NHL unveils Top 100 of all time

LOS ANGELES - The NHL unveiled the full list of its 100 greatest players on Friday night, in a star-studded gala event in Los Angeles

Having earlier announced the first 33 ‘legends’ of the top 100 list, which included the likes of earlier stars like Gordie Howe and Maurice ‘the Rocket’ Richard, the league on Friday evening filled out the remaining 67 spots with a red carpet event, introducing players decade by decade.

The definitive list. #NHL100

All 100 bios: https://t.co/vbYDMHZic4 pic.twitter.com/GQKkMo8x9h

And here are those who made the cut, in this moment of NHL history.

1970s:

Bobby Orr, Brad Park, Larry Robinson, Serge Savard, Ken Dryden, Tony Esposito, Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, Jacques Lemaire, Stan Mikita, Gilbert Perreault, Jean Ratelle, Darryl Sittler, Yvan Cournoyer, Bob Gainey, Bobby Hull, Guy Lafleur.

1980s:

Jari Kurri, Mike Gartner, Mike Bossy, Bryan Trottier, Peter Stastny, Denis Savard, Mark Messier, Pat LaFontaine, Wayne Gretzky, Ray Bourque, Paul Coffey, Al MacInnis, Denis Potvin, Borje Salming, Grant Fuhr, Billy Smith.

1990s:

Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Leetch, Chris Chelios, Pavel Bure, Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille, Brendan Shanahan, Sergei Fedorov, Peter Forsberg, Ron Francis, Mario Lemieux, Eric Lindros, Mike Modano, Joe Nieuwendyk, Adam Oates, Joe Sakic, Mats Sundin, Steve Yzerman.

2000s:

Teemu Selanne, Chris Pronger, Nicklas Lidstrom, Pavel Datsyuk, Martin Brodeur.

Active players:

Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith, Jonathan Toews, Alexander Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby, Jaromir Jagr.

While the NHL announced the top 100 without ranking them. Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr and Mario Lemieux had no reluctance to say No. 9, the man known as 'Mr. Hockey,' is No. 1.

They agree that Gordie Howe is the best to ever play.

RELATED: NHL legends insist Howe was the best to play the game

“We talk about this all of the time, and I think it’s what makes sports great and hockey wonderful,” Gretzky said Friday before the top 100 were announced. “But we are all pretty much in agreement that Gordie was pretty special.”

Howe, nicknamed "Mr. Hockey," died last June at the age of 88. He played 26 seasons in the NHL, and six more in the now-defunct World Hockey Association. He was a dominant scorer, second only to Wayne Gretzky in goals, and a monstrous physical force.

“We all had so much respect for what Gordie did and what he accomplished,” Gretzky said. “It’s not a bad thing to be named in the top 100 behind Gordie Howe.”

As with any list, there are controversial omissions. Here are a few of them.

Here are other notable players who didn’t make the cut for the Top 100:

Joe Thornton: The San Jose Sharks star is generally considered one of top passers in NHL history. He’s led the league in assists in three different seasons. He’s a former NHL Hart Trophy winner and scoring champion (2005-06) and ranks second among active players in points (1372).

Michel Goulet: He’s a Hall of Fame left winger who scored 48 or more goals for the Quebec Nordiques for six consecutive seasons from 1982-88. His 1.06 points per game average ranks 34th all-time.

Pierre Pilote: Before Bobby Orr showed up, Pilote was the NHL’s top defenseman in the 1960s. Over a six-season period, he won three Norris Trophies and finished second three times. He’s been in the Hall of Fame since 1975.

Ed Belfour: Ranks third all-time in goaltending wins with 474 and has two Vezina Trophies, four Jennings trophies, a Calder Trophy and a Stanley Cup (with Dallas Stars in 1999) on his resume. Ranks ninth all-time with 76 shutouts.

Jarome Iginla: He was one of the game’s most effective power forwards for more than a decade. At one point, he netted 30 goals or more goals for 12 consecutive seasons. He has 617 goals, and 1285 points. Incredible numbers in an era when scoring is at a premium.

Dale Hawerchuk: Ranks 19th all-time with 1,409 career points. His 891 assists rank 21st all-time and his 518 goals rank 36th. He racked 100 or more points six times in the 1980s. His absence from the list highlights that championships are often the tiebreaker in this kind of voting. Hawerchuk never won a Stanley Cup

Phil Housley: Ranks fourth all-time among defensemen with 1,252 points and he finally entered the Hall of Fame in 2015. He was the first player ever to jump from high school hockey into the NHL. Ranks second all-time on points by an American-born player.