from Kevin Allen of USA TODAY,

The only right answer to the question of who is the best NHL player among Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe and Bobby Orr is all of the above.

Some fans believe it is Orr because he revolutionized the sport through his puck-rushing defensive style. Others say it’s Gretzky because he dominated like no other. Both Orr and Gretzky have said that they believe it’s Howe because of his all-around game.

The NHL isn’t going to tackle that issue when it announces its Top 100 players of all-time Friday as part of the All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles. The league will provide an alphabetized list of the Top 100. But here’s my ranking of the top 25.

1. Gordie Howe: The late Detroit Red Wings general manager Jack Adams liked to refer to Howe as the “Babe Ruth of hockey.” Because of his movie-star handsomeness and chiseled physique, Howe was depicted as a Superman-like athlete in 1950s newsreels Howe scored 801 goals in 26 NHL seasons, and 174 more in six NHL World Hockey Association seasons.

What separated Howe from Gretzky and Orr was an ability and willingness to physically dominate opponent. He was as ruthless as he was skilled.

Howe scored his last NHL goal, at age 52, during the 1979-80 season. Today, a player registering a goal, an assist and a fighting major penalty is said to have achieved a Gordie Howe Hat Trick.

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