Hockey is a game that is loved by millions of people around the world. It is a game full of speed, grit, and hard hits. But what sets hockey apart from other sports is the unique culture surrounding it. Much of that culture is reflected in the hockey nicknames given to the players. Hockey fans, press and players are some of the most creative people around, and their nicknames reflect that. From “Mr. Hockey” to “The Great One”, here is a list of some classic hockey nicknames.
Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky Wayne really was great
“Mr. Hockey” – Gordie Howe Gordie Howe was the complete hockey package
Dave “The Hammer” Schultz The Hammer punched real good
Sidney Crosby – “The Kid” Sid” the kid” Well at least it rhymes
Ken “The Rat” Lindseman One of the greatest hockey pests of all time
Tiger – Dave “Tiger” Williams Tiger was a great fighter and also entertaining
“Battleship” Bob Kelly Part of the “Broad Street Bullies” era in Philadelphia
Maurice “Rocket” Richard First NHL player to score 50 goals in one season.
Henri “The Pocket Rocket” Richard The “Rockets” younger brother and great Canadien
Stu “The Grim Reaper” Grimson Tough player with a great nickname
Lorne “ Gump” Worsely Named after the comic strip character Andy Gump
“The Flower” – Guy Lafluer Great Montreal Canadien and Quebec Nordique
Yvan “The Roadrunner” Cournyer Only stood 5”7’ and had great speed
Alex Ovechkin – “The Great Eight” Obviously he wears number 8 and he is great
“Super Mario” Lemieux Named after a video game…. but he was super
Bernie “Boom Boom” Geoffrion Got his nickname because of his hard slapshot
Don “Grapes” Cherry A wordplay on fruit. Get it!!
“The Dominator” – Dominic Hasek Great goalie with the Buffalo Sabres
Curtis “Cujo” Joseph From a Stephen King Novel
Derek “The Boogieman” Boogaard A very scary guy to fight
Dave “Cement Head” Semenko Wayne Gretzky’s bodyguard. His head was actually made of cement.
Larry “Big Bird” Robinson He looked like Big Bird from Sesame Street
Bobby Hull – “The Golden Jet” His speed and his blond hair flowing in the wind
Eddie “ The Entertainer” Shack Never a dull moment when Eddie was on the ice
“Terrible” Ted Lindsey Feared player for Toronto, Detroit in the original six era
Conclusion: There are some great nicknames here. We left out the non creative crappy nicknames, like if a player’s name is Campbell you call him soupy or if a guy’s hair is red you call him “red. “ Those nicknames are boring and they suck.
Leave your favorite hockey nickname in the comments below.
