10 all-time greatest Team Canada players to play best-on-best international tourneys feat. Wayne Gretzky

With Team Canada set to participate in the 4 Nations Face-Off on Feb. 12, the star-studded lineup evokes memories of previous international tournaments. Those tournaments featured some of the most iconic players in NHL history wearing the red maple leaf.

So, let’s take a look at the 10 all-time greatest Team Canada players to play best-on-best international tournaments.

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Ten all-time greatest Team Canada players to play best-on-best international tourneys

#10 Paul Henderson

In 1972, Canada and the Soviet Union played in the first major international tournament where NHLers took part. The tournament, known as the Summit Series, kicked off in 1972, with the two best hockey nations in the world squaring off.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Paul Henderson became immortalized in Canadian hockey lore, as he scored the winning goal in the eighth and final game of the series to give Canada a 6-5 win over the Soviets in Moscow. Henderson’s goal is remembered as The Goal that Changed Canada.

#9 Ken Dryden

Montreal Canadiens netminder Ken Dryden was another legendary Team Canada player from the ’72 Summit Series.

Dryden and Tony Esposito backstopped the Canadian squad to the win in the series. Winner of the Calder, Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophies, Dryden was the most notable netminder to play for Canada in an international series at that point.

#8 Phil Esposito

Phil Esposito was one of the four alternate captains on the Canadian squad during the Summit Series.

His scoring and leadership were instrumental in leading Canada past the Soviets, particularly when the series shifted from Montreal to Moscow. Esposito was huge, getting the tying goal late in the third period of the final game before Henderson scored his legendary tally.

#7 Paul Coffey

One of the greatest offensive defensemen of all time, Coffey played for Team Canada during the 1987 Canada Cup series against the United States and the Soviet Union.

The Hall of Famer scored over 1,000 points and won multiple Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

#6 Mark Messier

Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers legend Mark Messier was also in the lineup for the 1987 Canada Cup series. Messier won six Stanley Cups throughout his career, ranks third in all-time NHL scoring and was a two-time Hart Trophy winner.

#5 Mario Lemieux

Mario Lemieux scored the unforgettable winner against the Soviets in the 1987 Canada Cup series. He played on one of the most memorable Canadian lines with Wayne Gretzky and Dale Hawerchuk in that series.

Beyond international play, Lemieux is considered among the top-five best NHL players of all time, winning two cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins, among multiple scoring titles and trophies.

#4 Patrick Roy

Patrick Roy led a legendary Canadian crease in the 1998 Olympics that featured what's considered the best-ever Team Canada team. However, they failed to medal despite having Roy, who won four Stanley Cups and multiple Vezina Trophies.

#3 Ray Bourque

Considered one of the best blue liners of all time, Ray Bourque anchored a dream defense core that included Scott Stevens, Chris Pronger and Rob Blake. The Boston Bruins legend tallied five Norris Trophies.

#2 Sidney Crosby

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby led Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, scoring the winning goal in overtime against the United States.

Crosby scored seven points in as many games to give Canada a historic win on home ice.

#1 Wayne Gretzky

"The Great One" played in several international tournaments, including the 1987 Canada Cup and the 1998 Olympics.

Gretzky, widely considered the best NHL player of all time, won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, among countless accolades. He's remembered for setting up Lemieux’s winning goal in the ’87 Canada Cup series against the Soviet Union.