Top 10 Players In QMJHL History

The Halifax Chronicle Herald's Willy Palov took it upon himself to name the top 10 players ever to play in the QMJHL. The list is predictable, but confusing.

The list is topped, of course, by Mario Lemieux and Guy Lafleur. The author raves about their short tenures in the Q, and how they tore apart the record book.

But then Palov names Patrick Roy the third best QMJHL player ever. I have an issue with that. He very well may be one of the top 3 QMJHL graduates ever, but his time spent in Granby does not merit such a high placing amongst the QMJHL's best. Sure he was a star goalie on a terrible team, and there has never been a better graduate, but in QMJHL history there have been greater accomplishments.

You can see where I'm puzzled - the article starts off trumpeting the great seasons in QMJHL history, but suddenly there's too much emphasis on Roy's NHL career at #3. Is this list the top QMJHL players of all time, or the top QMJHL graduates?

The confusion continues at #4, where Sidney Crosby places. I have no problem with his back-to-back Canadian Major Junior Player of the Year award seasons landing him this high, but if this a list of top QMJHL graduates, its a little to premature to place Crosby this high already. We know he's the real deal, but lets give him a few more years anyways.

Crosby out ranks Mike Bossy, Ray Bourque, Denis Savard, Pat Lafontaine, Martin Brodeur, Dale Hawerchuk and Luc Robitaille (the last two tied for 10th place). What about guys who never made it to the NHL like Stephane Lebeau or Patrice Lefebvre, or even big name alumni like Pierre Larouche or Real Cloutier?

By the way, the picture above is of Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy. Pretty sweet stuff!