Top 9 all-time NHL centers

The greatest centers in NHL history, by their honours. Pick your top 9 all-time NHL centers, numbered 1 to 9.

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Fill all 9 squares to submit your top 9 (9 left).

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100 to choose from · drag into a square, or tap a tile then a square

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

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About this top 9

A numbered 3×3 of your favourites, best first. Go bigger with a top 16 or top 25.

The greatest centers in NHL history, by their honours.

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

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