Test yourself! Take this A Century of Hockey Nicknames Quiz | NHL Players

Answer: The Great One

Wayne Gretzky honed his craft on the backdoor rink in his hometown of Brantford, ON and went on to reach milestones in the NHL that were unimaginable when his career began. 894 career goals, 2857 career points. A season of 92 goals (1981-82) and 215 points (1985-86). Gretzky fell Maurice Richard's 50 goals in 50 games mark by 11 games. Gretzky was not just a product of playing in the NHL's highest scoring era, he led the league in points each year by an average of 52 points.

The area behind the net is still referred to as "Gretzky's office" for how Gretzky would control the puck and set up his teammates.

Answer: The Rocket

Richard wasn't the first superstar in NHL history but he was the first superstar in the television era. In just his third NHL season at the age of 23, Richard scored 50 goals in the first 50 games of the 1944-45 NHL season. No other player would accomplish the feat for 36 years. Richard lead the league in scoring five times, became the first NHL player to score 500 career goals and won 8 Stanley Cups in his 18 season NHL career, all with the Montreal Canadiens.

The French-Canadian Richard became a Quebecois sporting icon.

Answer: Gump

Gump Worsley earnned his nicknames on the playgrounds at school in Montreal as his friends thought he resembled comic character Andy Gump from "The Gumps". Worsley was typical of goaltenders of his era in the 1950s and 1960s - fearless yet quirky. Worsley won the Calder Trophy as a New York Ranger in 1952 as rookie of the year but found himself banished to Vancouver the falling season after asking for a $500 pay raise. Ten years later he found himself railroaded from the league, this time from the Montreal Canadiens for his involvement in the formation of a players union. Worsley backstopped the Canadiens to 4 Stanley Cups in 5 seasons from 1965 to 1969. Worsley refused to wear a mask for the entirety of his career, famously stating that his face was his mask. Worsley was also afraid of flying.

Answer: Mr. Goalie

Glenn Hall is hockey's version of Cal Ripken Jr. Hall played 502 consecutive games for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks in his career. Hall played the entire streak without a helmet and has the stitches to show for it. Hall pionereed what is now known as the butterfly style of goaltending.

He would drop to his knees, spread his pads and throw his body at oncoming pucks. The pressure of the streak and being a starting goaltender in the 6-team NHL got to Hall, and he was known to throw up before every game. Hall quipped that he liked "everything about hockey except the game".

Answer: The Pocket Rocket

Older brother Maurice had the individual accolades and cultural superstardom, but Henri Richard had team success never matched at the NHL level. Richard's name was engraved on the Stanley Cup 11 times as a player, including in each of his first five NHL seasons.

The Pocket Rocket scored 330 career goals of his own, made 4 all-star teams at seasons end. He wore the C for the Canadiens towards the end of his career and his #16 is retired by the organization.

Answer: Tiny

Tiny Thompson was not small by the standards of the 1930s - he was the tallest player on his junior team when he was jokingly given the nickname. Thompson made his NHL debut in 1928 in the season before the league introduced forward passing. Thompson played in all 44 regular season games for the Boston Bruins, recording 12 shutouts and a 1.15 goals against average.

He allowed just three goals in five playoff games as the Bruins won the Stanley Cup. Thompson notched 81 shutouts in 553 career games, and took home 4 Vezina Trophies as the top goaltender in the league.

Answer: The Dominator

The cards were stacked against Dominik Hasek. Hasek didn't become a regular starter in the NHL until 28 when an injury to Grant Fuhr gave him an opening. Hasek began his career as a starter with an incredible five Vezina Trophies in six seasons, a Hart Trophy as league MVP. Hasek played an unorthodox "flopper" style that ran against the paradigm of structured goaltending. Hasek would throw himself around the crease to make a save, and would make snow angel saves, barrel rolls, or bellyflops in pursuit of the puck. Hasek's late start to his career reduces some of his counting stats, but along rate stats such as save percentage and goals against average Hasek is in the conversation for the greatest of all-time.

Answer: Mr. Hockey

Howe's career spanned five decades and much of it was spent as the best player in the game. Howe had the hands and skill of an elite playmaker combined with vicious bodychecking and imposing strength. He was the first to score 90 points in a season, and the first to reach 600, 700, and 800 career goals.

He made the season-end all-star team 21 times. Howe came out of retirement at 45 to play in the rival WHA wth his sons Mark and Marty, and returned to the NHL at 51 in 1979 to play one final season with the Hartford Whalers. Players that record a goal, an assist, and a fight are said to have accomplished the "Gordie Howe hat trick".

Answer: King

King Clancy stood only 5-foot-7 and measured in at 155 pounds at 18 years old when he debuted in the NHL in 1921. In the vicious 1920s, Clancy made his name as a puck moving offensive defenseman. He scored double digit goals in 7 seasons. On March 31, 1923 he became the first and only player to play all six positions in an NHL game.

In the early 1920s goaltenders were forced to serve their own penalties so Clancy strapped on the pads while Clint Benedict sat in the penalty box. Clancy retired at 33 due to health concerns but stayed in the game by coaching and officiating.

The King Clancy Memorial Award is handed out annually to the NHL player who best displays leadership on and off the ice.

Answer: The Golden Jet

Bobby Hull developed the curved stick blade and mastered the hard wrist shot that put fear in to the bravest maskless NHL goalies in the 1950s. The Golden Jet, named for how his long blonde hair would glide in the air behind him as he rocketed up the ice, became the first millionaire in hockey when he agreed to a 10 year $2.75M contract with the WHA's Winnipeg Jets in 1972 that included a $1M signing bonus. Hull led the NHL in goals seven times before leaving for the Jets, helping to lift the Chicago Black Hawks out of mediocrity to a Stanley Cup championship in 1961.