Who is the definitive face of each NHL franchise? Earlier this season, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby passed the legendary Mario Lemieux for the most points in franchise history. Crosby, in his 21st season in the NHL, now has 652 goals and 1,744 points in 1,403 career games (and counting). The future Hall of Famer passing Super Mario marked a changing of the guard at the top of the Penguins’ history books and also raised the question: “Who is the face of the Penguins franchise - Crosby or Lemieux?” And that question then morphed into: “Who is the face of the franchise for every team in the National Hockey League?” To answer that, TSN put together a panel of voters to decide the Face of the Franchise for every NHL team – defined as the person who comes to mind when you think of that franchise, and not just that franchise’s best player ever. Only the Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, Utah Mammoth (Arizona Coyotes), and Washington Capitals had a unanimous player voted. Meanwhile, the Columbus Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers, and Ottawa Senators missed out on a unanimous winner by one vote each. At the other end of the spectrum, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks each had seven players receiving votes, while the Nashville Predators, Florida Panthers, and Seattle Kraken had six each. There were five players voted as a team’s Face of the Franchise who have yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, and there were also four winners who never captured a Stanley Cup with the franchise they were voted to represent. Wayne Gretzky, Teemu Selanne, Pavel Bure, and Scott Niedermayer were the only four players to receive votes for multiple franchises. Ron Francis was the only person to receive votes as both a player (with the Carolina Hurricanes) and an executive (with the Seattle Kraken) with two separate franchises. See our full results below, and make your own vote here for each Face of the Franchise. Anaheim Ducks Winner: Teemu Selanne (37.5%) Also receiving votes: Paul Kariya (33.3%), Ryan Getzlaf (25%), Scott Niedermayer (4%) The race for the Ducks’ Face of the Franchise came down to the wire, with Selanne beating out Kariya by a single vote. Selanne and Kariya were the faces of a brand-new expansion franchise trying to establish itself in the 1990s. Nicknamed the “Finnish Flash,” Selanne played parts of 15 seasons in Anaheim and is all over the team’s record book, leading the club with 457 goals. He is also second behind Getzlaf with 531 assists and 988 points. In his first stint with the Ducks, from 1996-01, Selanne was a prolific goal scorer who cracked the 50-goal plateau twice (in 1997 and 1998) and became the inaugural “Rocket” Richard Trophy winner in 1999 by scoring 47 goals. After making stops in San Jose and Colorado, he returned to Anaheim prior to the 2005-06 campaign, where he played the final nine seasons of his career. This period was highlighted by the team’s first Stanley Cup championship in 2007. Selanne was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2017. Boston Bruins Winner: Bobby Orr (83.3%) Also receiving votes: Ray Bourque (8%), Johnny Bucyk (4%), Phil Esposito (4%) Who could forget the shot of No. 4 flying through the air as he scored Boston’s Stanley Cup-winning goal in 1970? Orr is one of the greatest players to ever play in the NHL and changed the way defensemen played the game. The Port Perry, Ont., native played 10 seasons in Boston, helping the Bruins to two Stanley Cup titles in 1970 and 1972. Orr won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman an NHL-record eight times and became the first and only blueliner to lead the league in scoring, achieving the feat in 1969-70 (120 points) and 1974-75 (135 points). The eight-time first-team all-star also became the first defenseman to score 30 goals in a season in 1970 and then broke the 40-goal plateau during the 1974-75 campaign. He also holds the league record for the highest single-season plus-minus rating at plus-124 in 1970-71. Orr won the Hart Trophy three straight years from 1970 to 1972 and won the Conn Smythe Trophy in both of Boston’s championships. He registered 264 goals and 888 points in 631 career games as a Bruin and was one of 10 players to have his mandatory waiting period waived to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. Buffalo Sabres Winner: Dominik Hasek (58.3%) Also receiving votes: Gilbert Perreault (29.1%), Pat LaFontaine (12%) Sporting his famous helmet and cage, ‘The Dominator’ struck fear in the hearts of goal scorers during his nine-year tenure with the Buffalo Sabres. Hasek was Buffalo’s anchor in net in the late nineties, winning the Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award and Vezina Trophy in the same year, doing it twice in 1997 and 1998. Only Montreal Canadiens netminder Carey Price has equaled the feat in 2015. He led the Sabres to the Stanley Cup Final in 1999, falling to the Dallas Stars in a hard-fought six-game series. Hasek is second in franchise history with 234 wins and 170 losses, only sitting behind Ryan Miller. He remains as the franchise leader with 55 shutouts, a career .926 save percentage, and a 2.22 goals-against average. Hasek won six Vezina Trophies, two Hart Trophies, two Lester B. Pearson Awards, and was a six-time first-team all-star as a member of the Sabres and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. Calgary Flames Winner: Jarome Iginla (70.8%) Also receiving votes: Lanny McDonald (20.8%), Theo Fleury (4%), Al MacInnis (4%) Iginla was the marquee player on a Flames team that took the franchise to its highest peak since winning their only Stanley Cup in 1989. The Edmonton native led the Flames to the Stanley Cup Final in 2004. Iginla is the franchise leader in goals (525) and points (1,095). He is second in franchise history with 570 assists (behind Al MacInnis) and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2021. The 6-foot-1 winger’s offensive career was highlighted by a magical 2001-02 season, where he registered 52 goals and 96 points, winning the Art Ross Trophy, “Rocket” Richard Trophy, and Lester B. Pearson Award in the process. Iginla also won a second Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy in 2003-04, registering 41 goals. His leadership and dedication to Calgary was recognized when he won the King Clancy Trophy in 2004 and the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2009. Carolina Hurricanes Winner: Rod Brind’Amour (62.5%) Also receiving votes: Ron Francis (25%), Eric Staal (12.5%) Brind’Amour was acquired by the Hurricanes as part of a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2000 that saw Keith Primeau go the other way. The Ottawa native soon became the Face of the Franchise during its most prosperous period. Brind’Amour played parts of 10 seasons in Carolina, helping the club reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2002 and win its first championship in 2006. The 6-foot-1 center was one of the premier defensive forwards in the game, winning the Selke Trophy twice (2006 and 2007). He’s one of five Face of the Franchise winners who is not in the Hockey Hall of Fame. After Brind’Amour retired, he joined the Hurricanes’ coaching staff and eventually became head coach prior to the 2018-19 season. He established himself as one of the top coaches in the league, leading the team to three Metropolitan Division titles and seven playoff appearances. Brind’Amour won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2021, leading the team to a 36-12-8 record in a shortened 56-game season. Chicago Blackhawks Winner: Jonathan Toews (25%) Also receiving votes: Patrick Kane (20.8%), Bobby Hull (20.8%), Stan Mikita (20.8%), Glenn Hall (4%), Chris Chelios (4%), Jeremy Roenick (4%) Toews captained the Blackhawks to their first Stanley Cup in 49 years in 2010, which was the longest active drought in the NHL at the time. The Winnipeg native led the Blackhawks to three Stanley Cup championships in six seasons (2010, 2013, and 2015) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP in 2010. Nicknamed “Captain Serious,” Toews was one of the main faces of a golden age for hockey in Chicago, leading the team to a Presidents’ Trophy in 2012-13, three division titles, and 10 playoff appearances. He was also recognized as one of the game’s best defensive forwards, winning the Selke Trophy in 2013 and won the Mark Messier Leadership Award in 2015. Toews is sixth all-time in franchise history with 372 goals and 883 points as well as being ninth all-time with 1,067 games played as a Blackhawk. Colorado Avalanche Winner: Joe Sakic (100%) Sakic was one of four players to be unanimously voted as a team’s Face of the Franchise. The Burnaby, B.C., native was drafted 15th overall by the Quebec Nordiques in 1987 and came with the team to Colorado when they relocated prior to the 1995-96 season. Sakic was the team’s superstar upon arrival. He led the team to a Stanley Cup in their inaugural season and then repeated the feat in 2001. He sits atop the Avalanche’s record books in games played (1,378), goals (625), assists (1,016), and points (1,641). The three-time first-team all-star’s pinnacle was during the 2000-01 season, where he won the Hart Trophy, Lester B. Pearson Award, and Lady Byng Trophy after registering 54 goals and 118 points in 82 games. Sakic was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012 and rejoined the Avalanche as part of their management group in 2013 and became general manager a year later. He put together a team that won the franchise’s third Stanley Cup in 2022, which was their first in 21 years. Columbus Blue Jackets Winner: Rick Nash (95.8%) Also receiving votes: Zach Werenski (4%) Nash narrowly missed out on a unanimous vote for the Blue Jackets’ Face of the Franchise by one vote. The 6-foot-4 power forward was drafted first overall in the 2002 draft and was the Blue Jackets’ most marketable forward in the early years of their franchise as they tried to get a foothold in the Columbus community. He won the “Rocket” Richard Trophy during his sophomore season in 2004, recording 41 goals. Nash holds the all-time Blue Jackets’ record in career goals (289), points (547), and has 258 assists, which is second to only Werenski. The Brampton, Ont., native had the ability to lift fans out of their seats with his power skating and had a knack for scoring highlight-reel goals. Dallas Stars Winner: Mike Modano (100%) Drafted first overall by the Minnesota North Stars in 1988, Modano came along with the team to Dallas when they relocated in 1993 and became the face of hockey in Texas. He was the marquee player who made the Stars a powerhouse in the Western Conference in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which, in turn, helped Texas become a hockey hotbed that is producing young talent. Modano helped the Stars win their first Stanley Cup in 1999 and then led the team back to the final in 2000, where they fell to the New Jersey Devils. The Livonia, Mich, native holds the franchise record for goals (557), assists (802), points (1,359), and games played (1,459) over the course of his 20-year career in the Stars’ organization. Modano was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014. Detroit Red Wings Winner: Gordie Howe (66.6%) Also receiving votes: Steve Yzerman (29.1%), Nicklas Lidstrom (4%) Howe was one of the most feared and talented players during the Original Six era. “Mr. Hockey” helped the Red Wings to four Stanley Cups in 1950, 1952, 1954, and 1955. He was known as one of the most relentlessly physical players in the NHL, with opponents fearing his elbows when the officials weren’t looking. Howe won six Hart Trophies and six Art Ross Trophies during his time in Detroit and finished up as the franchise record holder for goals (786) and points (1,809) in 1,687 career games over his 25-year career with the Red Wings. He is also second in team history with 1,023 assists, sitting only behind Yzerman. Howe’s career goal and point total also topped the NHL record book, until Wayne Gretzky surpassed him in points in 1989 and goals in 1994. He also held the record for most games played in the NHL until Patrick Marleau passed him in 2021. Howe was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame when he retired from the Red Wings in 1971, becoming one of 10 players who had their mandatory waiting period waived. Edmonton Oilers Winner: Wayne Gretzky (95.8%) Also receiving votes: Connor McDavid (4%) “The Great One” dominated in his nine seasons with the Oilers and basked Edmonton with his greatness. His extraordinary hockey IQ and his ability to know where the puck was going to end up led him to accomplish feats that were never thought to be possible. The Brantford, Ont., native was a threat every night he was on the ice, holding team records with 583 goals, 1,086 assists, and 1,669 points. He was the catalyst of a dynasty that won four Stanley Cups in five years in 1984, 1985, 1987, and 1988. His 50 goals in 39 games during the 1981-82 campaign remains a record that may never be broken and ended up with 92 goals in that year, which is a league record for a single season. Gretzky won the Hart Trophy as league MVP in eight of his nine years in Edmonton and added seven Art Ross Trophies, four Lester B. Pearson Awards, and a Lady Byng Trophy during that span. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1999, becoming the last player to be included without going through the mandatory waiting period. Florida Panthers Winner: Roberto Luongo (37.5%) Also receiving votes: Aleksander Barkov (33.3%), Matthew Tkachuk (8%), Pavel Bure (8%), John Vanbiesbrouck (8%), Scott Mellanby (2%) Luongo narrowly beat Barkov, who captained the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. Luongo was acquired by Florida from the New York Islanders prior to the 2000-01 season and became the marquee star for a franchise that struggled to find team success. The 6-foot-3 netminder was one of the premier goaltenders in the NHL in his first stint with the Panthers, going 108-154-41 with a .920 save percentage and 2.67 goals-against average in five seasons. He was then traded to the Vancouver Canucks prior to the 2006-07 campaign. Luongo was dealt back to Florida in 2014, playing the final six seasons of his career in the Panthers’ crease and establishing himself as the face of hockey in South Florida. The Montreal native has the Panthers’ all-time goaltending records with 230 wins, 241 losses, 38 shutouts, and 572 appearances. He is second in franchise history with a .919 save percentage and third with a 2.62 goals-against average. Los Angeles Kings Winner: Wayne Gretzky (45.8%) Also receiving votes: Anze Kopitar (25%), Luc Robitaille (12.5%), Marcell Dionne (12.5%), Drew Doughty (4%) Gretzky was the only player to be named Face of the Franchise for two organizations. While much of Gretzky’s team success occurred while he was a member of the Edmonton Oilers, many of his marquee individual accomplishments happened after he was traded to the Kings in 1988. His arrival in Los Angeles set off a wave of hockey interest in California and led to more expansion teams in the American sunbelt. During his time in Los Angeles, Gretzky passed Howe for the most points in a career in 1989 and then passed Howe again for the most goals in a career in 1994. Gretzky’s goal record of 894 stood until the 2024-25 season when it was broken by Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals. The Great One played eight seasons in Los Angeles where he won the Hart Trophy (in 1989), three Art Ross Trophies (1990, 1991, and 1994), and three Lady Byng Trophies (1991, 1992, and 1994). Gretzky’s time with the Kings was highlighted by a trip to the Stanley Cup Final
