What NHL archetypes are there? We examined the history of hockey to figure out the different types of NHL players and what they bring to the table.
There are a variety of different responsibilities and styles that players undertake to make the team as efficient as possible. Let’s delve into the most common archetypes and NHL players of all time that best represent each skill set!
Enforcer
Although the hockey enforcer role has dissipated over the last decade, there is still a place for them on NHL teams. Enforcers are primarily responsible for protecting the star players on the roster. They are tough, physical, and not scared to drop the gloves and fight on moment’s notice!
Typically, enforcers are large in stature, but this isn’t always the case. As an outlier, Tie Domi was only 5’10” and roughly 200 pounds and still held his own.
However, as a general rule, enforcers are big, strong, and finish their body checks. They are not known for purely hockey qualities, but there are rare exceptions.
Due to player safety and concussion education, fighting has been reduced considerably in the NHL. As a result, the enforcer archetype has been on the way out over the last decade.
There are still some enforcers, though, including the Maple Leafs’ Ryan Reaves, Rangers’ Matt Rempe, and Devils’ Kurtis MacDermid.
Best All-Time NHL Enforcers:
Bob Probert – Windsor, ON, native Bob Probert is the most revered fighter in NHL history. He fought an incredible 246 times in 16 seasons between his career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks. There wasn’t a challenger that Probert shied away from during his lengthy NHL career.
He was more than just a fighter, as Probert is the exception to the “enforcers can’t score” reputation. Probert scored 29 goals and 33 assists in 1987-88. He finished with 163 goals, 221 assists, and 3,330 penalty minutes!
Tragically, Probert passed at 48 years old while boating with his family on Lake St. Clair in 2010.
Georges Laraque – Best known for his role as an enforcer with the Edmonton Oilers in the 2000s, George Laraque’s career blossomed when Probert was nearing the end of his career.
Unlike “Probie”, Laraque would do his business with a smile on his face and without what you would consider a mean streak. Probert did not pretend to be a “nice” guy on the ice.
The Montreal native concluded his NHL career in 2009-10 with 53 goals, 100 assists, and 1,126 penalty minutes.
Sniper
Snipers, also regarded as proficient goal scorers, are the most dangerous offensive players on the ice. Whether it’s a slap shot or quick release with a wrist shot, snipers always have a chance to score when the puck touches their tape.
They are usually the high-scoring players on most teams. There are all-around, elite hockey players capable of doing it all. However, they aren’t quite known for being pure scorers like this group.
Similar to a sharpshooter in the NBA, snipers can score from anywhere on the ice. They are incredibly accurate shooters who put fear into any goaltender in the NHL! One current player is among the best snipers in NHL history.
We often feature the best snipers in the league in our free NHL player props, as they are deadly on the ice.
Best All-Time NHL Snipers:
Alexander Ovechkin – The “Great 8” will go down as one of the most prolific goal scorers in NHL history. The Washington Capitals’ Alexander Ovechkin is on pace to break the league record for most goals scored. Currently, Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 894 goals. Today, you can bet on Ovechkin’s props at NHL betting sites.
Gretzky passed Gordie Howe in 1994, and the record has held for 30 years! With Ovechkin at 854 goals, he will likely become the new goal scorer record-holder before retiring.
There aren’t any limitations to Ovechkin’s scoring ability. “Ovi” can score from anywhere, but you can typically find him on the power play at the top of the circle waiting on a one-timer! Opponents know what’s coming, but they rarely can do much about it.
Brett Hull – Nobody could pick a corner quite like Brett Hull in his NHL career. Best known for his time with the St. Louis Blues from 1987-88 to 1997-98, Hull recorded 740 goals, 650 assists, and 1,391 points in a 19-year career that concluded in 2006.
Nearly two decades after he hung up the skates, Hull is still regarded as one of the best NHL snipers of all time. His sharp stick led to his induction into the NHL Hall of Fame in 2009!
Playmaker
Playmakers are regarded as the most important component of the offense. While they are expected to score goals, playmakers also have the responsibility of setting up plays and keeping the puck moving.
Snipers aren’t inherently the best passers on the team, but playmakers must have a keen ability to find their teammates. Additionally, playmakers have an uncanny ability to predict things on the ice before they happen. The hockey IQ of playmakers is tops in the league.
Being a playmaker requires unrivaled skating and puck-handling skills on the ice. Everything put together, it’s a rare talent that only the elite players can reach during their careers. Every team needs a playmaker or two to compete for the Stanley Cup.
Best All-Time NHL Playmakers:
Wayne Gretzky – Referred to as the best hockey player to ever lace up the skates, Wayne Gretzky is the top playmaker in NHL history. The nine-time Hart Trophy winner is repeatedly on the list for the best player overall. You aren’t going to find many people who disagree with this assessment.
“The Great One” has multiple records that could stand forever. While Ovechkin is catching Gretzky’s goal record; other records are highly unlikely to be touched. For example, Gretzky’s 2,857 points will stand the test of time.
Throughout his Hall of Fame career with the Edmonton Oilers, LA Kings, St. Louis Blues, and New York Rangers, he collected 894 goals, 1,963 assists, and an insane +/- rating of +520!
Mario Lemieux – Before Sidney Crosby led the Pittsburgh Penguins to three Stanley Cups, Mario Lemieux had already etched his name in franchise lore. Lemieux was a consummate professional for his 17-year career — all of which were in Pittsburgh.
Lemieux had the rare talent to predict plays before they happened. He was always in the right place at the time because of his ability to find the right spot.
For a 6’4”, 230-pound forward, Lemieux’s playmaking skills were impeccable. In addition to winning three Hart Trophy awards, “Super Mario” scored the most goals in the league on six occasions!
If he had a healthy career, Lemieux’s numbers would have been even larger than the 690 goals, 1,033 assists, and 1,723 points he retired with in 2005-06.
Offensive Defenseman
Defensemen are the last line of defense on the ice before the goaltender. They are assigned to clear the puck out of the defensive zone to open up the offense. However, there are select defensemen who love to jump in the rush or have a knack for being playmakers on the blue line.
It’s a difficult task to ask of defensemen, but some players go above the call of duty and are excellent offensive facilitators. Offensive defensemen require a strong and accurate shot to have success. Most of their goals come from the top of the point, so a great shot is a requirement.
Also, knowing when to shoot or pass is an important trait. Defensemen are expected to be superior passers. They tend to work the puck around in the offensive zone, but defensemen with an offensive sense know when to creep up and take more chances close to the crease.
Best All-Time NHL Offensive Defensemen:
Bobby Orr – There isn’t any question that Bobby Orr is the undisputed top offensive defenseman of all time in the NHL. He could do everything and anything with the puck on his stick. Orr was constantly crashing the crease and could have easily found success in his career as a forward.
If you ask Don Cherry, Orr is the best player to ever play in the NHL. Cherry coached Orr in the 1970s and saw firsthand how he could change a hockey game.
Orr finished his NHL career with 270 goals, 645 assists, and 915 points. He recorded an insane +/- rating of +582. Orr’s +124 in 1970-71 still stands as the highest in NHL history!
Paul Coffey – Orr is in a league and category of his own, but offensive defenseman Paul Coffey deserves recognition. Coffey spent 21 seasons in the NHL — most of which were in Edmonton from 1980-81 to 1986-87.
Coffey is second in NHL history with 396 goals as a defenseman. Only Ray Borque has more with 410, but Coffey did it in more than 200 fewer games. He also finished with an incredible 1,135 assists during his career.
The Toronto native was never known as the best in the defensive zone, but his playmaking as a defenseman will always be remembered.
Lockdown Defenseman
The lockdown defensemen NHL archetype are special players who don’t allow forwards to win battles often. They use a combination of physicality, stick skills, positioning, and intelligence to force takeaways to change the time of possession.
In addition to being a goaltender’s best friend in preventing goals, they are elite puck movers who can start counter rushes for their team. Winning battles in the corners and in front of the goal is paramount for lockdown defense in the NHL!
Best All-Time NHL Lockdown Defensemen:
Nicklas Lindstrom – Detroit Red Wings’ legend Nicklas Lindstrom will forever rank among the best defensemen to ever step on the ice. He played 20 seasons with the Red Wings and was captain for the final six years. In 2008, Lindstrom became the first European captain to win a Stanley Cup.
His numbers are in all-time elite territory or defensemen. The Swede registered 264 goals, 1,142 assists, and a robust +/- mark of +450.
Larry Robinson – No other player in NHL history has a higher +/- rating than former Canadiens’ defenseman Larry Robinson. Throughout his 20-year career, Robinson logged 208 goals, 750 assists, 958 points, and an unprecedented +722 +/-. It’s also worth noting that Robinson recorded 144 points in 227 playoff games.
He finished his playing career with six Stanley Cups from 1973 to 1986, and then added three more as a coach. A savvy hockey mind and a monster of a defenseman at 6’4”, 225 pounds, Robinson’s contributions go far beyond stats and numbers.
Two-Way Forward
The best teams in the NHL have two-way forwards who can make plays on both ends of the ice. Two-way players are effective in the offensive zone, but they also play a big role defensively. They are elite forecheckers and then have the speed to get back and help defend against opposing forwards.
Players that fit into the two-way forward archetype can score, make plays, and then get back on defense. It requires incredible stamina and skill to be able to excel offensively to dominate forwards and create takeaways. The NHL introduced the Selke Trophy in 1977-78 to honor the top defensive forward of the year.
The recently retired Patrice Bergeron holds the record for the most Selke Trophy honors with six. However, two other forwards come in just ahead of Bergeron who best describes the two-way forward NHL archetype.
Best All-Time NHL Two-Way Forwards:
Pavel Datsyuk – Known as the “Magic Man”, Pavel Datsyuk was a magician with the puck on his stick. However, he was just as much of a threat on the puck as he was off it during his NHL career, which spanned from 2001 to 2016.
Datsyuk had incredible puck-handling skills, most notably showcased on breakaways. It directly translated to his poke-checking ability defensively. If Datsyuk was around, protecting the puck or finding an open player before he was in the vicinity was important for opponents.
Datsyuk won three Selke’s and four Lady Byng’s during his career, which included two Stanley Cups in 2002 and 2008. The dominant two-way Russian forward finished his NHL career with 314 goals, 604 assists, and 604 assists. He was an impressive +34 with 113 points in the playoffs.
Sergei Fedorov – While Bergeron makes sense here, another Red Wings superstar was the true definition of a two-way forward. How many forwards in NHL history could have gone on the blue line and won Norris Trophies? Datsyuk’s fellow countryman, Sergei Fedorov, surely would have been a candidate for the top defenseman in the league.
Fedorov is remembered for his dynamic scoring ability and quick release. He was a big forward who wasn’t afraid to go into the corners and fight for loose pucks. That includes on the defensive side. Before being surpassed by Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin, Fedorov led all Russian players in points.
When the Red Wings were in a bind in the 1990s on defense, Fedorov would line up as a defenseman. He also played on the blue line briefly during his short tenure with the Anaheim Ducks. The member of the “Russian Five” was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
Power Forward
Although power forwards don’t have the versatility of two-way forwards, they are critical to teams in the offensive zone. They are tough as nails and as strong as an ox. Winning one-on-one battles and creating scoring chances is the name of the game for power forwards.
They have enforcer tendencies but are also well above-average offensive playmakers. Power forwards need to have a blend of strong forechecking skills, goalscoring around the crease, and not be scared to get physical.
Power forwards don’t search out fights like enforcers but are tough enough to strike fear into opponents interested in dropping the gloves. Above all else, however, power forwards are strong players who are a load for defensemen to handle in front of the crease and corners.
Best All-Time NHL Power Forwards:
Gordie Howe – “Mr. Hockey” has a good argument for being one of the best players ever in the NHL. With a 26-year career in the NHL, Gordie Howe didn’t officially retire until he was 52 years old! He did all of this as one of the most feared power forwards to ever grace a hockey arena.
Howe was a 23-time NHL All-Star who won six MVP awards and four Stanley Cups! The Floral, Saskatchewan, native scored 801 goals, 1,049 assists, and 1,850 points. He rightfully earned the moniker “Mr. Hockey” for his grit and pure strength on the ice. Getting him off the puck was a chore only a select few could manage.
How many hockey players have an international bridge named after them? Set to open in 2025, Howe has that honor with the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Canada and the US.
Cam Neely – There aren’t many players who could take over a game physically like Cam Neely. He hit hard and was one of the best in the league in forcing takeaways in the offensive zone. The rare combination of raw power and an eye for the back of the net makes Neely the perfect power forward.
Neely finished with 395 goals, 299 assists, and 694 points. He spent three seasons in Vancouver before a ten-year career from 1986-87 to 1995-96 with the Boston Bruins. Neely was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2005 and is currently the president of the Boston Bruins organization.
All-Around Elite Talent
There are only a handful of players who belong in this NHL archetype. This is reserved for the most elite athletes to ever play in the NHL. These are hockey players who can do whatever the head coach asks of them.
Whether they need to set up a goal, be a defensive force, or pure goal scorer, that’s all in a day’s work for an all-around player. Two players who are in a class of their own come to mind when you think about the most elite, all-around talents in NHL history.
Best All-Around Elite NHL Players:
Wayne Gretzky – Gretzky broke 61 records during his NHL career — 58 of which he still holds today. Although Ovechkin is reeling in the all-time goal record, many of Gretzky’s records will never be broken. He was elite in just about every facet of the game and deserves to be recognized as such.
Bobby Orr – Number 4 was a defenseman, but you wouldn’t know it by watching him play hockey. Orr was always there to do whatever his team needed.
If he had to take the initiative and go coast to coast from one end of the ice to the other, he would without any hesitation. No one was stopping him, nor would any of his teammates oppose Orr.
However, when the Bruins needed brute force in the defensive zone or a shot blocked, Orr was there to put his body on the line. Gretzky might be the best hockey player of all time, but there is an argument to be made that Orr is the most complete player.
