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1990s Mario Lemieux — Pittsburgh Penguins Had cancer and multiple back surgeries not taken their toll and abbreviated Mario’s career he could have made a legitimate run at Gretzky’s scoring records. He averaged more than two points-per-game in the 90s; no other player eclipsed 1.4 points-per-game.Hall of Fame coach and broadcaster Dick Irvin had the following to say regarding Lemieux’s greatness: In the playoffs of 1991 and 1992, Mario Lemieux raised the individual aspect of the game to a higher level than anyone I’ve ever seen play. -Dick Irvin (Stu Hackel, NHL.com) January 1, 2017 Despite missing three full seasons and large chunks of two others, Lemieux still managed to win four Art Ross Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Lester Pearson Awards and two Conn Smythe Trophies. After missing 56 games during the 1990-91 season, he registered 44 points in 23 playoff games, leading Pittsburgh to its first-ever Stanley Cup title. It was the first of two Cups Lemieux would win, doing so again the following season. Dominik Hasek — Chicago Blackhawks, Buffalo Sabres Dominik Hasek was so good in the 90s that I briefly considered putting him at the top of this list. “The Dominator” was a brick wall, but one that could contort and morph like the T-1000 from Terminator 2. How good was Hasek? He won five Vezina Trophies in a decade when Patrick Roy and Ed Belfour were in their prime, and some kid in New Jersey named Brodeur was winning Cups. He’s the only goaltender in NHL history to win the Hart and Lester Pearson multiple times, doing so in back-to-back seasons (1996-97, 1997-98). He carried the 1998-99 Sabres (whose best skaters were Miroslav Satan and Michael Peca) to the Stanley Cup Final. He even took those Sabres to triple-overtime in Game Six versus the mighty Dallas Stars, a team which included Mike Modano, Brett Hull, Joe Nieuwendyk and the aforementioned Ed Belfour.His crowning achievement of the decade was backstopping (and leading) the 1998 Czech Republic team to a stunning gold medal win over Canada in the Nagano Olympics. Wayne Gretzky — Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers Though well-traveled throughout the 90s and on the “back-nine” of his career, Gretzky was still “Great” in the decade. His scoring rate of 1.372 points-per-game (878 points in 640 games) trailed only Lemieux. Only once in his illustrious career did “99” average less than a point-per-game in a season, doing so in his 20th and final year at 38 years old. Still, the 62 points in 70 games during the 1998-99 season were more than respectable. Gretzky captured two additional Art Ross Trophies in the decade, and with all due respect to Marcel Dionne, brought hockey to Southern California. Jaromir Jagr — Pittsburgh Penguins Long before he was a greybeard playing alongside guys young enough to be his children, Jaromir Jagr was a teenager excelling against grown men. That blistering speed. That incredible skill. That legendary mullet.Jagr’s speed, creativity and finishing ability would have made him a threat regardless of who was centering his line. Make that centerman Mario Lemieux and the writing was on the wall; teams would be giving up goals, and plenty of them. His 958 points (in 725 games) led all scorers in the decade. Before discrediting Jagr one iota as being “just Mario’s sidekick,” note that Jagr recorded 325 points in 221 games without Lemieux between 1997-2000. That’s an average of 120 points per 82 games. He captured the Art Ross Trophy four times, the Lester Pearson Award twice, the Hart Trophy once, and lifted the Stanley Cup in back-to-back years to begin the decade. Eric Lindros — Philadelphia Flyers Admittedly, the 1990s were the most difficult decade to assess; just too much talent spread throughout the league. It was in this decade that the parity in the NHL began to approach the levels of today’s game. This spot could have gone to nearly a dozen players, but in the end went to Lindros. What he was able to accomplish when healthy enough to play was remarkable. Lindros was the prototypical power forward. He could score at an elite level, distribute from the center position to fellow star John LeClair, and strike fear in the hearts of defensemen with his size (6-foot-4, 230 pounds) and tenacity. His battles with Scott Stevens were the stuff of legend, like Achilles and Hector on ice. Unfortunately for Lindros, he ultimately played the role of Hector. Had he not been slowed and eventually subdued by a never-ending list of injuries (including a horrific concussion sustained here), Eric Lindros could have been one of the all-time greats. Honorable Mention: Brett Hull, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Teemu Selanne, Peter Forsberg, Pat Lafontaine, Pavel Bure, Adam Oates, Ray Bourque, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur