Hockey is different from a lot of sports regarding one thing: The GOAT debate. In basketball, there’s always a debate on who’s the GOAT, with names like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant being in the discussion.
You have players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in soccer and stars like Tom Brady and Jerry Rice in football.
But in hockey, there’s often really not much of a debate. Wayne Gretzky is even nicknamed The Great One and is widely acknowledged as the best player in history. And just looking at points, stats, and honorary awards, it’s tough to argue about it.
But there’s one person that doesn’t agree, and that person is Eric Lindros. Lindros is also renowned as one of the best players in history, although his career was cut short due to injuries.
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Lindros recently joined the podcast ”The Rodcast” and was asked who’s the best player to ever play the game of hockey. His answer was surprising, as he didn’t even mention Wayne Gretzky.
”Can I break this into two parts?” He said.
”I got to go with Mark Messier. He was fantastic in so many different areas. The rough and tumble side for that era, and the intensity, and the fearlessness and competitiveness.”
Lindros then names his GOAT.
”But being in Philadelphia and having Pittsburgh so close, there was–and no offense to anyone I’m not including here–no one like Mario Lemieux. It was scary. It was just scary. It was nuts!”
”It was absolutely… it was a different scenario with him and it was just crazy. He was the most gifted player I… I mean, sometimes I didn’t even think he was trying. He was smooth, he had the reach, he could skate. Gah. Mario was pretty special.”
