In Keystone, North Dakota of the USA, you’ll find one of the most beautiful pieces of artwork known to man. Mount Rushmore, sculpted by artist Danish-American Gutzon Borglum and his son, Lincoln Borglum, is a 60-foot sculpture of the heads of four American Presidents: George Washington (1732-1799), Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919) and Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). The entire monument covers 1,278.45 acres and is and is 5,725 feet above sea level, and it represents the first 130 years of American history.
A common activity when deciding on the best of the best in each sport is to come up with the Mount Rushmore of that specific sport. Pick four of the most iconic, the most inspirational figures and call it the Mount Rushmore of hockey, basketball, football, even professional wrestling. Every sport can make their case and with it comes the debate of who should and shouldn’t be involved.
Today, we look at the 2015 edition of NHL’s Mount Rushmore. 30 teams, hundreds of players and just four spots to fill. We’ve decided to go with three rules to making things more interesting. 1. Our Mount Rushmore consists of one forward, one defenseman, one goalie and one coach. 2. Our nominees for Mount Rushmore can NOT be nominated for any personal awards (i.e. Hart, Norris, Vezina, Jack Adams, etc…) 3. The playoffs are not taken into consideration.
2015 Mount Rushmore of Hockey
Forward – Sidney Crosby
It’s unfamiliar territory to find Crosby not nominated for any personal awards this year. Averaging around 20 minutes ago, the 27-year-old was well over a point-per-game for the tenth consecutive year. His 84 points in 77 games was good enough for third in league scoring, and his 56 assists also slotted him in third in the respective category. Both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin finished with 28 goals on the year, but Malkin finished a full 14 points behind his Pittsburgh Penguins captain and teammate.
Runner Up: Jakub Voracek
Defenseman – Roman Josi
Likely one of the most underrated players in the league and one that continues to fly under the radar, Josi has been a fantastic presence on the blue-line in Nashville. While the focus is mostly put on his pairing partner Shea Weber and his canon of a shot, Josi’s been just as important to the Predators as anyone else on the roster. Averaging 26:58 of ice time per game, Josi’s contribution of 15 goals on the season included four game-winners, while his 209 blocked shots led all defense in that category. While he fell short of a Norris nomination, he’s been consistently growing as one of the best players in Nashville.
Runner Up: Dennis Wideman
Goaltender – Braden Holtby
If there was a fourth nominee for the Vezina, Holtby deserved it. The most utilized goaltender in the league during the 2014-15 season, Holtby finished second in wins (41) and shutouts (9). Had it not been for Devan Dubnyk‘s magical run in Minnesota, where he pushed the Wild into a playoff spot almost single-handedly, Holty would be in contention with Carey Price and Pekka Rinne for the Vezina.
Runner Up: Cory Schneider
Head Coach – Mike Babcock
Originally, we were going with John Cooper, who once again took the Tampa Bay Lightning to one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference. However, Babcock not only deserves his spot on the NHL’s 2015 Mount Rushmore, he deserves a Jack Adams nomination. This season Babcock became the second-fastest coach to 500 wins, joining the 500-win club in just 895 games spread over 12 seasons with the Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim (Mighty) Ducks, Babcock’s success should not go under the radar any longer.
Runner Up: John Cooper
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