There are five roles in hockey such as the center, the left, and right wings, the left and right defenders, and the goaltender. The goalkeeper holds the puck out of the net in all conditions, the defenders help prevent the opposite side from scoring, and the center wins’ penalty shots. He also makes the majority of points with the other wide players.
What is the best position in hockey? The most challenging and essential place in hockey is the center. A typical big, skillful centerman can score goals, maintain match tempo and excel in both the defensive and offensive areas. He is the type of player that NHL top management would like to recruit.
Well, if you want to go into the details of this position, don’t stop reading it here.
What is the most important position in hockey?
The centers are the players who have the biggest impact in both the offensive and defensive areas. They are in charge of the game and the tempo of the match.
It will be a little confusing to determine which position in hockey is the most significant. It is because different individuals will have various views on what makes a great team and the best ways to achieve that.
From the goal out, defend to victory, and the center are a few of the typical ideas. Which position has the biggest effect on the team’s performance and the match?
The most important position in hockey is the center player position. They dominate the business end of the game. They have the greatest number of players selected for the match and make the highest shots.
You can read this article: What were the First 4 NHL Teams?
Reason 1: Most players inducted into the Hall of Fame by Position since 1999
| Hall of Fame Inductees since 1999 | |
| Position | Total |
| Center | 24 |
| Right Wing | 14 |
| Left Wing | 10 |
| Defensemen | 16 |
| Goalie | 6 |
24 center players were among the skaters that were elected into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999. The two most prominent names on the list were Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux. They have shown exceptional performance in the match.
You must know that just six goalkeepers had been selected as members of the Hall of Fame. They include the magnificent Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, and Martin Brodeur,
Furthermore, a selection for the Hockey Hall of Fame considers how influential a player was during their period in the match. It includes their performance and the goals they made. And it has been shown that individuals who filled the center position had the most effect on the result of the match.
Reason 2: Hart Trophy Winners for Most Valuable Player
| Hart Trophy Winners by Position since 1923 | |
| Position | Total |
| Center | 49 |
| Left Wing | 8 |
| Right Wing | 16 |
| Defensemen | 11 |
| Goalie | 8 |
The player who is considered to be the Most Valuable Player for his club receives the Hart Trophy. The player gets this award in the season’s final game. This trophy was first awarded in an NHL match in 1923. So, the center has been performed 49 times by the player who has been chosen to be the most important in his club.
At 16 times with Right Wing, the next placement of the center player was not competitive. Thus, combining all the wins of a team at non-center positions comes to a sum of 43. It is still 6 times less to break the record that is set by a player.
Since defenders and goalies receive their trophies, they must perform well to get the Hart cup, which favors the forward positions.
Reason 3: Most overall #1 draft picks are #1 Centers
| First Overall Draft Positions since 1980 | |
| Position | Total |
| Center | 17 |
| Wing | 10 |
| Defencemen | 7 |
| Goalie | 2 |
NHL teams have the opportunity to select the player who will have the greatest impact on their team. They can do the selection during the amateur draft. If you go through the history, you will see that a player who played at the center position has been selected first overall 17 times in 1980.
Moreover, NHL players who were selected as centers are Mario Lemieux, Mike Modano, Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, and more. The following players were selected for the other positions such as Rick DiPietro (guard), Ed Jovanoski (defense), Bryan Berard (defense), Chris Phillips (defense), and Roman Hamrlik (defense) (D).
All of these were competent NHL players, but they were all beaten by the centers who were selected first overall.
You can read this article: Who scored the most goals in one NHL season?
Reason 4: The hardest thing to do in the NHL: Score goals. Who does it the best? Centermen!
It is stated that scoring goals and earning points in the NHL is the trickiest task to accomplish during a match. While scoring skills cannot be learned, defending can be learned. The skaters who contribute in the offensive role to the match are the centers. They are highly desired by NHL management.
A team can develop a defensive approach to enhance their ability. But it is more difficult to develop a strategy for a goal. Defense is regarded as something that can be managed or practiced. But scoring is regarded as a skill that players either naturally possess or don’t. It is because it needs creativity and vision.
Also, it is uncommon to locate these unique attacking players. The centermen will always be close to the front in the largest number when you consider the goal statistics.
Reason 5: Redraft the NHL who would be the first players taken?
Who would be selected first if all of the players in the draft were put into a pool? Most individuals would prefer to select one of the best centers in the match.
Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Auston Matthews are the best players you would see in the matches. Great players like Patrick Kane, Nikita Kucherov, Carey Price, and Brett Burns are available. But all of them would be selected after the best centers in the league.
Conclusion: What is the most important position in hockey?
In the overall statistics of the award, the center beats every other position and due to this, the center is also the best position in hockey. When you talk about how the center has the biggest impact on the performance of the match, they hit all the other players with their excellent performance.
