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All-time NHL centers face-off

The greatest centers in NHL history, by their honors. Deal a random set of all-time NHL centers matchups, or build your own, then pick a side in each.

Drag pictures onto both sides of a row to make a matchup

0–00 even

100 not in a matchup · drag one onto either side of a row (up to 4 a side)

Wayne Gretzky

C · EDM

Mario Lemieux

C · PIT

Phil Esposito

C · BOS

Mark Messier

C · NYR

Peter Forsberg

C · COL

Jean Béliveau

C · MTL

Henrik Sedin

C · VAN

Sidney Crosby

C · PIT

Stan Mikita

C · CHI

Sergei Fedorov

C · DET

Joe Sakic

C · COL

Eric Lindros

C · PHI

Howie Morenz

C · MTL

Marcel Dionne

C · LA

Joe Nieuwendyk

C · CGY

Red Kelly

D/C · TOR

Evgeni Malkin

C · PIT

Patrick Kane

C · CHI

Connor McDavid

C · EDM

Andy Bathgate

C · NYR

Elmer Lach

C · MTL

Bobby Clarke

C · PHI

Ron Francis

C · CAR

Dave Keon

C · TOR

MBMax Bentley

C · CHI

Buddy O'Connor

C · MTL

Billy Burch

C · BOS

Mats Sundin

C · TOR

Steve Yzerman

C · DET

Peter Šťastný

C · COL

Mike Modano

C · DAL

Igor Larionov

C · DET

Pat LaFontaine

C · NYI

Milt Schmidt

C · BOS

Guy Carbonneau

C · MTL

Dale Hawerchuk

C · BUF

Henri Richard

C · MTL

Frank Nighbor

C · TOR

Denis Savard

C · CHI

Joe Thornton

C · SJ

Adam Oates

C · WSH

Darryl Sittler

C · PHI

Bill Cowley

C · BOS

Nels Stewart

C · BOS

Ted Kennedy

C · TOR

Leon Draisaitl

C · EDM

Jean Ratelle

C · BOS

MBMarty Barry

C · DET

Bernie Federko

C · STL

Carl Voss

C · DET

Auston Matthews

C · TOR

Norm Ullman

C · DET

Alex Delvecchio

C · DET

Mickey MacKay

C · BOS

Nathan MacKinnon

C · COL

Duke Keats

C · CHI

Jonathan Toews

C · CHI

Pavel Datsyuk

C · DET

Gilbert Perreault

C · BUF

Jacques Lemaire

C · MTL

Craig Patrick

C · WSH

Jack Adams

C · DET

Syl Apps

C · TOR

Frank Fredrickson

C · BOS

Brad Richards

C · TB

Joe Malone

C · MTL

Patrice Bergeron

C · BOS

Dick Irvin

C · CHI

Ryan O'Reilly

C · COL

Edgar Laprade

C · NYR

Bill Hay

C · CHI

Saku Koivu

C · MTL

George Armstrong

C · TOR

Anže Kopitar

C · LA

Jordan Staal

C · CAR

Vincent Lecavalier

C · TB

Neil Colville

C · NYR

Joe Primeau

C · TOR

Lynn Patrick

C · NYR

Jonathan Marchessault

C · VGK

Rod Brind'Amour

C · CAR

Steven Stamkos

C · TB

Doug Weight

C · EDM

Eric Staal

C · CAR

Pavol Demitra

C · STL

Trevor Linden

C · VAN

Olli Jokinen

C · FLA

Ryan Getzlaf

C · ANA

Nicklas Bäckström

C · WSH

Jeff Carter

C · LA

Patrick Sharp

C · CHI

John Tavares

FW/C · TOR

Jack Eichel

C · VGK

Patrick Marleau

C · SJ

Neal Broten

C · DAL

Leo Komarov

C · NYI

Matt Duchene

C · COL

Bo Horvat

C · VAN

Pierre Turgeon

C · BUF

Ryan Kesler

C · VAN

Top all-time NHL centers — November 2026

See the full top list →

No top list yet this month — your picks and finished rankings start it.

What a face-off is for

Rows can be one against one, two against two, three against three, or uneven, so a whole team can face a single star.

Name the two sides, like two generations, two eras or two rosters, and fill each row with their closest counterparts.

The greatest centers in NHL history, by their honors.

Every pick and every finished ranking here counts toward the top all-time NHL centers for November 2026.

Step by step

Pick how many rows and what mix of matchups to deal.
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