4 - Mario Lemieux - If I was basing this list on pure athletic ability alone then I would have put Mario the Magnificent right at the top of the list. No player before or since had the pure skill set, the effortless ability with the puck, and the ability to dominate his peers one on one that Mario did in his prime. If he hadn't spent years with chronic back problems, battling cancer, and even in retirement he would easily be second on the all time list of points, and would likely be first in goals. Despite all the time he spent away from the game, or playing hurt he still scored 690 goals and 1,723 points. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP both times the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup. He won 6 Art Ross Trophies, 3 Hart Trophies, and the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, and he did all this in just 915 regular season games. Simply...magnificent |