Often, when the discussion of who was the best defenseman to play in the NHL, the names Bobby Orr, Ray Bourque and Tim Horton often come up before Paul Coffey. Yet, in my opinion it is Coffey that was the greatest.
The Paul Coffey rookie card, number 111 in the 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee set is undervalued at $80. It is the highest valued rookie card in the set and tied with Wayne Gretzky as the most valuable overall. The 1981-82 O-Pee-Chee set consists of 396 hockey cards and is valued at $400 for a complete collection.
After three years in the Ontario Hockey League with the Kingston Canadians, Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds and Kitchener Rangers, Coffey was taken sixth overall at the 1980 NHL Entry Draft by the Edmonton Oilers. Paul was an instant started with the young gun Oilers in 1980-81 and remained with the team until the end of the 1986-87 season, winning three Stanley Cup championships with the team.
Coffey’s NHL career spanned from 1980-81 to 2000-01. He played over 1,400 regular season games with the Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers, Philadelphia Flyers, Chicago Blackhawks, Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. Often overlooked is the fact that Paul is one of only 20 players in the history of the NHL to play for nine or more teams. Of course, the record belongs to Mike Sillinger, whose name appeared on 12 different rosters. Coffey is the only one of the nine+ team players to accumulate over 1,000 points.
Also impressive was his 194 playoff games. His teams didn’t always make the playoffs, but when they did they often went long. Along with the three Stanley Cup victories in Edmonton, Coffey was also part of the Pittsburgh Penguins championship team in 1990-91. As well, he went to the finals with an unsuccessful outcome three times: 1982-83 with Edmonton; 1994-95 with Detroit; 1996-97 with Philadelphia.
Along with winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman on three occasions, Coffey holds many records to this day in the league. Among them is the impressive 48 goals in 1985-86 which is the most by a defenseman in a single season, eclipsing Bobby Orr’s best by one goal. When it comes to playoff season scoring, Coffey owns the book with most goals, assists and points in one playoff run – all set in 1984-85.
Paul Coffey was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2004. The following season, the Edmonton Oilers retired his number 7. Incidentally, he only wore 7 with the Oilers, changing it up to number 77 following his trade to Pittsburgh. With the Bruins in his final season, Coffey wore 74, although 77 had been vacated when Ray Bourque left for the Colorado Avalanche. Bourque’s number 77 was soon after retired by both Boston and Colorado.