List of Famous Ice Hockey Players

Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Often referred to as "Ovi" or "the Great Eight", Ovechkin is widely regarded as one of the greatest ice hockey players of all time.

Wayne Douglas Gretzky is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "The Great One", he has been called the greatest hockey player ever by many sportswriters, players, the NHL itself, and by The Hockey News, based on extensive surveys of hockey writers, ex-players, general managers and coaches. Playing centre, Gretzky is the leading goal scorer, leading assist producer and leading point scorer in NHL history, and garnered more assists in his career than any other player scored total points. He is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season, a feat he accomplished four times. In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in record 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive, also a record. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 All-Star records.

Bruce Allan Boudreau is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and coach. He is the former head coach of the Washington Capitals, Anaheim Ducks, and Minnesota Wild. As a player, Boudreau played professionally for 20 seasons, logging 141 games in the NHL and 30 games in the World Hockey Association (WHA). He played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Black Hawks of the NHL and the Minnesota Fighting Saints of the WHA. Boudreau won the Jack Adams Award for the NHL's most outstanding head coach in the 2007–08 NHL season during his tenure with the Capitals.

Dion Phaneuf is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman, currently an unrestricted free agent. He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted ninth overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by Calgary and made his NHL debut in 2005 after a four-year junior career with the Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League (WHL), in which he was twice named the Defenceman of the Year.

James Ryan Hayes is an American professional ice hockey right winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins in the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is also a member of the Missin’ Curfew podcast. He was selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round, 60th overall, of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. His younger brother Kevin Hayes currently plays in the NHL with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Connor Andrew McDavid is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is considered to be one of the best players in the world by many colleagues and members of the news media.

Evander Frank Kane is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Kane was selected fourth overall in the first round of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers.

Claude Percy Lemieux is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He last played for the San Jose Sharks before announcing his retirement on July 8, 2009. He is one of only 11 players in Stanley Cup history to win the Cup with three or more different teams. His 80 career playoff goals are the ninth-most in NHL history, making him one of the best playoff performers in history. Lemieux is also a former president of the ECHL's Phoenix RoadRunners. He is also the father of New York Rangers forward Brendan Lemieux.

Jaromír Jágr is a Czech professional ice hockey right winger for and the owner of HC Kladno of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, New York Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, New Jersey Devils, Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames, serving as captain of the Penguins and the Rangers. After leaving the Rangers in 2008, he played three seasons in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) with Avangard Omsk. He returned to the NHL in 2011 with the Flyers and remained in the league for seven more years before being assigned by the Flames in 2018 to HC Kladno.

Sidney Patrick Crosby is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubbed "The Next One," Crosby was selected first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest hockey players of all time.

Alex Daniel Tuch is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.

John Robert "Jack" Eichel is an American professional ice hockey center and captain of the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL).

Auston Taylour Matthews is a American professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born in San Ramon, California, Matthews and his family moved to Scottsdale, Arizona, when he was an infant. After playing baseball and hockey during his childhood, he developed a particular interest in hockey after watching the local Phoenix Coyotes play. A product of the USA Hockey National Team Development Program in the United States Hockey League (USHL), Matthews played for the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League prior to being drafted into the NHL in 2016, winning a Swiss Cup title that same year. Matthews was widely considered the top prospect of the draft, and was selected first overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Pernell-Karl Sylvester "P. K." Subban is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League (NHL). Subban was drafted by the Montreal Canadiens in the second round, 43rd overall, of the 2007 NHL Entry Draft. In 2013, he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's top defenceman, and tied with Kris Letang as the leading scorer among defencemen. In the summer of 2014, he signed an eight-year, $72 million contract with the Canadiens, running through the 2021–22 season. After the 2015–16 season, Subban was traded to the Nashville Predators, where he spent three seasons before being traded to New Jersey in 2019.

Kevin Hugh Lowe is a Canadian professional ice hockey executive, former coach and former player. Lowe is the vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group, having formerly served as head coach and then general manager of the Edmonton Oilers. As a defenceman, he played for the Edmonton Oilers and the New York Rangers.

Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He previously played for the New York Islanders, Ottawa Senators, and Boston Bruins.

Marc-André Fleury is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Fleury played major junior for four seasons with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles, earning both the Mike Bossy Trophy as the league's top prospect and the Telus Cup as the top defensive player in 2003. He joined the Penguins in 2003–04 and during his 13 seasons with the team won Stanley Cup championships in 2009, 2016, and 2017.

Brian Paul Boyle is an American professional ice hockey center who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He most recently played for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Boyle has previously played for the Los Angeles Kings, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto Maple Leafs, New Jersey Devils and Nashville Predators. He attended St. Sebastian's School in Needham, Massachusetts, before moving on to Boston College. Boyle grew up in Hingham, just south of Boston.

Tyler Bertuzzi is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL). Bertuzzi was drafted 58th overall by the Red Wings in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft.

John Howard Scott is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman/winger. A professional player for nearly 10 seasons, Scott saw National Hockey League action with the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, San Jose Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, Arizona Coyotes and Montreal Canadiens. Scott was born in Edmonton, Alberta. He graduated from Michigan Technological University in 2006.