Hah, thats funny. I was thinking of that exact line when I read the article, but technically its not an NHL team line. As a canucks fan it was good to see Bure and Almo playing on the same team, kinda wish feds was there, but captain canuck was pretty dam good too.

Posted by damji on 08/10/09 at 09:18 AM ET

It says something about us that more ink has been spilled over a Sidney Crosby birthday in Nova Scotia than on tributes to three of the greatest NHL stars of the past two decades.

Ohhh wonderful.  Yet another blogger, who in only a three paragraph rant, is able to somehow blame Sidney Crosby for the non-media-blitz of Federov leaving the NHL for more money in the KHL.

Personally i feel that the piece-of-shit cash-for-clunkers program boils down to being Crosby’s fault also.  Hell the entire economic downturn is his fault.

Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 08/10/09 at 10:54 AM ET

One other thing Tom, I would argue the most talented line was Lemieux, Jagr, Francis.

Posted by Gretzky_to_Lemieux on 08/10/09 at 11:05 AM ET

Ohhh wonderful.  Yet another blogger, who in only a three paragraph rant, is able to somehow blame Sidney Crosby for the non-media-blitz of Federov leaving the NHL for more money in the KHL.

Some of us have a sense of tradition that extend beyond our own teams--not that I blame you for blocking out substantial portions of Penguins history. There was Lemieux and the early 90s, then some other stuff happened that you don’t really like to talk about, then you lost your way into two no-brainer first round picks and suddenly the Penguins are the best thing going, and so now you feel you have the right to take a dump on those who argue that, well, maybe there are more significant hockey stories out there than what flavor Siddy chose for his birthday cake.

Personally, I agree with Benjamin--perhaps on even a wider scale. A generation of great players are riding into the sunset; it’d be great to see more coverage on the subject--specifically, looking at how the game has changed through the lens of these players’ careers. It might actually be of interest to someone outside the Penguins’ fan base.

Posted by Bio on 08/10/09 at 11:15 AM ET

Personally, I agree with Benjamin--perhaps on even a wider scale. A generation of great players are riding into the sunset

Um.... No. They’re leaving for the KHL actually. Big difference. And it sure seems to me like it should be that teams responsibility to celebrate the players who are leaving, not the NHLs. When Jagr actually retires, his number will probably be retired by the Pens, and they’ll celebrate him. When Federov actually retires, I’m sure people in Detroit will celebrate him in some way, but they haven’t yet retired, so what do you want us to do? Throw a funeral service for a man in a nursing home? Doesn’t sound right to me.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 08/10/09 at 11:25 AM ET

A generation of great players are riding into the sunset; it’d be great to see more coverage on the subject--specifically, looking at how the game has changed through the lens of these players’ careers.

This would be a great series for the NHL to make, especially considering how retiring Russian legends had to escape their countries to help their hockey careers. And life has changed so much since then.

I used to trade to get Mogilny and Bure on the Wings to play with Steve Y, Federov and Lidstrom; that was one hell of a unit. NHL 95 FTW!

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:29 AM ET

And they aren’t covering Crosby because its his birthday, they’re doing it because it was his day with the cup. They cover every players day with the cup. They do it every season. Last season we got to see Zetterberg and Datsyuk and all those guys with the cup too, its nothing new.

But please, don’t let me stop you from blaming the Penguins and Crosby for things completely out of their control. May the bashing continue!!!

Posted by Kstewy16 on 08/10/09 at 11:31 AM ET

They’re leaving for the KHL actually. Big difference.

Who are you talking about? Bure and Mogilny went away silently and Tom B thinks that’s a shame. And Bio thinks a number of other players have also been discarded like that. The NHL is missing an opportunity to humanize its players, the global origins of which, only Cricket and Soccer can match. Makes sense to me.

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:33 AM ET

It says something about us that more ink has been spilled over a Sidney Crosby birthday in Nova Scotia than on tributes to three of the greatest NHL stars of the past two decades.

That’s the line that ostensibly “blames” Crosby and/or the Pens. Point out the blame for me. It reads more like a self-indictment, “says something about *us*”

But don’t let reading skills get in the way…

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:36 AM ET

Who are you talking about?

I agree that guys like Bure and Mogilny should be celebrated, since they’ve actually retired. And again, that should be on the teams that they played for and the fans of those teams, don’t blame the NHL. But the article and the comments also noted guys like Federov and Jagr. They didn’t “ride of into the sunset” they rode off into a giant contract with the KHL.

If this guy wants to celebrate Bure and Mogilny, write a frickin blog about it instead of complaining about Sidney Crosby. Oh wait, thats right, complaining about Crosby gets you views.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 08/10/09 at 11:37 AM ET

Read Bio’s comment for the blaming Sidney Crosby.

Posted by Kstewy16 on 08/10/09 at 11:38 AM ET

By James Mirtle on Aug 9, 2009

I’m really surprised guys like Jagr and Fedorov didn’t get much of a send off when they went overseas… I guess there really must be something to fans and/or media having less of a connection to the European stars?

That’s Mirtle on Jagr and Feds. He acknowledges that they went to the KHL and uses our relative silence on the point to question our connection to European players. That too seems valid. And why wouldn’t the NHL want to somehow document/ commemorate great players who changed the game and have seen the game (and the world) change so drastically. We look for those insights form Howe, Lindsay, Richard and others; I would love to know what Terrible Ted thought about his time in the NHL just after he retired; that would an amazing document.

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:42 AM ET

maybe there are more significant hockey stories out there than what flavor Siddy chose for his birthday cake.

That’s the closest that Bio comes to “blaming” Crosby and it’s in the larger context of putting down Gretzky_to_Lemeiux’s sense of history and grandiosity.

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:46 AM ET

I’m relieved that Crosby doesn’t seem to have the same martyr complex that his fans have for him.  He’s the most recognizable name in hockey, his name is going to be brought up as an example like that.  Get the hell over it already.  I’m sure the little golden boy is fine without you having to defend him every time somebody does something so blasphemous as not anoint him hockey’s savior.

For the Lemieux-Jagr-Francis line argument, there’s some real merit there.  However, I still think that Bure-Mogilny-Fedorov is a better line.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 08/10/09 at 12:07 PM ET

Did KLM ever suit up in North America?  I’m sure that they could have given them a run for their money as the best Russian line to suit up in NA.

I’ll take Gretz-Mario-Goulet in ‘87 or Gretz-Lafleur-Perreault in ‘81…

Posted by WingInTO from Toronto on 08/10/09 at 12:46 PM ET

maybe there are more significant hockey stories out there than what flavor Siddy chose for his birthday cake.

That’s the closest that Bio comes to “blaming” Crosby and it’s in the larger context of putting down Gretzky_to_Lemeiux’s sense of history and grandiosity.

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 11:46 AM ET

Exactly. I think it was reasonably clear that I was not “blaming” Crosby personally.

Posted by Bio on 08/10/09 at 01:11 PM ET

Did KLM ever suit up in North America?  I’m sure that they could have given them a run for their money as the best Russian line to suit up in NA.

I’ll take Gretz-Mario-Goulet in ‘87 or Gretz-Lafleur-Perreault in ‘81…

I was thinking of KLM too. Man, I wish they made a retro game like they do for the NBA and boxing where you can play with all the old greats. Correction, all the *World’s* greats.

Posted by Osrt on 08/10/09 at 01:38 PM ET

I was thinking of KLM too. Man, I wish they made a retro game like they do for the NBA and boxing where you can play with all the old greats. Correction, all the *World’s* greats.

Maybe if EA would put a half-decent effort into the NHL franchise rather than 50-dollar a year roster updates…

At least, that’s what it’s felt like on the PC revisions.  Not sure about the consoles, but I digress…

Posted by WingInTO from Toronto on 08/10/09 at 01:42 PM ET

I think it was the Sharks who tried to reunite the KLM Line but it didn’t really take off like they did in the Soviet Union.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 08/10/09 at 02:57 PM ET

Kstewy16 - you’re dead on.

bure ended on bad knees, he was celebrated.  Mogilny was sent to the minors, he was celebrated.  Jagr and Fedorov took the money and ran...most these blogs are NHL current, so of course they’re not going to cover the competition for fear of losing whatever privileges they’re given at their home rinks.  And who can blame them…

Posted by Greg on 08/10/09 at 04:00 PM ET

Immediately for me and after just viewing it this week on The NHL Network, I think of The LA Kings line of Gilbert Dionne,Dave Taylor and Charlie Simmer.

Other notables:

The KLM Line, Kharlamov-Larionov-Markhorov

Gary Roberts-Joe Nieuwyndyk-Theo Fleury

Recchi-Janney-Neely

Francis-Lemieux-Jagr

Posted by Chris from LI, NY on 08/10/09 at 04:20 PM ET

oops..

Recchi Janney and Neely didnt hookup, but it wouldve been niiiiice...LOL

Posted by Chris from LI, NY on 08/10/09 at 04:24 PM ET

I could be wrong, but didn’t Kevin Stevens play on the line with Lemeiux and Jagr.  I thought Ron Francis centered the second line with the Penguins (except maybe special teams).  Even still, that was one hell of a line.

I thought Abel, Lindsay and Howe were pretty good, too.

Posted by mike from detroit on 08/10/09 at 05:10 PM ET

No one line can be termed the “best”, but the “Trio Grande” line of Trottier-Bossy-Gillies is certainly one of the best.

Trottier - HOF, Calder, Art Ross, Hart, Conn Smythe, 6 Stanley Cups, one more as a coach

Bossy - HOF, Calder, Conn Smythe, 4 Stanley Cups, 3-time Lady Byng, 9 straight seasons 50 or more goals, 573 goals total in 10-year 752-game career, career, 5 First-Team All-Star Selections

Gillies - HOF, 4 Stanley Cups, 2 First Team All-Star Selections, 6 30-goal seasons, 1023 PIM, one of the most feared fighters ever to play in NHL

Posted by Islesfan on 08/10/09 at 05:22 PM ET

Fedorov, Bure, Mogilny were a great Junior line...but if you go through the years i bet you could find 5 lines from Canada that had better NHLers on that…

I’d pick Nash, heatley and Getzlaf last year at the Worlds over Fedorov, Bure and Mogilny in Junior.

it’s a great article to get a discussion going, but a tough one to get a definitive answer on. 

mine would be - Gretzky, Kurri and anyone else.

Posted by greg on 08/10/09 at 05:26 PM ET