Top 12 Veteran Players in the National Hockey League at the moment –Part 1
Over the years, the National Hockey League (NHL) might have been considered being a game for the younger players who would undoubtedly come after being drafted and overshadow some of the more experienced and veteran teammates, but there are some players,
who despite their age are merciless in regards to their performance.
Age is always a factor with performance, but some players remain on the top of their game as they get older and much wiser. Steven Stamkos might be a top scorer in the league at the moment, Henrik Sedin along with Daniel Sedin might have led their team,
Vancouver Canucks, to a Stanley Cup Final, but who really took home that championship, a team full of veterans.
No matter how old a player might be, maintaining that same level of dedication and motivation which a person carries from day one till the day he retires is really what distinguishes a player from a legend. It is all about the passion in the end which really
and definitely makes the difference.
Listing the top 12 veteran players in the NHL up until now, who are still playing as overpoweringly as they were when they first got drafted, the picture we are trying to portray will get a lot clearer.
The following list is not for ranking purposes, but more of just honourable mentions.
Tim Thomas (Goalie, Boston Bruins)
Without a doubt, Tim Thomas can easily be considered the best over 35 player in the league at the moment. The 37-year-old goalie from Boston Bruins, single handed, led his team to their first Stanley Cup championship in over 40 years.
Boston was up against tough competition throughout the postseason as they came face-to-face with a rowdy Tampa Bay Lightning team, but Thomas managed to narrow them out in a close game-seven series.
Facing off against the top team in the league, Vancouver Canucks, during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, it was certain that Boston would face defeat, as Vancouver was more pumped up than ever and were looking for their first championship in franchise history.
Thomas pulled through again against Roberto Luongo and lost only nine games during the entire postseason out of 25, while maintaining a save percentage of .940 and 1.98 goals against average.
Emerging as an NHL regular after the age of 31, Tim Thomas has established himself as the best in the world when it comes to securing the net.
Nicklas Lidstrom (Defenseman, Detroit Red Wings)
It can easily be said that Nicklas Lidstrom is the best player in the NHL at the age of 41 and above the 40 category in general. The veteran defenseman plays like a young attacker while defending his end of the ice equally well.
During last season, Lidstrom remained one of the most consistent players in the league, playing all 82 games and registering a blistering 62 points (16 goals, 46 assists). While most players consider retiring before reaching the age of anywhere near 40,
Lidstrom still remains fresh as a newly picked draft.
Drafted as the 53rd overall pick during the 1989 NHL Entry Draft, Lidstrom boasts a 19 season career, and even better, he has never missed the playoffs, which makes him one of a kind player.
The only way to blank Lidstrom is to ask him how it feels to end a regular season without making the playoffs.
To be continued in part 2.......
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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