Iginla, Lidstrom, Thornton highlight first six players voted to NHL Quarter Century Team

Some of the best players to lace up the skates are being honored for their contributions this century.

On Thursday, the NHL announced the first six players for the NHL Quarter-Century Team, featuring players who debuted in the league before 2000. Hockey Hall of Famers Nicklas Lidstrom, Teemu Selanne, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, along with legends Zdeno Chara and Joe Thornton, were named to the historical roster.

All six players proved they were the best in the game during their heyday. Nicklas Lidstrom, the oldest of the bunch, debuted with the Detroit Red Wings in 1991, and by the end of the decade, he was regarded as one of the top blueliners in the NHL. His presence grew in the 2000s. From 2001 to 2011, the Swedish blueliner won the Norris Trophy seven times. During his career with the Wings, he won four Stanley Cups, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2002. Lidstrom also became the first European-born player to captain his team to a championship in 2008.

Jarome Iginla might go down as the best player of his generation to have never won a Stanley Cup. The longtime Calgary Flame was a prolific scorer during the dead-puck era, winning the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy twice, scoring a career-high 52 goals in 2001-02. Iginla made stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, Boston Bruins, Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings, finishing his career with 625 goals.

The 21st century might not have been where Teemu Selanne was the…flashiest player. However, the Finnish superstar reached the ultimate goal of winning Lord Stanley’s Cup with the Anaheim Ducks in 2007. In a career that also saw him play for the Winnipeg Jets, San Jose Sharks and Avalanche, Selanne potted 684 goals and 1,457 points.

Chara was one the most imposing figures in the sport’s history. The longtime Bruins captain stood head and shoulders above the rest, both in size and with his game. His physical play and his booming shot might be what he’s most remembered for, but the Slovakian defenseman was also one of the best leaders the game has ever seen. Along with leading the Bruins to the Cup, Chara also won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award in 2011. In 2008-09, he won the Norris Trophy.

Joe Sakic was a star of the ’90s, a key member of the Avalanche’s sharp rise to prominence. That carried into the early 2000s, when the Avs won the Stanley Cup in 2001. That season, the Burnaby, British Columbia native won the Lady Byng and Hart Trophies. He played his entire with the franchise that began as the Quebec Nordiques, scoring 1,641 points in 1,378 games.

“Jumbo Joe” is regarded as one of the most well-liked figures ever to have played the game. Whether it be for his glowing personality or his extended facial hair, the former Bruin was one of the more well-known players of his era. Along with captaining some very good Sharks teams over a decade ago, Thornton was one of the best passers in the NHL. The year Thornton was traded from Boston to San Jose, he won the Art Ross and Hart Trophy.