It got me thinking about the most important names in U.S. hockey history. I hope you will all indulge me for another blog entry like this.

 

Making a list like this is going to upset someone. I’m not looking for the “10 Best Americans”, or “10 Most Talented Americans”. If you were to make a list of the ten best baseball players of all time, Jackie Robinson wouldn’t be on the list. However, one can’t dispute that he’s one of the top two or three most important.

 

Without further adieu, here’s my list of nominees:

 

Bob Johnson, Herb Brooks, John Mayasich, Chris Chelios, Mike Eruzione, Mike Modano, Jim Craig, Mark Johnson, Neal Broten, Phil Housley, Lou Lamoriello, Dave Peterson, Lou Vairo, Ron Wilson, Ryan Miller, Brian Leetch, John MacInnes, Jeff Sauer, Joe Mullen, Len Ceglarski, Billy Christian, Roger Christian, Bill Wirtz, Hobey Baker and Walter Bush.

 

As great as some of these guys were, many were of “regional” importance. Neal Broten and Phil Housley are immensely popular in Minnesota and both represented their country as hockey players. Their individual successes, however, didn’t necessarily inspire a nation of youngsters. The same can probably be said of Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Mullen.

 

Since hockey in the U.S. has experienced its greatest growth since 1980, men like John MacInnes and John Mayasich probably did little to inspire the last two generations.

 

Dave Peterson, Jeff Sauer, Len Ceglarski, Bill Wirtz and Walter Bush all have contributed a great deal to hockey in the States. Wirtz gained a bad name in Chicago with the Blackhawks struggling for years, though, and questionable business decisions amplified the bad feelings. Peterson, Sauer, Ceglarski and Bush all have made contributions, certainly, but probably don’t make it to the top of the list.

 

That leaves us with Bob Johnson, Herb Brooks, Chris Chelios, Mike Eruzione, Mike Modano, Jim Craig, Mark Johnson, Lou Lamoriello, Ron Wilson, Ryan Miller, Brian Leetch, Hobey Baker and the Christian brothers.

 

At this moment, we can probably take out the Christian brothers. They’re probably best known for the hockey sticks they manufactured in Warroad, MN.

 

Ron Wilson has had a long tenure with USA Hockey as a player and coach, but hasn’t really won anything. We’ll eliminate him.

 

Buffalo goalie Ryan Miller is probably too young. Also, a case could be made that with more people watching the Olympics than NHL, Ray LeBlanc may be better known.

 

Mark Johnson was a tremendous player and is a tremendous coach. He certainly deserves much credit for the success and growth of women’s hockey over the last decade. Despite being, possibly, the best player on the 1980 Olympic team, he doesn’t make the finals.

 

Brian Leetch is a Hall of Famer. However, I don’t know that a generation of kids grew up wanting to be Brian Leetch like they did Orr, Bourque, Coffey or Chelios (perhaps I feel this way because this is a product of my regional bias…take that ESPN).

 

Suddenly, we’re down to Bob Johnson, Herb Brooks, Mike Eruzione, Mike Modano, Jim Craig, Lou Lamoriello, Chris Chelios and Hobey Baker.

 

Craig and Eruzione had their moments 30 years ago. While both are still coveted and popular public speakers, a large group of hockey players wouldn’t know these two men if not for Disney.

 

Lamoriello’s success is as a manager. While he’s a great manager, he isn’t the most important to the history of the game.

 

Modano is the all-time leading scorer among Americans. That’s a testament to his skill and longevity, but he doesn’t make the top.

 

Chelios is revered. He should be. He’s represented his country in countless tournaments, including four Olympics.

 

That leaves us with three: Baker, “Badger” and Brooks.

 

Baker is considered the first American hockey star and his name is on the trophy presented annually to the top college hockey player in the nation. When the Hockey Hall of Fame opened in 1945 in Toronto, Baker was the only American inducted in the first class. Baker is not only important to American hockey, but all of hockey as he’s credited with improving the design of ice skates by discovering that curling up the toe of the skate would allow him to turn and maneuver more effectively than the flat-bladed skates used at the time. Baker would be higher on the list if he played in the last fifty years.

 

So now it’s down to “Badger” Bob and Herbie. I would give the nod to Brooks. The Miracle on Ice is too much to overlook.

 

What do you think and why?

 

Moving on…

 

The new beat writer covering the Predators for “The Tennesseean”, Josh Cooper, has written a nice introduction piece on defenseman Roman Josi. Josi is expected to be in Milwaukee.

 

Check out the brand new website for The Admirals Crew, the official booster club of the Milwaukee Admirals. You can become a member by visiting their table at the Bradley Center outside section 208. This group of people not only helps the Admirals in so many ways, but the entire Milwaukee community. You can find out more at the website, which also features a message board and information about fun road trips and other outings.

 

I leave you with a player that could have been on the list of top Americans had he remained healthy, Henry Boucha.