Wow…tough decision.  You could make a case for any of those guys.

Posted by Geno71 on 09/01/10 at 09:20 AM ET

Modano and Chelios should be the top two based on the body of work. Both guys were/are really quite durable, have long careers, and produced at an elite level for their position for a long time.

For me, the wild cards are LaFontaine and Richter. Both had their careers end way too early due to injury. They were still among the best when they were playing, so you could make a case that with the healthy of a Modano or Chelios, they would’ve gone on to have even better careers.

Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 09/01/10 at 10:46 AM ET

and both were red wings….

Posted by callmedrw on 09/01/10 at 10:55 AM ET

I voted Richter, because the question was vague and IMO no one player was more important to any big Team USA success than Richter was to that World Cup gold win.  While the Miracle On Ice is memorable, honestly the World Cup Gold and this past Olympic silver might be the biggest moments for Team USA in their history because both were the country’s best beating everyone else’s absolute best.

Posted by Primis on 09/01/10 at 11:43 AM ET

So, I thought it came down to these four guys, and I cherry picked some statistics for judging them. 

Chelios
* 3 Stanley Cups (2 more finals)
* 3 Norris Trophies
* Led the league in plus/minus on an average Red Wings team in 2001-2002 (okay, kidding)
* Played in 11 all-star games
* Best season: 15 G and 58 A for 73 Pts, +35 in 1989-90
* Represented USA 11 times in major international tournaments

Modano
* 1 Stanley Cup
* .93 pts/gm in reg season, .83 pts/gm in playoffs
* Played in 8 all-star games
* Best season: 50 G, 43 A for 93 Pts in 1993-94
* Represented USA 11 times in major international tournaments

Roenick
* 513 G, 703A, 1216 Pts,
* .89 pts/gm reg season, .72 pts per game in the playoffs
*Played in 9 all-star games
*Best season: 48 G, 72 A for 130 pts in 1998-99
* Represented USA 6 times in major international tournaments

Lafontaine
* 468 G, 545 A, 1013 Pts
* 1.17 pts/gm reg season, .9 pts/gm playoffs
* Played in 5 all-star games
* Best season: 53 G, 95 A for 148 Pts

Out of these players, I feel that Chelios was the top USA player by virtue of his NHL resume.  He was among the best in the world at his position for a very long time, and the sheer amount of international play for Chelios is also representative of his status as top American talent for nearly two decades.  In second, I’ll put Modano as he edged out Roenick in almost all categories I considered (most notably winning a Cup).

However, I do feel that Lafontaine would earn the distinction of “Top USA player” had he played longer.  He only played 22 or fewer games in three of his last five seasons, and his best season came the year before injuries truly began plaguing him.

I realize I may have overlooked Richter.  If Top USA player is defined as most valuable to the USA teams they played on, Richter would be difficult to argue against.  However, I focused on their NHL play, as that represents the majority of a player’s career.

Posted by pomthillips from Ann Arbor, Michigan on 09/01/10 at 11:52 AM ET

Tough, tough call but I’ll go with Chelios.  No one is more associated with Team USA Hockey more than him…so much so that he was named Team USA Hockey Captain three times.

Posted by SYF from the bottom of my, what, 11teenth pint of Guinness? on 09/01/10 at 12:42 PM ET

Everyone forgot Joe Mullen? His “resume” might not be as laden with individual awards but he set the stage for future American players. I know he is a near contemporary with Chelios, but Mullen broke open the gates for forwards. First American to 500 goals and 1,000 pts.

(Rooting for the little guy!)

Posted by Osrt on 09/01/10 at 01:27 PM ET