1. Pavol Demitra
Pavol Demitra joined the Minnesota Wild via trade with the Los Angeles Kings on June 24, 2006. His presence was immediately felt as he led the team with 64 points in 71 games. The following season he finished fourth on the team with 54 points in 64 games.
During the 2006-2007 season he was a part of the leadership group, wearing an “A” on most nights, but also rotated with teammates as he donned the Captain “C”.
Demitra was loved by his teammates and fans, but was on the Wild for only two seasons. He signed with the Vancouver Canucks the following season. As most hockey fans know Demitra tragically passed away while playing for Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, of the KHL.
He was enjoying an extremely productive season (60 points in 54 games), when he and his entire team died in a plane crash.
Demitra was incredible and is number one on this list for his on-ice productivity, leadership, and impact on the team. He should have been with the team much longer than two seasons.