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spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","","Stars center Mike Modano","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070218/070218_modano_vlrg_10a.hmedium.jpg","","", "", "", "", "", "right", "Ronald Martinez", "Getty Images", "273", "185", "#000000", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "Detroit rapper Eminem had a hit on his hands with his 2002 release of the single Superman, but it's another super M&M from Michigan who has raced to the top of the charts.Dallas Stars center Mike Modano from Livonia, Mich. is the Superman of American hockey. By scoring his 1,233th point early in the 2007 season, Modano became the leader in that category among U.S.-born players.
So where does the No. 1 pick from the 1988 NHL entry draft, one of just six Americans to be chosen first overall, rate among his peers?
As we ponder this notion, remember that prominent U.S. international players such as 700-goal scorer Brett Hull (born in Belleville, Ontario) and ex-Norris Trophy-winning defenseman Rod Langway (born in Taiwan) are excluded from consideration, since although they gained American citizenship, there were not born in the country.
That being cleared up, let the debate begin as NBCSports.com contributor Bob Duff ranks his top 10 U.S.-born players of all time.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","1) Frank Brimsek","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Eveleth, Minn.
Position: Goalie
Teams: Boston Bruins (1938-43, 1945-49); Chicago Blackhawks (1949-50)
Statistics: 514 games; 252 wins; 40 shutouts; 2.70 goals against average
No American ever had the immediate impact upon the league that Brimsek made the moment he pulled on a Bruins uniform.
Replacing four-time Vezina Trophy winner Cecil (Tiny) Thompson in the Boston net, Brimsek blanked the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in his NHL debut Dec. 1, 1938, posting a pair of three-shutout streaks during his first 10 NHL starts, earning Brimsek the nickname Mr. Zero.
Brimsek finished with 10 shutouts and a 1.56 goals-against average and led the Bruins to the Stanley Cup in 1938-39, winning the Vezina and Calder Trophies and selection to the first All-Star team, a feat unmatched in league history.
\"You couldn't get him to make the first move,\" former NHL forward Harry Watson once said of Brimsek. \"Never.\"
Despite a career that was interrupted by service in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, Brimsek won another Stanley Cup with Boston in 1940-41 and was a nine-time NHL All-Star choice. In 1966, he was the first American-born and trained player to be enshrined in the Hockey Hall of Fame.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","2) Chris Chelios","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Chicago
Position: Defenseman
Teams: Montreal Canadiens(1983-90); Chicago Blackhawks (1990-99); Detroit Red Wings (1999-2009)
Statistics: 1,644 games; 185 goals; 763 assists; 948 points
The U.S.-born player who has played in the most regular season games and more playoff games than any player ... ever.
A three-time winner of the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, Chelios is as irascible a performer as ever laced on a pair of skates, patterning his abrasive and intense style after a childhood gridiron hero.
\"The Chicago Bears had a linebacker by the name of Dick Butkus,\" Chelios said. \"He was the toughest, meanest, nastiest competitor I've ever seen. Every kid on the south side of Chicago wanted to be like Dick Butkus. I try to play hockey the way Dick Butkus played football.\"
When he turned 45 in Jan. 2007, Chelios joined Hall of Fame goalie Johnny Bower as the only NHLers to be active players the day they first qualified for their league pension.
\"He's not human,\" Wings teammate Tomas Holmstrom said of Chelios, who believes he can emulate Gordie Howe and play into his 50s.
A seven-time All-Star selection - five of them first-team nods -- Chelios has appeared in 11 NHL All-Star games and won Stanley Cups a record 16 seasons apart with Montreal (1986) and Detroit (2002). His third Cup came with the Red Wings in 2008.
He's also appeared four times for the United States in the Olympics, captaining the squad on three occasions, was part of the U.S. squad that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and with his dedication to fitness, shows no indication of slowing down.
\"You see him with his shirt off and he's ripped and cut,\" Ottawa Senators defenseman Joe Corvo said.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","3) Mike Modano","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Livonia, Mich.
Position: Center
Team: Minnesota North Stars/Dallas Stars (1988-present)
Statistics: 1,400 games; 543 goals; 786 assists; 1,329 points
The Stars' career leader in goals, assists, points and games played, Modano has become the most productive star in U.S. hockey history.
Sacrificing individual numbers to better serve Dallas' team concept, Modano has often been overshadowed during his career by other centers such as Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Mark Messier and Joe Sakic. Modano was an NHL second All-Star team selection in 1999-2000 and has appeared in six NHL All-Star Games.
Nine times during his career he's surpassed the 30-goal plateau, including a career-high 50 tallies in 1993-94. He produced a playoff-leading 18 assists in 1998-99 as the Stars won the Stanley Cup. Modano's been a finalist for the Calder (1990), Selke (2001) and Lady Byng (2003) trophies.
Modano is a three-time Olympian and led all scorers with six assists during the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City. He helped the U.S win the 1996 World Cup of Hockey with six points in seven games. He led Team USA in scoring at the 1991 Canada Cup and finished second in tournament scoring behind teammate Jeremy Roenick at the 1989 World Junior Championships.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","4) Pat LaFontaine","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: St. Louis
Position: Center
Teams: New York Islanders (1983-1991); Buffalo Sabres (1991-97); New York Rangers 1997-98)
Statistics: 865 games; 468 goals; 545 assists; 1,013 points
Were it not for a series of debilitating concussions that dramatically shortened his career, LaFontaine would likely today reign as the top U.S.-born NHL scorer.
He entered the NHL the product of tremendous hype, leading the QMJHL in scoring with 234 points for Verdun in 1982-83, becoming the first American to be named the top player in Canadian major junior hockey.
The third American-born player to register a 50-goal season in the NHL when he scored 54 times for the 1989-90 New York Islanders, LaFontaine, Bryan Trottier, Mike Bossy and Pierre Turgeon are the only Isles ever to record a 50-goal campaign.
When he tallied 53 times for Buffalo in 1992-93, LaFontaine became the first American-born player to produce a 50-goal season for two different NHL teams. He also finished second in NHL scoring to Mario Lemieux that season with 148 points, a record for an American-born player.
LaFontaine played for the United States in the 1984 Olympics and the 1996 World Cup of Hockey, when Team USA won the title. He appeared in five NHL All-Star games, was an NHL second All-Star team selection in 1992-93. He won the Masterton Trophy in 1994-95 and the Lester Patrick Trophy in 1997.
Lafontaine was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","5) Joe Mullen","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: New York, N.Y.
Position: Right wing
Teams: St. Louis Blues (1979-86); Calgary Flames (1986-90); Pittsburgh Penguins (1990-95, 1996-97); Boston Bruins (1995-96)
Statistics; 1,062 games; 502 goals; 561 assists; 1,063 points
Perhaps the unlikeliest path to NHL stardom in American history was taken by Mullen, who along with younger brother Brian, launched his puck-chasing days playing roller hockey in Hell's Kitchen.
Mullen made his mark on the pro game quickly. In 1981-82, he became the first player in hockey history to produce a 20-goal campaign in the minors and the NHL in the same season, scoring 21 times for Salt Lake City of the Central League and 25 times for the Blues.
After Jimmy Carson (Los Angeles, 1987-88) Mullen was the second American-born NHLer to net 50 goals and crack the league's top 10 scorers when he finished with 51-59-110 totals for Calgary in 1988-89, good for seventh overall. The Flames won the Stanley Cup that season and Mullen topped the NHL with a plus-51 rating.
At 32, he was also the second-oldest 50-goal scorer in NHL history Mullen later won back-to-back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh (1990-91, 1991-92).
He played for the United States in three Canada Cups and came out of retirement in 1998-99 to help Team USA qualify for the World Championships, producing three points in three games.
The first U.S-born NHLer to garner 500 goals and 1,000 points, in 1995 Mullen was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy for service to hockey in the United States. He won the Lady Byng Trophy in 1986-87 and 1988-89, was an NHL first All-Star team selection in 1988-89 and played in three NHL All-Star Games.
Mullen was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","6) Brian Leetch","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Corpus Christi, Texas
Position: Defenseman
Teams: New York Rangers (1987-2004); Toronto Maple Leafs (2004); Boston Bruins (2005-06)
Statistics: 1,205 games; 247 goals; 781 assists; 1,028 points
Leetch won the Calder Trophy in 1988-89 and his 71 points are a record for an American-born rookie NHL defenseman. Leading the New York Rangers to the Stanley Cup on 1993-94, Leetch paced all playoff scorers with 23 assists and 34 points and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, the only U.S.-born player ever to do so.
Recording a career-high 102 points in 1991-92, Leetch became the first U.S.-born defender to crack the NHL's top 10 scorers. He was a five-time NHL All-Star team selection, appeared in nine NHL All-Star Games and won a pair of Norris trophies.
Leetch's 80 assists in 1991-92 remain a Rangers club record. He also holds the team career mark for assists (741) and for points by a defenseman (981) and the single-season standard for points by a rearguard (102).
At Boston College, Leetch was the first freshman ever nominated as a Hobey Baker Award finalist. He captained the U.S. at the 1988 Olympics, his first of three appearances in the Winter Games and was also captain of the American squad that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey. As well, Leetch played three times for Team USA in the World Junior Championships.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","7) Phil Housley","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: St. Paul, Minn.
Position: Defenseman
Teams: Buffalo Sabres (1982-90); Winnipeg Jets (1990-93); St. Louis Blues (1993-94); Calgary Flames (1994-96), (1998-2001); New Jersey Devils (1996); Washington Capitals (1996-98); Chicago Blackhawks (2001-03); Toronto Maple Leafs (2003)
Statistics: 1,495 games; 338 goals; 894 assists; 1,232 points
The U.S.-born NHL record holder for assists, Housley jumped right from Minnesota high-school hockey at South St. Paul to the NHL with the Sabres, never playing a single game of minor pro hockey throughout his career.
Housley led all rookie defenseman in 1982-83 with 66 points and garnered at least 62 points in each of his first 12 NHL seasons, including a personal-best 79 assists and 97 points with Winnipeg in 1992-93. Both totals remain club records for a rearguard and the assists total is an overall team single-season standard as well. Housley also holds Sabres records for points by a defenseman in a season (81) and career (558).
The fifth defenseman in NHL history to attain 1,000 career points, Housley was a finalist for both the Calder (1982-83) and Norris (1991-92) trophies.
Selected to the NHL second All-Star team in 1991-92, Housley skated in seven NHL All-Star games.
Internationally, he was a member of the American squad that won the 1996 World Cup of Hockey and also won a silver medal with Team USA at the 2002 Winter Olympics.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","8) Mark Howe","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Detroit
Position: Defenseman
Teams: Houston Aeros/WHA (1973-77); New England Whalers/WHA (1977-79); Hartford Whalers (1979-82); Philadelphia Flyers (1982-92); Detroit Red Wings (1992-95)
NHL statistics: 929 games; 197 goals; 545 assists; 742 points
Many overlook the fact that Mr. Hockey's son was American-born, back in the days when Gordie Howe was dominating the NHL with the Detroit Red Wings.
Howe was a three-time NHL first All-Star team selection while playing on the Flyers' defense, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup finals in 1984-85 and 1986-87. He also appeared in the 1994-95 Stanley Cup finals for Detroit.
He garnered at least 50 points in each of his first nine NHL seasons, twice topping the 80-point plateau, including a personal-high of 82 with the 1985-86 Flyers, a season that saw Howe lead all NHLers with a plus-85 rating.
Prior to entering the NHL with the Whalers in 1979, Howe spent six productive seasons playing alongside his father as a left winger in the World Hockey Association, winning two Avco Cup titles and finishing as the league's career playoff scoring leader with 92 points from 74 games. Howe was the WHA rookie of the year in 1973-74 and a three-time All-Star selection. As a junior, he won a Memorial Cup with the Toronto Marlboros in 1972-73.
Internationally, Howe was 16 when he won a silver medal playing for the United States in the 1972 Winter Olympics. He also played for the U.S. in the 1981 Canada Cup.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","9) Mike Richter","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Abington, Pa.
Position: Goalie
Team: New York Rangers (1988-2003)
Statistics: 666 games; 301 wins; 24 shutouts; 2.89 goals against average
All-Star showcases aren't about stopping and in the history of the NHL All-Star Game, only five netminders have been named MVP. Richter is one of them. Playing on home ice in 1994 in front of rabid Rangers fans at Madison Square Garden, Richter blocked 19 of 21 shots he faced as the East bettered the West 9-8.
\"It can be an ideal situation,\" Richter said of goaltending in a game bereft of defense. \"You know the tempo is going to be high and there's not going to be much checking, so you're going to see a lot of action.\"
That performance was just one of many unique moments in a career that saw Richter carry the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup in 54 seasons and backstop the United States to its most significant international triumph since the 1980 Olympics.
A three-time NHL All-Star Game participant, Richter posted a league-high 16 playoff wins and a then Stanley Cup-record tying four shutouts in 1993-94 to give the Rangers their first Cup since 1940. He led the NHL that season with 42 victories.
In 1996, Richter earned MVP honors as the U.S. stunned Canada to win the World Cup of Hockey. He also played for the United States in the Olympics in three different decades -- in 1988, 1998 and 2002 -- winning a silver medal in the latter at Salt Lake City.";
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i++] = new Array("","10) Jeremy Roenick","","","","", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "", "");
spt_NHL_TopAmericans[i-1].body = "
Born: Boston
Position: Center
Teams: Chicago Blackhawks (1988-96); Phoenix Coyotes (1996-2001), (2006-07); Philadelphia Flyers (2000-04); Los Angeles Kings (2005-06); San Jose Sharks (2007-present)
Statistics (through 2007-08 season): 1,363 games; 513 goals; 703 assists; 1,216 points
Known best for shooting from the lip, the man they call J.R. is also a pretty fair shooter of the puck. In 1991-92, Roenick's 53 goals were a Chicago club record for centers and his 24 power-play goals were an overall team mark. Roenick was the first Blackhawk to net 50 goals in a season since Al Secord in 1982-83.
He added 50 more goals in 1992-93, becoming the first U.S.-born NHLer to produce back-to-back 50-goal campaigns and along with Bobby Hull, the only Chicago players to achieve this feat. He followed up with a 107-point campaign in 1993-94, tying the personal high he'd set the season prior and becoming the first American-born NHLer to top the century mark in points for three straight seasons and also the first Blackhawk to do so.
A fast and elusive skater, Roenick has appeared in seven NHL All-Star games. He played in the 1991-92 Stanley Cup finals with Chicago and has collected 116 points in 136 playoff games.
On the international stage, Roenick led the 1989 World Junior Championship in scoring and was selected to the tournament All-Star team. He's also represented the United States in the World Championship (1991), Canada Cup (1991) and twice at the Olympics (1998, 2002), winning a silver medal in Salt Lake City while garnering five points in six games.";
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Stats through 2006-07 season
Erik Johnson
Born: Bloomington, Minn.
Position: Defenseman
Current team: St. Louis Blues
The top pick in the 2006 NHL entry draft, he excelled at the World Junior Championships, sharing the tournament scoring lead with 10 points, becoming the first defenseman to lead the event in scoring. The 6-foot-4, 222-pound Johnson was selected to the all-tournament team.
Jack Johnson
Born: Ann Arbor, Mich.
Position: Defenseman
Current team: Los Angeles Kings
The third player chosen in the 2005 NHL entry draft, Johnson's NHL rights were traded by the Carolina Hurricanes to the Los Angeles Kings. Johnson was a finalist for the CCHA offensive defenseman of the year last season as a freshman. He collected three goals for the U.S. at the World Junior Championships, including a pair of power-play markers. He was part of the U.S. team that won gold at the 2005 World Under-18 Championships, where he led the tourney with 34 penalty minutes. He's the all-time leading point-scoring defenseman (81) in U.S. National Development Team history.
Phil Kessel
Born: Madison, Wis.
Position: Center
Current team: Boston Bruins
The fifth player chosen in the 2006 NHL entry draft and one of only two first rounders from that draft to jump directly to the big leagues, Kessel produced solid numbers as a rookie, but more significantly, overcame a bout with testicular cancer this season. Kessel was diagnosed with the disease Dec. 11 and returned to the lineup Jan. 9. He played in the YoungStars game as part of the NHL All-Star Game festivities in Dallas and scored a hat-trick to lead the East to victory.
Patrick Kane
Born: Buffalo, N.Y.
Position: Right wing
Current team: Chicago Blackhawks
Kane was the top player selected in the 2007 NHL entry draft. The 5-foot-10, 170-pounder is off to a solid start in his rookie season in Chicago.
Peter Mueller
Born: Bloomington, Minn.
Position: Center
Current team: Phoenix Coyotes
Selected eighth overall in the 2006 NHL entry draft, Mueller, a strong two-way center, is being counted as on as a key component in the Coyotes' hopes of climbing from the back of the pack in the Western Conference.";
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// END editorial data