TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Thought it would be fun to start a discussion on who people identify as "Mr. Canuck, Red Wing, Canadien, Flyer, Lighting" etc, etc, etc. There are no real right or wrong answers, though some should be pretty obvious.Also, different people can view different players as the "face"...and in many cases, there could be MORE than one, right?Of course! For those who haven't really given this much thought beyond their own team, just think which name comes to mind when you think of a certain franchise.Who do you identify with epitomizing the essence of who or what that team is? Could be a team's best player, or the one who leads the best, or maybe even one who may not necessarily be either one of those things, but he makes a HELL of a poster boy and easy to put onto a banner to get people to come to the rink on gameday. I will start, and we don't need to go in any particular order, and no one poster has exclusive rights to any one team...we all, after all, have our own ideas of what a face of a franchise is or should be. I encourage posters to agree or disagree with posts, while adding their own choice and reason why. Tampa Bay Lighting:Duh.Steven Stamkos.While MSL was still around, heck, even VLC, one could argue the head of the Tampa Bay Lightning had three faces.Well, with time comes change, and while all three still play, only Stammer is left on the Bolts.Besides.....which player do you think any coach immediately thinks they need to account for when they know they will be playing the Lightning?Yup. Mr. Stamkos. Maybe in a couple seasons, it could be a three or four headed monster once again, and I can say Stamkos.....and Drouin, and Bishop, and Hedman..... Edited July 17, 2014 by TropicalFruitGirl26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarsippius Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Giroux is the face of the Flyers....now he's the stinky pinky too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 All time Gordie Howe is the face of the Wings and illness and all one of the faces of the game. Currently the goofy Stan Laurel impish face of Pavel Datsyuk is the face of the team. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 (edited) Giroux is the face of the Flyers....now he's the stinky pinky too Claude Giroux has the distinction of being BOTH ends of the franchise after his last escapdes, no? Seriously though, yep.Giroux it is for me as well. Before him though, when I thought of big, nasty Flyers, Chris Pronger ALWAYS came to mind. But look out...a guy like Sean Couterier or even the much maligned Brayden Schenn could move in Giroux's piece of the face pie sooner than later...As long as they can stay away from the opposite end of that...they should be good to go! All time though to this point, at least since my viewership, has to be Eric Lindros. Edited July 17, 2014 by TropicalFruitGirl26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 17, 2014 Author Share Posted July 17, 2014 @yave1964 I know Pavel Datsyuk is head n shoulders above him in actual on-ice talent, and certainly much more of a highlight reel, but for some reason, whenever one of my teams play the Red Wings, I think, "We gotta go out and beat Kronwall and company". Maybe it's because I really, really hate seeing my players get freight trained by this guy, but when someone mentions Red Wings to me, "getting Kronwalled" comes to mind right away. Face of the franchise? Ok, probably not.....but he is probably at least the franchise's brawn when it comes to bone shattering hits! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarsippius Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 All time though to this point, at least since my viewership, has to be Eric Lindros.Showing my age a bit, but all time for me has to be #16.....Clarkie was my favorite player as a kid, and that busted tooth smile while holding the Cup a hundred years ago will forever be ingrained in my mind.Agree on Couturier, if he gets a chance to get his offensive game going, he could be next in line Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Fun little exercise..... Devils ....was Brodeur but now???Sabres ... was Miller but now ????Caps .... OvieRangers .... Sir HenryBlue Jackets ... ???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Fun little exercise..... Devils ....was Brodeur but now???Sabres ... was Miller but now ????Caps .... OvieRangers .... Sir HenryBlue Jackets ... ???? Hmm.I was thinking about the Devils yesterday, what with Brodeur no longer being on the roster.Strange time for that team. For years you could always count on a Martin Brodeur or a Scott Stevens... I want to say Cory Schneider, but I think he becomes the face only if the Devils stick to what they always have: tough, tight defense, with Schneider being the last line of defense.....and doing it well.I.E., actually being that goaltender teams just can't seem to beat regularly...and not just simply benefiting from good defense, if that makes any sense. I mean, we all knew Brodeur played behind some awesome defensive/trap systsems that greatly helped him, but the bottom line was, when that defense was beat, Brodeur STILL came up with the goods, and pretty spectacularly on many occasions.Can Cory do the same? We will see.Because other than possibly a guy like Adam Henrique maybe having a break out season of some sort, then maintaining that, no one on the team stands out as a "face" type player. Sabres? Team is still shuffling through its lineups looking for some sort of team identity, I think.Can't have a face till they figure out that first.He could emerge this year, it could be awhile, who knows. Caps....Yup, Ovechkin, like him or not, hands down.Ditto, Rangers. Blue Jackets?Well, if they continue to be a workmanlike type team, make Brandon Dubinsky their captain (a workmanlike player), and the team is successful playing a blue collar style even against high powered teams such as the Pens, Ducks, and Lightning, then I could easily see Duby being the face of the Jackets. Rick Nash was it for them for a long time, and they haven't quite replaced his "faceness" yet on the team. Dubinsky could be the guy who does so, starting this year.I kinda already thought "Dubinsky" whenever I thought Blue Jackets as it was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertmega Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Blue Jackets: Dubinsky Islanders: TavaresPittsburgh: CrosbyRangers: LundqvistCapitals: OvechkinFlyers: GirouxHurricanes: Eric StaalDevils: Not too sure, maybe Schneider Bruins: CharaSabres: Villie Leino or a 1993 Lumina parked at Applebee'sRed Wings: DatsyukPanthers: Luongo (for now)Canadians: Subban unless traded to the Fyers (sarcasm font inserted)Senators: KarlssonLightning: StamkosMaple Leafs: some janitor for the local Lexus dealership I think....Vader? IDK, Kadri? Edited July 18, 2014 by Bertmega Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 All time though to this point, at least since my viewership, has to be Eric Lindros. All-time it would be Clarke. Easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Agree on Couturier, if he gets a chance to get his offensive game going, he could be next in line Only until the Flyers sign Bobby Ryan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Maple Leafs: some janitor for the local Lexus dealership I think....Vader? IDK, Kadri? For better or worse (sometimes both at the same time) I would say Phaneuf. With Kessel moving up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 For better or worse (sometimes both at the same time) I would say Phaneuf. With Kessel moving up. Yep. Dion Phaneuf pretty much comes to mind whenever I think Leafs:Big, hard hitting.....with crater sized holes in the defensive game. Oh, and weird hair too...... If the Leafs are lucky, they can be more defensively responsible (will require a trade of said Dion ), and have a guy like Jonathan Bernier be their face: showcasing a wall-like structure that is hard to beat.Oh well...Leaf fans can dream can't they?Phil Kessel comes in a close second. Former Leaf faces, at least since I've been an NHL fan, are Doug Gilmour, Mats Sundin, and Tie Domi......hmm, Domi may have been the fists of the franchise, now that I think about it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Oh well...Leaf fans can dream can't they? Pretty much better than any other fanbase. They've had so much practice. hmm, Domi may have been the fists of the franchise, now that I think about it... Other body parts better left unmentioned also come to mind... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Blue Jackets: Dubinsky Islanders: TavaresPittsburgh: CrosbyRangers: LundqvistCapitals: OvechkinFlyers: GirouxHurricanes: Eric StaalDevils: Not too sure, maybe Schneider Bruins: CharaSabres: Villie Leino or a 1993 Lumina parked at Applebee'sRed Wings: DatsyukPanthers: Luongo (for now)Canadians: Subban unless traded to the Fyers (sarcasm font inserted)Senators: KarlssonLightning: StamkosMaple Leafs: some janitor for the local Lexus dealership I think....Vader? IDK, Kadri? can't argue with any of those...up until 2 years ago I would equate the Sens with Alfie...but since he has moved on one can argue Karlsson You get 2 thumbs up alone for the Sabres remark... I almost spit up my drink on that one.. LOL 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pilldoc Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Blackhawks....TowesPreds.............WeberAvs .............in a few years MacKinnon? Landeskog??Blues ...... TJ Oshie (because of his performance in the Olympics)?Ducks .... GetzlafOilers ....Hall ?Kings .... QuickSharks ... ThorntonNucks .....H. Sedin? Miller? They have had a major facelift this off season Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sarsippius Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Only until the Flyers sign Bobby Ryan... Ah, that won't happen until he's at least 32..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 So, I just did it with word association: franchise is mentioned, and this was the first player whose name came up. They're not necessarily the best player on the team (a few listed are grossly overrated in fact), but the first name to enter my mind. I did this for current players as well as all-time.Team Current All-TimeANA Corey F'ing Perry Paul KariyaBOS Patrice Bergeron Bobby OrrBUF Drew Stafford Dominik HasekCGY Mark Giordano Jarome IginlaCAR Cam Ward Ron FrancisCHI Jon Toews Bobby HullCOL Gabriel Landeskog Joe SakicCBS Jack Johnson Rick NashDAL Tyler Seguin Mike ModanoDET Pavel Datsyuk Gordie HoweEDM Taylor Hall Wayne GretzkyFLA nobody Scott MelanbyLA Drew Doughty Wayne GretzkyMIN Mikko Koivu Mikko KoivuMTL PK Subban Maurice RichardNAS Shea Weber David LegwandNJD Patrik Elias Ken DaneykoNYI John Tavares Mike BossyNYR Henrik Lundqvist Rod GilbertOTT Erik Karlsson Daniel AlfredssonPHI Claude Giroux Bobby ClarkePHX Shane Doan Shane DoanPIT Sidney Crosby Mario LemiuexSJ Joe Thornton Patrick MarleauSTL Alex Pietrangelo Brett HullTB Steve Stamkos Martin St. LouisTOR Phil Kessel Frank MahovlichVAN The Sisters Trevor LindenWAS Alex Ovechkin Peter BondraWPG Evander Kane Ilya Kovalchuk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted July 18, 2014 Author Share Posted July 18, 2014 Nice @JR Ewing Though I have to agree, some of those names really don't gel with me.Interesting nonetheless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) Nice @JR Ewing Though I have to agree, some of those names really don't gel with me.Interesting nonetheless. For me, it was sometimes down to guys who played for a long time with the team in question, but who were not great players: Ken Daneyko played forever. Players came and went, but he was there from the "Mickey Mouse" years, through the rebuild, and played strong minutes for their Cup wins. Other times, it was notable players for a franchise: I always associate Scott Mellanby with the Panthers for two reasons: the rat and him being a part of their run to the Cup finals in '96. And then, a few players are ones I follow, but in kind of a negative way: Cam Ward and Jack Johnson would be two. Ward's made a lot of money off of Spring 2006 and making some flashy saves, and Johnson? Just a bad defenseman who saw-him-good scouts will fall in love with every time. Much of the time, though, a player made my list because he's (imo) the best player on the team. Edited July 18, 2014 by JR Ewing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Clueless Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) For better or worse (sometimes both at the same time) I would say Phaneuf. With Kessel moving up. Perhaps, but the character that best exemplifies the Leafs is probably Leo Komarov. Annoys everybody, likes to make goofy faces and is an overall jokester. Lacks top end talent. But dang if he isn't entertaining. Edited July 18, 2014 by Commander Clueless Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 @JR Ewing - I lived in DC for a long time, I think I would pick Ollie the Goalie as the Caps all-time face of the franchise (but it will soon be Ovechkin anyway). He was always extremely popular in DC. Dale Hunter would also be in the running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JackStraw Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Perhaps, but the character that best exemplifies the Leafs is probably Leo Komarov. Annoys everybody, likes to make goofy faces and is an overall jokester. Lacks top end talent. But dang if he isn't entertaining. Sort of like the Leafs' version of Scott Hartnell then? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JR Ewing Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) @JR Ewing - I lived in DC for a long time, I think I would pick Ollie the Goalie as the Caps all-time face of the franchise (but it will soon be Ovechkin anyway). He was always extremely popular in DC. Dale Hunter would also be in the running. Oh, I'm very sure they were more popular and perhaps seen as the face of the franchise. Living in Edmonton, and being the time that it was (not the media saturation we have now), I wouldn't have seen nearly as much of that as you. It's sort of like how people were surprised at Ryan Smyth's send off after his last game in 2014. Nobody in the area was surprised (locally, his nickname was "Hockey Jesus") but I saw some genuine shock outside of the genuine market. Also not too common: all members of the opposing team and even refs/linesmen shaking hands and hugging a retiring player. The only real shame in his story: that Kevin Lowe traded him due to a difference of $100,000 in contract talks. Nobody does too well with their heart cut out. [youbtube] BTW, how fitting: Kelly Buchberger was on the ice for Smyth's first career goal, and was there on the bench to see him off from his last game. Edited July 18, 2014 by JR Ewing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Commander Clueless Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Sort of like the Leafs' version of Scott Hartnell then? Yes except not relied on to score. The Maple Leafs: Pissing everybody off for no discernable reason and trolling their fans since 1967, when they were last relevant. Trollonto Maple Leafs, as it were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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