The Hockeycentric Top 10: All-Time Euro Defencemen

Many believe Nicklas Lidstrom to not only be the all-time best European defenseman, but also the best European. Period.

On October 15th, Lidstrom became the first European rearguard to reach 1000 points, adding another milestone to his impressive resume.

Despite Lidstrom’s dominance though, and Europe’s overwhelming presence in the modern NHL, the majority of superstars from overseas have been forwards and goalies.

With Victor Hedman leading the way, today’s crop of youngsters will turn out some fantastic European defensemen, but that’s not to say we haven’t had enough throughout hockey history to put together a stellar top-10.


10. Fredrik Olausson, Sweden
Olausson quietly played over 1000 games in the NHL and scored 581 points. He won the Stanley Cup with a number of other Swedes with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. Unfortunately, he retired in 2007 due to a serious illness, and is currently awaiting a liver donation.

9. Sandis Ozolinsh, Latvia
Ozolinsh is the all time leader for points and games played by a Latvian in the NHL. He is also the second highest paid sportsman in Latvian history, behind basketball player Andris Biedrins. He is a seven-time All Star and won the Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996.

8. Roman Hamrlik, Czech Republic
Hamrlik was selected first overall in the 1992 NHL Entry Draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, and has made a career out of being a powerplay quarterback. His 564 points and 1229 penalty minutes depict his nastiness, and he was an integral part of the Czech Republic team that won Gold at the Nagano Olympics.

7. Teppo Numminen, Finland
This recently retired blueliner set the record for most games by a European-trained player, surpassing Jari Kurri. Incredibly, Numminen was forced to undergo open heart surgery before the start of the 2007-08 NHL season, and he returned for Buffalo’s final game that year, and went on to play one more full season in the NHL. Numminen is the only Finn on our list.

6. Sergei Gonchar, Russia
Gonchar’s 641 points in the NHL have earned him a spot in the top-30 all time in defenseman scoring. Gonchar plays an offensive and aggressive game, sitting a total of 793 minutes in the penalty box. This recent Stanley Cup Winner with the Pittsburgh Penguins is known as well for his international play, having represented Russia in two Olympic Games, a World Junior Championship, two World Cups and two World Championships.

5. Vladimir Konstantinov, Russia
“Vladdie” was drafted 221st overall in the 1989 NHL Entry Draft by the Detroit Red Wings, after impressing a Red Wings scout at the 1987 World Junior Championships, where a brawl broke out in the Russia/Canada game. Scout Neil Smith remembers, “He was the only one of the Russians who fought back.” His mark of +60 at the end of the 1995-96 season has been the highest rating a player has finished with in the past 20 seasons. Konstantinov was involved in a limousine accident just six days after the Red Wings won the 1997 Stanley Cup, and this brought an end to his brilliant career.

4. Sergei Zubov, Russia
Zubov is considered one of the best offensive defencemen in NHL history, scoring a career high 89 points in 1993-94 with the New York Rangers. A two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the New York Rangers (1994) and Dallas Stars (1999), he is the NHL’s all time leading scorer among Russian defencemen.

3. Viacheslav Fetisov, Russia
They once called him “The Russian Bobby Orr”. A Hall-of-Fame member as of 2001, Fetisov’s successes both with the Red Wings in the 1990’s and his overall contribution to international hockey give him a resume comparable to very few others. His international winnings include two gold medals and a bronze in the Olympics, as well as seven golds in the World Championships. Fetisov and Scott Niedermayer are the only two players in hockey history to have won the Stanley Cup, Olympics, World Championships, World Cup, and World Juniors.

2. Borje Salming, Sweden
“The King” was the first European to enjoy major success in the NHL, playing 17 seasons in North America. Salming was a three-time All Star and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996. He was also named to the IIHF Centennial All Stars Team along with Vladislav Tretiak, Viacheslav Fetisov, Sergei Makarov, Valeri Kharlamov and Wayne Gretzky.

1. Nicklas Lidstrom, Sweden
Lidstrom has enjoyed tremendous success in every area of his career. He is 9th on the all time scoring list for defencemen, and has won four Stanley Cups, an Olympic Gold Medal and eight Norris trophies. Predicting Lidstrom to win the Norris is a safe pick every year, and to pick him as a finalist has become an absolute no brainer. He will later be regarded as one of the ten best players in NHL history, and the greatest defenseman in history next to Bobby Orr.

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