Lidstrom to retire

I was rolling with the best since Orr, but absolutely Harvey should be in the same breath as Lidstrom and these other guys.

 

Piss on Eddie Shore.

People are slipping around here.

 

I actually sensed that afterward but left my post alone in case my first thought had been correct. Which, of course, it hadn't been.

 

No. Bourque played 22 seasons in the NHL. Chris Chelios played parts of 26 despite losing one year to the lockout. No defenceman played in more regular season games, and no one at any position saw more playoff action.

Hell, Chelios' first and last Cup victories came 22 years apart. He saw more postseasons than Bourque saw regular seasons.

 

Hmm, did not realize Pippen played that long.

 

Also, if you want to talk longevity of peak, while Bourque won his four Norris trophies in a span of five years, Chelios won his three in a span of eight years, one of which split Bourque's string down the middle, and was a finalist most years over those eight years when he didn't win, and I believe a few other times as well.

I still give the edge to Bourque, but I also don't think it is unreasonable to compare their peak years.

 

Bourque was a key guy at 39 and could have played well into his 40s - he just chose not to. Chelios played much longer but really - how valuable was he for the last few seasons he was in the league? I seem to remember a lof of healthy scratches.

 

I would take Bourque in a heartbeat over Chelios.