At 24 years old, Colorado Avalanche elite center Peter Forsberg was being compared to a mixture of players but he was one-of-a-kind.
Whether he was referred to as "The Fabulous Forsberg," "Peter the Great," or "Foppa," the Swedish forward was unique on and off the ice.
Forsberg was known to be competitive and highly-skilled which made him one of the best all-around NHL players of all time.
“He sees the ice really well, like Wayne Gretzky,” Oilers GM Glen Sather — who is careful about making comparisons to his old Oiler legends — told The Hockey News in 1998. “And he’s a mean S.O.B., like Mark Messier. He can play in tight and score like Keith Tkachuk and he can really shoot a puck, too…wrist shot, slapshot, he’s like Joe Sakic that way. He’s a real combination of different players with different styles.”
As special as Forsberg was during his time in the League, his play has similarities to a few current Avalanche players — say ... fellow Swede Gabriel Landeskog or Nordic neighbor Mikko Rantanen?
THN's Bob Mackenzie dove into what the young Forsberg had accomplished and where he was headed in his career in the May 15, 1998 Issue.
Forsberg began showing leadership qualities early on, which continued to develop and evolve into his impact as an alternate captain beside his teammate Sakic.
The issue also includes articles on the possible first European Conn Smythe winner, Canadian teams request a tax pardon and coverage of the 1998 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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