I consider myself very fortunate as a hockey fan. I have gotten to see many of the all-time greats of the game play in person, including Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Gordie Howe (as a member of the Hartford Whalers in his final NHL season). Watching Pavel Datsyuk's dazzling shot on Detroit's third goal last night, it got me to thinking about which players in the game that it actually feels like a privilege to watch play.

For me, Datsyuk is absolutely one of those players. Amazing hands, great passer, incredible ice vision, two-way play: there's very little he doesn't do. Datsyuk can make extremely difficult plays look easy -- such as taking a bouncing puck and hammering a shot into the top shelf the way he did last night.

Detroit fans are extremely fortunate. They've had the opportunity to witness numerous once-in-a-generation talents in the last quarter century, ranging from Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov to Nicklas Lidstrom and Datsyuk. If I made a list of all-time players that I'd gladly pay to watch play, those four players would absolutely be on the list.

I'd be interested in hearing our readers' take: What CURRENT player(s) do you feel the most privileged to watch? What all-time players -- active or retired -- would you most want to see play in person?

Join the Discussion: » 192 Comments » Post New Comment

» Previewing the BEST UFA Left Wingers....My Favorite May Surprise You.

» Panarin Suspension? Quinn Fired In San Jose; Buzzcast at 3pm

» UFA Season Starts Now. Top Five Centers.

» Four Games on Monday: Who Are Your Picks? Mon's Buzzcast

» Home Teams Ruling the Day. Will It Continue? [email protected]. UFA's Tomorrow.