A successful coach in the minors, Harry Sinden took over the helms of the Boston Bruins at the tender age of thirty three. Quickly, under his guidance and an influx of talent, the Bruins turned around and won two Stanley Cups. Despite those elite championships in the National Hockey League, it was his coaching of Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series, where the Canadians won in a grueling eight game series where he was considered at this best. Sinden would later take over as the General Manager for Boston and managed to continually ice competitive teams.

One of the best players of all time, Bobby Hull easily could have been one of the men who the Hockey Hall of Fame could have made a case for early induction. Hull was a dominant force in the NHL throughout the 1960’s, leading the Blackhawks to the Stanley Cup in 1961, and capturing two Hart Trophies along the way.

Dubbed the “Roadrunner” for his small frame and blazing speed, Yvan Cournoyer played his entire career with the Montreal Canadians and won a whopping eight Stanley Cups. Cournoyer was not just a participant in those excellent Habs teams but was one of its stars.

One of the best New York Rangers of all time, Rod Gilbert may never have drank from the Stanley Cup, but the career long Ranger was a consistent producer on Broadway and a regular at the annual All Star game. Gilbert’s best seasons came in the early 70’s, when New York was icing a good team (the teams in the mid 60’s were not particularly good) and he was on a line with Jean Ratelle and Vic Hadfield where the GAG (Goal a Game) Line, which became one of the most feared in the NHL. The Rangers still did not win the Cup, but they were bona fide contenders and Gilbert posted his best offensive statistics during this period. Gilbert was named as the second greatest New York Ranger of All time, and if you hold that spot in any Original Six roster, you should be considered a Hall of Fame player.