How Lemieux, Crosby, Gretzky And The Top 10 CHL Players Of Last 50 Years Define Hockey

Many of hockey's most special athletes are among the top 50 CHL players of the last 50 years.

But true hockey legends make up the top 10.

After more than a month of counting down the top 50, the CHL revealed Hockey Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux as the best of the past half-century.

Hockey Hall of Fame players and current NHL stars who will undoubtedly see their name enshrined in the hall appear in the top 50, including two active players in the top 10.

These players have defined eras in the CHL over the past 50 years. That says a lot about each player, considering the CHL, which has united the WHL, OHL and QMJHL since 1975, has been arguably the most significant development league and most popular in Canada for decades.

"This list reflects the extraordinary legacy of the CHL and the impact our players have had on the game at every level," said CHL president Dan MacKenzie.

For a full list of the top 50 players with full player bios, check out the CHL 50 initiative at chl.ca/chl50.

Let's look at the top 10 players and the monumental impact they've made on the NHL and CHL. 

One of the all-time great Winnipeg Jets from their original run in the city, Hawerchuk was the heart and soul of the team for nearly a decade before moving on to the Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and Philadelphia Flyers. 

He had five straight 100-point seasons in Winnipeg, highlighted by a 130-point campaign in 1984-85 in his first year as captain. With more than 500 goals and 1,400 points in his NHL career, Hawerchuk was one of the premier players of the 1980s and early '90s. He went on to coach the OHL's Barrie Colts for nine years before dying in August 2020 after a battle with stomach cancer.

Hawerchuk was critical in the Cornwall Royals capturing the 1980 Memorial Cup. He is the only 16-year-old in QMJHL history to win playoff MVP honors after piling up 20 goals and 25 assists for 45 playoff points in just 18 games in 1979-80. He was also the rookie of the year with 103 points during the regular season.

The following season, Hawerchuk's 81 goals and 183 points led the CHL. He was not only named the QMJHL's MVP, CHL's player of the year and top scorer, but he won the Memorial Cup with the Royals again in 1981, scoring a record-setting eight goals in five games. He was named Memorial Cup MVP.

Considered one of the best defensemen in the history of the game, Ray Bourque was a fixture on the Boston Bruins blueline for two decades, serving as captain for 15 years. 

He eventually went to the Colorado Avalanche, where he captured his elusive Stanley Cup to cap off one of the best careers in hockey. As nearly a point-per-game defenseman over his 22-year career, Bourque was a five-time Norris Trophy winner with an excellent two-way game. 

Bourque's eventual Cup win with Colorado is considered one of the greatest moments in hockey history because of how long he had waited to finally lift Lord Stanley's Cup.

It was no wonder that Bourque had such a significant impact on the NHL after what he accomplished in the QMJHL.

With 48 points in 69 games in his rookie season, 79 points in 1977-78 to earn first all-star team honors, and 93 points in 63 games in 1978-79, Bourque established his two-way base in junior hockey. He was named the QMJHL defenseman of the year and was a co-winner of the league's most sportsmanlike player award after the 1978-79 campaign.

Often considered one of the greatest captains in NHL history, Steve Yzerman was the centerpiece for a Red Wings dynasty in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

His impact as a scorer was only outdone by his commitment to becoming a more well-rounded player, which eventually led to three Stanley Cups and countless memorable moments in Hockeytown. 

Yzerman is the eighth-highest scoring player in NHL history and could have been higher on the list had his knees not broken down on him later in his career. The 19-year captain won the Ted Lindsay Award, Selke Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy, Lester Patrick Trophy and Masterton Trophy.

Yzerman was named the Peterborough Petes' all-time center in 1999. The Hall of Fame player we know today crafted his foundation with the Petes, recording 64 points in 58 games in his rookie campaign and 91 points in 56 games in his NHL draft year in 1983.

Often described as a unicorn because of his combination of power and skill, Eric Lindros will forever be one of the game of hockey's biggest "What If" players. 

He was a truly dominant presence from the moment he stepped into the NHL, but injuries and concussions limited him to just 760 NHL games over 13 seasons. 

His 372 goals and 865 points don't even tell the story of just how effective Lindros was during his time in the NHL. He was a Hart Trophy winner in 1994-95 and a finalist the following year, an Olympic gold medallist and a Hockey Hall of Famer.

Lindros dominated at a nearly unbelievable level with the Oshawa Generals. He scored 97 goals and 216 points in just 95 career games. In his rookie season, he put up 36 points in 25 regular-season games and then matched that point total in 17 playoff games as Oshawa won the OHL playoffs and the Memorial Cup. He was named to the Memorial Cup all-star team as well.

Lindros' 71 goals and 149 points in 57 games made his 1990-91 campaign one of the greatest in OHL history. He won the OHL's scoring title, MVP honors and first-team all-star honors, and he was the CHL's player of the year and top prospect. His 16 game-winning goals that year are tied for the most in OHL history, tied with Nick Lardis.

Sakic captained the Quebec Nordiques and Colorado Avalanche franchise for 17 years. He won two Stanley Cups, a Hart Trophy, Olympic gold and World Championship gold, making him a member of the Triple Gold Club.

Sakic had more than 600 goals and 1,600 points in his 20-year career, all spent with the Nordiques and Avalanche. Known as one of the most impressive playmakers of his era, Sakic was a perennial all-star. His accomplishments internationally and in the NHL are among the most impressive of all-time.

In the WHL, Sakic was a junior hockey superstar. With Swift Current, he was the WHL rookie of the year and Eastern Conference MVP in 1986-87 after erupting for 60 goals and 133 points in 72 games.

In 1987-88, Sakic tied for the most points in the WHL with 160 and led in goals with 78. He was the WHL MVP and CHL player of the year. He finished his WHL career with 293 points in 139 games.

In just 752 games over 10 seasons, Bossy scored 573 goals and 1,126 points in an abbreviated NHL career. 

He's one of the most prolific goal-scorers in NHL history, with nine straight 50-goal seasons, reaching the 60-goal mark in five of those years. Bossy was the franchise player for the New York Islanders as they won four straight Stanley Cups in the early 1980s.

Bossy had one of the most feared shots in NHL history and is widely talked about as the best pure goal-scorer despite not having the longevity of Wayne Gretzky or Alexander Ovechkin. Bossy was a force as dominant as any in hockey history.

Bossy's goal-scoring in the CHL was even more effective. The fact the QMJHL has the Michael Bossy Trophy recognizing the QMJHL's top NHL draft prospect is just a sliver of the significance he had on the league.

His benchmark towers over junior hockey to this day, with a CHL-record 309 goals in 264 career games. He never had fewer than 70 goals in a season. 

Bossy had 118 points in his rookie season, then hit a career-high 149 points 1974-75, adding 38 points in 16 playoff games. He earned QMJHL first all-star team honors that season and in 1975-76, when he had 136 points. As captain in 1976-77, Bossy put up 126 points and was named the QMJHL's most sportsmanlike player. The QMJHL Hall of Fame inductee was later named Laval's all-time right winger.

The best player in hockey today, McDavid, has been a machine for the Edmonton Oilers. 

His speed and skill have dazzled hockey fans for over a decade. He's led the Oilers to two Stanley Cup finals, and despite never getting over the hump, McDavid has cemented himself as one of the most singularly dominant offensive presences in NHL playoff history. 

With half of his career still ahead of him, McDavid's accolades would already put him in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a first ballot entrant. 

There's still so much of McDavid's story to be told, which may only move him up this list in the future. 

As an exceptional-status center, McDavid entered the OHL a year early and was still the league's rookie of the year, with 25 goals and 66 points in 63 games.

In 2013-14, he had 99 points in 56 games and 19 points in 14 playoff games, winning trophies for sportsmanship and scholarship.

As Erie's captain in 2014-15, McDavid averaged 2.55 points per game with 120 points in 47 games, then had a jaw-dropping 21 goals and 49 points in 20 playoff games, the second-most points in a single OHL post-season, as the Otters reached the OHL final. 

McDavid was named OHL MVP, CHL player of the year and OHL Playoffs MVP, becoming one of only two to win the latter on the losing team.

The Great One's NHL career transcends the sport itself. Gretzky is nearly unanimously viewed as the greatest of all-time, and he was one of the most dominant players in any sport during his time in the NHL.

Gretzky accomplished everything you could ever imagine in an NHL career. He's a four-time Stanley Cup Champion, nine-time Hart Trophy winner, 10-time Art Ross winner, five-time goal-scoring leader, two-time Conn Smythe winner and more. 

He built his NHL legacy with the Oilers, but his run with the Los Angeles Kings is often seen as the most foundational moment in building hockey in the southern United States. Gretzky's impact goes well beyond the ice, solidifying himself as the most important pillar in the sport's history.

That said, Gretzky was already redefining hockey by the time he turned pro. Recording three assists in three games as a 15-year-old call-up was just the beginning.

Gretzky's scoring exploded the following season, piling up 70 goals and 112 assists for 182 points in 64 games with Sault Ste. Marie. He still has the record for the most assists and points by an OHL rookie, and only Bobby Smith had more points in one season among all OHL players, with 192. Gretzky was undoubtedly the rookie of the year, and he also won the most sportsmanlike player award and second all-star team honors.

There may never be a player as hyped as Sidney Crosby when he was a teenager. The hype began when he was 12 years old, doing interviews about his generational talent. 

The craziest part about all of it was that not only did he live up to the hype, but he might also have exceeded it. 

Crosby has defined the current generation of hockey. He's won three Stanley Cups, two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, two Olympic gold medals and so much more. He's been the face of the NHL for two decades, and one of the sport's defining moments is his Golden Goal at the 2010 Olympics, scoring the overtime-winner for Canada against Team USA. 

Crosby will likely almost surely find himself in the top five all-time in scoring, and he could have been higher had he not missed well over 100 games in the prime of his career with concussion issues. 

Sidney Crosby is to modern hockey what Wayne Gretzky was to the game in the 1980s and '90s.

He was appointment viewing with the Rimouski Oceanic. The first overall pick in the 2003 QMJHL draft had a hat trick in his debut, set the league record for most points by a 16-year-old with 135, then added 16 points in nine playoff games. He was not only the QMJHL and CHL rookie of the year but also the QMJHL MVP and CHL player of the year.

In 2004-05, Crosby improved to a whopping 66 goals and 168 points in 62 games and 31 points in 13 playoff games. Rimouski won the QMJHL title, and Crosby was CHL player of the year and QMJHL MVP for the second time, adding QMJHL playoff MVP honors as well. Crosby led the 2005 Memorial Cup in scoring and earned all-star team recognition as the Oceanic lost the final. 

'Super Mario' is one of the only players who can truly find himself in the conversation as the greatest hockey player of all-time, with Gretzky. 

His power, speed and skill were unlike anything the game had ever seen, and he was as dominant in his time as anyone. 

With two Stanley Cups, three Hart Trophies, six Art Ross Trophies and three Rocket Richard Trophies, Lemieux was a force of nature. 

Dealing with Hodgkin's lymphoma and chronic back pain, Lemieux missed the 1994-95 season and then retired from hockey in 1997 before returning three years later in the 2000-01 season and continuing his domination of the league. 

There are a lot of "What If" conversations around Lemieux's career, and despite those questions, he's still viewed as one of the game's most impressive players of all-time.

But it is safe to say that Lemieux is the QMJHL's best player ever, and it's no surprise that he's the top CHL player of the last 50 years.

"I'm honored to be chosen among this group of great players," Lemieux said. "My time at Laval and in the QMJHL played a big role in preparing me for an NHL career. We all appreciate what the CHL has meant to Canadian hockey and the development of our players through the years."

Mario Lemieux rewrote the QMJHL record book, with 562 points in 200 games. He had 96 points at age 16 in 1981-82 and 184 points in 1982-83 before having a monumental third season.

In 1983-84, Lemieux set a CHL single-season record 282 points (133 goals and 149 assists) in 70 games, a CHL-record 61-game point streak and 21 hat tricks. In his final regular-season game, he scored six goals and five assists to lock up the CHL record with 133 goals. In the 1984 playoffs, he added a mind-blowing 52 points in 14 games as Laval won the QMJHL title and advanced to the Memorial Cup. Lemieux earned CHL Player of the Year and QMJHL MVP honors.

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