sawchuk, Yzerman.
• Edmonton Oilers: Coffey, Fuhr, Gretzky, Messier.
• Florida Panthers: Bure, Jokinen, Luongo, Mellanby.
• Los Angeles Kings: Dionne, Doughty, Kopitar, Quick.
• Minnesota Wild: Gaborik, Koivu, Parise, Suter.
• Montreal Canadiens: Beliveau, Lafleur, Plante and Richard.
• Nashville Predators: Erat, Legwand, Rinne, Weber.
• New Jersey Devils/Colorado Rockies/Kansas City Scouts: Brodeur, Elias, Niedermayer, Stevens.
• New York Islanders: Bossy, Potvin, Tavares, Trottier.
• New York Rangers: Leetch, Lundqvist, Messier, Richter.
• Ottawa Senators: Alfredsson, Karlsson, Redden, Spezza.
• Philadelphia Flyers: Barber, Clarke, Giroux, Parent.
• Phoenix Coyotes/Winnipeg Jets: Doan, Hawerchuk, Numminen, Tkachuk.
• Pittsburgh Penguins: Crosby, Jagr, Lemieux, Malkin.
• San Jose Sharks: Marleau, Nabokov, Pavelski, Thornton.
• St. Louis Blues: Federko, Hull, MacInnis, Sutter.
• Tampa Bay Lightning: Lecavalier, Richards, Stamkos, St. Louis.
• Toronto Maple Leafs: Broda, Keon, Sundin, Sittler.
• Vancouver Canucks: Bure, Linden, Daniel Sedin, Henrik Sedin.
• Washington Capitals: Bondra, Hunter, Kolzig, Ovechkin.

There are plenty of things to pick apart with these choices, but here's an additional question I pose: Which teams are the Mount Rushmore of Mount Rushmores?

I've got Montreal and Detroit as the clear top two but I can't decide on the other two. Thoughts?

 

[flyersfan4706]

Not even a mention of Lindros? Yikes

 

[DragonfromTO]

Edmonton and Pittsburgh look pretty good, not that that's a surprise. Boston would look a lot better with Eddie Shore instead of Neely, who has apparently gotta be one of the most overrated players in history.

 

[Skerpokes]

Eddie Belfour for Chicago? Or Chelios?

 

[forty_three]

Gretzky not on the Kings? Nor Robitaille? Just, wow.

And most Columbus fans would use Knutsen and Foligno in place of Nash and Vyborny. Not saying they'd be right, but...

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Gretzky not on the Kings? Nor Robitaille? Just, wow.

Cups, my friend. Cups.

 

[Nasty_Magician]

Edmonton and Pittsburgh look pretty good, not that that's a surprise. Boston would look a lot better with Eddie Shore instead of Neely, who has apparently gotta be one of the most overrated players in history.

I'd go with Edmonton and Pitt as well to round out the top 4.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Much as I like JT, Billy Smith probably should be there ahead of him.

Pronger should be on STL ahead of Sutter.

 

[RP-29]

Edmonton and Pittsburgh look pretty good, not that that's a surprise. Boston would look a lot better with Eddie Shore instead of Neely, who has apparently gotta be one of the most overrated players in history.

Buccigross is one of the biggest Cam Neely fans on the planet. Neely is probably the first Bruin he had on his Mount Rushmore. You could make some pretty good arguments that even some guys currently on the roster (Bergeron, Chara) should be above Neely.

 

[RP-29]

Edmonton and Pittsburgh look pretty good, not that that's a surprise. Boston would look a lot better with Eddie Shore instead of Neely, who has apparently gotta be one of the most overrated players in history.

I'd go with Edmonton and Pitt as well to round out the top 4.

Yeah, both of those teams, along with Boston, would be on my short list. Still tough to decide because each group has warts.

 

[forty_three]

Cups, my friend. Cups.

If there was no Gretzky, there is no LA Kings. Fucking QUICK?

 

[dash]

Al MacInnis is on both the Flames and Blues Mount Rushmore's - Can't say I disagree there.

 

[RP-29]

If there was no Gretzky, there is no LA Kings. Fucking QUICK?

Good point. There's probably also no Ducks, Sharks, Coyotes, Panthers, Lightning, Predators, Thrashers, ...

Dammit, Gretzky! It's your fault!

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

If there was no Gretzky, there is no LA Kings. Fucking QUICK?

Quick single-handedly won them a Cup. Gretzky single-handedly high-sticked them to a Final.

 

[Bloody Brian Burke]

Al MacInnis is on both the Flames and Blues Mount Rushmore's - Can't say I disagree there.

Nope. He was awesome.

 

[DragonfromTO]

Buccigross is one of the biggest Cam Neely fans on the planet. Neely is probably the first Bruin he had on his Mount Rushmore. You could make some pretty good arguments that even some guys currently on the roster (Bergeron, Chara) should be above Neely.

You can be a big fan without being a moron though. I was one of the biggest Mike Bossy fans you'll ever find, but I stopped trying to pretend that he was better than Gretzky sometime around the 4th Hart Trophy, when I was 6 years old. I mean, Neely never won any hardware (finished 9th in Hart voting in one season and didn't get votes in any other) and never made the league's First All-Star team even once. If there's an argument for him over a guy that won 4 Hart Trophies and made the First team in every full season he played I can't imagine what it is. I'm guessing the real answer is something like "Cam returns my phone calls!"

 

[RP-29]

Is there anyone listed more undeserving of being on a Mount Rushmore than Tyler Seguin?

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Al MacInnis is on both the Flames and Blues Mount Rushmore's - Can't say I disagree there.

Nope. He was awesome.

I do find it odd that, unless I missed anyone else, he's the only guy that makes the list for two different players.

 

[sabresfaninthesouth]

Without Ray Bourque on the Colorado/Quebec listing I consider the entire thing invalid.

 

[forty_three]

^ Messier - Rags and Oil



(and yes, I thought about adding Vancouver to make jstew fly into a rage)