Best since Gretz: Introducing our list of the top NHLers of the last 25 years

Editions of theScore's Eras project counted down the top 25 performers of the past 25 years in the NBA, MLB, the NFL, and the Olympics.

This week, we rank the best players of the NHL's last quarter century, which began in 1999-00, the first season of Wayne Gretzky's retirement.

He kneeled, steadied his adrenaline-filled body, straightened for the camera, and then felt a stream of supportive pats and tugs on his shoulder pads as shutters clicked nearby. That's when it seemed to hit him - the greatest hockey player ever could no longer fight off his emotions on April 18, 1999.

"It's OK, Wayne, we all have a tear. You deserve it," legendary broadcaster Bob Cole said in a whisper, while Aerosmith's power ballad "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" played on the arena speakers.

A chapter in NHL history closed in that moment. The Great One - holder then and now of dozens of league records, including most career goals (894), assists (1,963), and points (2,857) - was spent, ready to retire at age 38, after a two-decade run as the sport's face. Gretzky's No. 99, fittingly the highest a player could go on the jersey number chart, would never be worn again.

Today's NHL is almost unrecognizable to the one Gretzky left behind.

So much of that change can be traced back to the 2004-05 lockout, the first and only time a labor dispute wiped out a full season of major North American pro sports. On the other side of the contentious negotiations and lost year was the unveiling of a salary-cap system and modernized on-ice product.

The elimination of the two-line pass rule decreased stoppages of play and increased risk-taking. The penalization of obstructive behavior like hooking and interference led to additional power-play opportunities and action that flowed at a faster pace. The trimming of goalie equipment asked netminders to be more athletic and gave shooters more open space to aim for.

The NHL and NHL Players' Association bet on speed, skill, and goals; on showcasing tantalizing talent and not hiding it in plain sight. They've been rewarded over the past 25 years, for the most part. That first post-lockout season coincided with the debuts of Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, who together essentially filled the GOAT-sized hole created by 99's departure.

The NHL, which threw away half of 2012-13 thanks to another labor dispute, is a $6-billion business featuring three-on-three overtime and lacrosse-style goals. It's staged outdoor games in various climates, embraced the sports analytics revolution, and begun to let individual personalities and skill sets sell the game. The franchise tally is up to 32, with the Minnesota Wild, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vegas Golden Knights, and Seattle Kraken all joining the league, and Winnipeg and Utah welcoming clubs from Atlanta and Arizona, respectively.

This series celebrates the 25 greatest players of the post-Gretzky era.

We examined the full body of work for more than 50 deserving forwards, defensemen, and goalies before settling on our top-25 list and ranking. We weighed the strength and length of a player's peak years; his overall longevity in an unforgiving sport; his individual awards and accolades; his team's successes and failures; and his influence on the NHL and hockey at large.

It's important to note that international competition and seasons played before 1999-00 were not part of our evaluation process. That's why Joe Sakic and Steve Yzerman - Hall of Fame captains who left an indelible mark on this era - didn't make our final list. Too much of their storied careers, similar to Jaromir Jagr's, had already passed. (Conversely, Cale Makar's phenomenal career, only five years old, started at least two seasons too late.)

"Greatness" was an extremely high bar to clear in this exercise.

Scott Niedermayer, Jonathan Toews, Drew Doughty, Leon Draisaitl, and Tim Thomas are five players who narrowly missed our top 25. Niedermayer, with his four Cups, Conn Smythe and Norris Trophies, and three All-Star selections in 10 eligible seasons, is our unofficial 26th guy. If the blue-liner started his career in, say, 1998 and not 1992, and spent more of it in the post-Gretzky era, he no doubt would have bumped somebody out.

The NHL's arguably in a golden age, with the primes of Connor McDavid and his peers crossing over with some all-timers. These 25 players, unveiled every day this week in groups of five, helped pave the way for the current generation; are currently leading the charge; or, in the cases of Crosby and Ovechkin, have been relevant and influential for the entirety of a long career. - John Matisz

Era teams: New York Islanders 1999-2000; Florida Panthers 2000-06, 2014-19; Vancouver Canucks 2006-14

Signature performance: Luongo's playoff debut on April 11, 2007 set the tone for his dramatic, marvelous Canucks tenure. His 72 saves, tied for fourth on the NHL's single-game leaderboard, keyed a 5-4 home victory over the Stars in a 138-minute marathon.

Vancouver fans serenaded the goaltender with "Louuuu" chants before the Sedin brothers - Luongo's future Hall of Fame classmates - finally connected on the winning goal late in the fourth overtime. Luongo's .950 save percentage in the series helped the Canucks advance in seven while kickstarting their eventual climb to Stanley Cup contention.

Why he's here: Luongo was a colorful character and an elite goalie. His popular, self-deprecating X account - @strombone1 joked about shots he let in and championships he didn't win - made people laugh but downplayed his aptitude in the crease.

The Montreal native faced and stopped a ton of rubber. Luongo ranks second behind Martin Brodeur in all-time appearances (1,044) and saves (28,409). His elite .919 career denial rate outpaces those of his peers - Brodeur (.912), Marc-Andre Fleury (.912), and Patrick Roy (.910) - in the 1,000-game club.

Luongo played at least 72 games for four straight years in the mid-2000s to establish himself as a workhorse. The weakness of Florida's defense forced him to make the third- and fourth-most saves (2,303, 2,275) in an NHL season, trailing two of Gump Worsley's efforts during the Original Six era.

The best netminder for two franchises, Luongo shone on opposite coasts in very different markets, elevating lackluster Panthers teams that struggled mightily to score before his stacked Canucks squads flirted with Stanley Cup glory. The crushing end to the Canucks-Bruins matchup ignited a riot, but Luongo became one of seven goalies with multiple shutouts in a Cup Final when he blanked Boston in Games 1 and 5 in 2011.

His return to Florida helped that team become competent. Luongo made 60 starts at age 36 and united with Jagr, Florida's 43-year-old top scorer, to guide the 2015-16 Panthers to a historic 100-point season and division title. It didn't boost him in this ranking, but Luongo finally got his Cup in 2024 as a club executive. - Nick Faris

Era teams: Toronto Maple Leafs 2016-present

Signature performance: Matthews is a transcendent talent who's developed a habit of overwhelming the opposition. In eight seasons, he's registered 13 hat tricks and collected four or more points on 16 different occasions.

Amazingly, it's Matthews' grand entrance that holds up as his most stunning performance. On Oct. 12, 2016, a few months removed from being the top pick on draft night, Matthews became the first player in the modern era to score four goals in an NHL debut. He literally skated circles around Senators forwards and defensemen while solving goalie Craig Anderson with the ease of a 15-year sniper. The prolific display proved to be a warning shot.

Why he's here: Matthews has scored 368 goals in 562 games. Ovechkin, who enters the 2024-25 season 41 goals behind Gretzky's all-time mark, potted 341 in the first 562 games of his career.

That 27-goal discrepancy says so much about what the Maple Leafs' new captain has accomplished. While health is a major variable, Matthews has put himself on pace to one day surpass Ovechkin - an almost impossible scenario to imagine given how well-rounded Matthews' game is compared to Ovechkin's. In short: Matthews, 27, is the most unique goal-scorer in history.

A two-time 60-goal guy, Matthews has blazed new trails on and off the ice. A deception shooter with exceptional intelligence, nobody hides their intentions better than the 6-foot-3, 208-pound center. Matthews beats goalies cleanly from all distances, rotating between his wrist shot, snap shot, slap shot, backhand, and ability to tip and deflect. He doesn't dine out on power-play goals or empty-netters, either, with 74% of his goals coming at even strength.

Matthews was raised in Arizona by a Californian dad and Mexican mom. He played his draft year in Switzerland. He's turned the arena tunnel into a gameday fashion show and brought attention to the sport through a strong bond with global pop icon Justin Bieber. He's maximized his career earnings by inking lucrative four- and five-year deals instead of the typical eight-year path.

Toronto's lack of playoff success keeps Matthews on the low end of this list. - Matisz

Era teams: Los Angeles Kings 2006-present

Signature performance: Kopitar helped the Kings mount the NHL's fourth and most recent 3-0 postseason series comeback in 2014. They stormed back in the opening round to stun a talented Sharks team that pushed Los Angeles to the edge of elimination with a Game 3 overtime win.

L.A. outscored San Jose 18-5 over the remainder of the matchup. Kopitar lit the lamp in Game 5, banged in two rebounds in the third period of Game 6, and buried the backhand winner in the Game 7 rout that sealed the Sharks' collapse. Two ensuing Game 7 victories propelled the Kings to a second Stanley Cup title in three years.

Why he's here: A do-it-all center who became the consummate King, Kopitar headlined L.A.’s championship lineups in the early 2010s and has compiled impressive stats for 18 seasons and counting.

He ranked sixth in our 25-year era in assists (792) and points (1,211 over 1,373 games). He's known for extreme durability - Kopitar's missed 31 games in his lengthy career - and for rising to the occasion as the NHL playoff scoring leader in 2012 and 2014.

In his own end, Kopitar's a great and gentlemanly defender. He completed the Selke-Lady Byng Trophy double in 2015-16 and won each award twice by shadowing opponents without taking penalties or antagonizing them, instead commanding respect. He was the Western Conference's answer to Patrice Bergeron, whose own two-way excellence prevented Kopitar from winning more Selkes.

L.A.'s captain since 2016, Kopitar is the Kings' all-time assist leader and needs 95 more points to rewrite Marcel Dionne's franchise high. He's on pace to challenge Nicklas Lidstrom's league record for most games played (1,564) without changing teams.

Notably, Kopitar was the first and finest Slovenian NHLer. He achieved stardom despite the complete lack of a roadmap for a player from the small city of Jesenice. - Faris

Era teams: Colorado Avalanche 2013-present

Signature performance: The most dominant game of MacKinnon's 2023-24 MVP season either came against the Senators on Dec. 21 or the Capitals on Jan. 24. He burned Joonas Korpisalo and Charlie Lindgren for four goals and an assist in both Avalanche wins, overmatching both goalies with an array of snipes (including one filthy dangle against Washington).

The five-point outbursts in Denver matched MacKinnon's career high. They helped him extend his home point streak that began at the outset of the season to 35 games, just five shy of Gretzky's league record.

Why he's here: MacKinnon's a force of nature, one of the NHL's faces, and a deserving first-time MVP. Three additional Hart Trophy nominations, plus a Calder and a Lady Byng Trophy win, enhance his bulletproof resume.

MacKinnon helped initiate the league's current scoring wave by tallying 111 and 140 points in back-to-back years. He was the second player this century to achieve the 50-goal, 80-assist combo, following McDavid in 2022-23. Colorado led the NHL in goals (3.54 per game) and was second in points percentage (.684) over MacKinnon and Makar's first five years as teammates.

A major playoff performer, MacKinnon ranks fifth in career points per game (1.3, or 114 in 88) behind a select cluster of NHL royalty: Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, McDavid, and Draisaitl. His 13 goals in 20 postseason outings fueled Colorado's dominant run to the 2022 Stanley Cup.

MacKinnon exudes intensity and hunger. He attacks with the puck at full throttle, sometimes sidestepping entire five-man units as he accelerates through zones.

Tracking data from NHL Edge contextualizes MacKinnon's explosiveness. His max skating speed of 24.05 mph was one of the five fastest surges of the 2023-24 season. He built a massive lead in 20 mph+ bursts (717, McDavid was second with 457) and 22 mph+ bursts (118 to McDavid's 66). Few skaters are as swift as MacKinnon, and none are as powerful. ­- Faris

Era teams: St. Louis Blues 1999-2004, Edmonton Oilers 2005-06, Anaheim Ducks 2006-09, Philadelphia Flyers 2009-12

Signature performance: The lasting image of Game 5 of the 2006 Stanley Cup Final is of Oilers grinder Fernando Pisani scoring shorthanded in overtime.

But Pronger, the only superstar on that blue-collar Edmonton squad, had a remarkable game. The hulking defenseman assisted on two of Edmonton's four goals, recorded five shots, and finished plus-3. He logged 33:46, nearly 10 minutes more than any other Oiler and nine more than the Hurricanes' busiest skater.

Game 5 was representative of Pronger's brief Oilers tenure. He finished the playoff run with a team-best 16 assists, 21 points, and plus-10 rating in 24 games.

Why he's here: Those 2005-06 Oilers were unable to finish the job. The next spring, though, Pronger hoisted the Cup as a Duck, and three years later he made a third Final appearance with the 2009-10 Flyers. It wasn't a coincidence that winning followed Pronger wherever he went.

Pronger's the only defenseman to win the Hart Trophy in the past 52 years, securing MVP honors in 1999-00 after leading the Blues to a league-high 114 points. He possessed the requisite skating ability, hockey sense, and puck skills to post gaudy offensive numbers but preferred to impact the game in myriad ways. He took immense pride in shutting down stud forwards - a key reason why he wore the "C" in St. Louis, Anaheim, and Philadelphia.

He was also a fearless competitor who regularly crossed the line, delivering a disproportionate number of questionable open-ice hits and cross-checks to the ribs. A quick-witted and intimidating presence off skates, too, Pronger commanded dressing rooms like he did the front of his own net.

Pronger broke into the league in 1993, so 429 of his 1,167 total games - or about 40% of his career - took place before Gretzky's retirement. - Matisz

Follow the rollout all week long. Tuesday: Nos. 16-20.

John Matisz and Nick Faris cover the NHL for theScore.