Introduction
2023-24 NHLPA Player Poll
The NHLPA Player Poll has returned with the 2023-24 edition. During the regular season, 639 NHL players were surveyed on 15 hockey-related questions. Players weighed in on a variety of topics, including top positional players, most complete player, best playmaker, best style, toughest arena to play in and more!
If you need to win one game, who is the goalie you want on your team?
Make it three seasons in a row now for Andrei Vasilevskiy who received 289 votes as the players’ top pick to defend the crease for their team in a must-win game. With two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a Vezina Trophy already in his back pocket, this netminder’s experience is hard to ignore.
If you need to win one game, who is the forward you want on your team?
As a five-time Art Ross Trophy winner and four-time Ted Lindsay Award recipient by 27 years old, exceeding expectations is what Connor McDavid does best – and with 303 votes for nearly half the total in the category, it’s easy to see why No. 97 is once again the forward that players most wanted on their team.
If you need to win one game, who is the defenceman you want on your team?
Staying put as the top choice in the defenceman category, Cale Makar led his position for a second season in a row with a whopping 349 votes. By the age of 25, Makar has already has won a Stanley Cup, Calder Memorial Trophy, Conn Smythe Trophy and James Norris Trophy, and has played a key part in the Avs being perennial contenders.
Who is the best stick-handler?
For the first time in the NHLPA Player Poll, Connor McDavid earned the nod for best stick-handler with 216 votes. After placing second in the category for three seasons in a row, he dethroned Patrick Kane who took runner-up with 127 votes after three straight seasons sitting atop this category.
Who is the most complete player?
Sidney Crosby continues to check all the boxes for fellow NHLPA members as the most complete player. The Pittsburgh Penguins captain takes the category yet again – marking the fifth consecutive season he has outright won or tied atop the category – this time with 226 votes to increase his hold by 48 votes (8.27%) since last season.
Which player do you least enjoy playing against but would like to have on your team?
The one they hate to love or love to hate? For the third straight season, in his first as Boston Bruins captain, Brad Marchand took this category with 162 votes as players tipped their hat to a worthy opponent they would rather have on their side. While the order varied slightly from last year, Connor McDavid, Tom Wilson and Matthew Tkachuk once again rounded out the top four.
Who is the best breakout passer in the game?
Like the quarterback position, precise vision and elite skill allows some of the game’s top defencemen to shine when it comes to breakout passes. With 145 votes, Cale Makar is viewed as the best, while Quinn Hughes and Adam Fox each received nearly 60 votes apiece.
Which player is the best playmaker?
A top offensive player with the ability to see the ice differently has Nikita Kucherov being dubbed by the players as the best playmaker with 162 votes. Connor McDavid is locked in at number two with 119 players voting for him.
Which player is the most difficult player to face in their own end?
Known for providing a not-so-warm welcome inside the blueline, Swedish star defenceman Victor Hedman received 90 votes as the most difficult player to face in his own end. With two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a James Norris Memorial Trophy, not to mention often finding himself on the ice in all key situations for the Lightning, Hedman makes for a tough and seasoned opponent.
If you need to win a faceoff, who would you pick?
Blink and you’ll miss it! As a veteran in the faceoff circle, Ryan O’Reilly gets another clean win with 80 votes. Sidney Crosby finished closely behind with 75 votes. Meanwhile, Claude Giroux and Luke Glendening placed third and fourth, respectively, and Jordan Staal received one vote more than Anze Kopitar to round out the top five.
Which player has the best style?
Look good, feel good, play good sums up David Pastrnak as he takes the best personal style category with 79 votes – leading a group of more than 140 different players who received a vote. Meanwhile, William Nylander and Auston Matthews, a pair of teammates who are both known for their flair on the ice along with their fashion sense, rounded out the top three.
Which PWHL player do you most enjoy watching?
Widely regarded as one of the greatest in the game, Marie-Philip Poulin has taken the spotlight as the Professional Women’s Hockey League player who NHL players most enjoy watching with 118 votes. Since the inaugural season of the PWHL began Jan. 1, 2024, these stars have all been at the centre of the hockey world showcasing their skill.
PWHL Montreal
PWHL Boston
PWHL Toronto
PWHL Toronto
PWHL Minnesota
Which arena is the toughest to play in as a visiting team?
Las Vegas lives up to its lively name – the home of the 2023 Stanley Cup champions received 175 votes as the toughest arena to play in as a visiting team.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Raleigh, North Carolina
Boston, Massachusetts
Denver, Colorado
Montreal, Quebec
Which NHL arena has the best ice?
There’s nothing like a hockey game at Montreal’s Bell Centre according to many fans – and the players agree. For the sixth season, this time with 190 votes, Montreal’s ice remained on top as the rink that players felt had the best playing surface.
Montreal, Quebec
Edmonton, Alberta
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Las Vegas, Nevada
Which global destination would you most like to see host NHL games?
Growing the game is the goal. Italy, which happens to be the host country of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games, led the way in this category with 63 votes among global destinations where players would like to play. Sweden received 50 votes to finish as a close second, with Stockholm and Gothenburg as the top preferred Tre Kronor cities.
