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List of ice hockey line nicknames

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The New York Rangers’ famous "Bread Line" that played between 1926 and 1937. It consisted of Hall of Famers Bill Cook, Bun Cook and Frank Boucher.

In ice hockey, three forwards – centre, right wing and left wing – operate as a unit called a line. The tradition of naming the lines extends back to the inaugural 1917–18 NHL season, when Didier Pitre, Jack Laviolette, and Newsy Lalonde of the Montreal Canadiens were dubbed the "Flying Frenchmen Line".[1]

Lines with nicknames

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This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.
Line name Members Team League Description Date Refs.
The Black Aces Herb Carnegie, Ossie Carnegie, Manny McIntyre Quebec Aces QSHL The first all-black line in the Quebec Senior Hockey League. 1940s [2]
The Century Line Syl Apps Jr., Lowell MacDonald, Jean Pronovost Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Named by their team publicist after the line scored over 100 goals in the 1973–1974 season. 1973–1976 [3][4]
The Coneheads Mark Pavelich, John Harrington, Buzz Schneider United States Men's National Team Part of the Miracle on Ice team that won the gold medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. All three grew up playing pickup games on ponds in the Iron Range of Northeast Minnesota. They named themselves after the Saturday Night Live sketch. 1980 [5][6]
The Dynasty Line Guy Lafleur, Steve Shutt, Pete Mahovlich (later replaced by Jacques Lemaire) Montreal Canadiens NHL 1970s [7]
The Espo Line Wayne Cashman, Phil Esposito, Ken Hodge Boston Bruins NHL Named after their center, Esposito. 1967–1975 [7]
The French Connection Gilbert Perreault, Rick Martin, Rene Robert Buffalo Sabres NHL Named after the Oscar-winning 1971 film, as all three players were French-Canadian. 1972–1979 [8][9]
The Grind Line Kris Draper, Joe Kocur (replaced by Darren McCarty after 1998 season), Kirk Maltby Detroit Red Wings NHL late 1990s [10][11]
The Grumpy Old Men Kirk Muller, John MacLean, Mike Keane Dallas Stars NHL Named after a reference to the 1993 film Grumpy Old Men. When the three veterans played for the Dallas Stars in 2001, they had 105 years and five Stanley Cup wins between them. 2001 [12]
The KLM Line Vladimir Krutov, Igor Larionov, Sergei Makarov Soviet national team The KLM Line was the top line on the dominant Soviet national teams of the 1980s. They won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Winter Olympics. Together with the top defensive pairing of Slava Fetisov and Alexei Kasatonov, the five of them were collectively known as "The Green Unit" because of the green jerseys they wore in practice. 1980s [13]
The Kraut Line Milt Schmidt, Woody Dumart, Bobby Bauer Boston Bruins NHL Named for the German ancestry shared by all three, who grew up together in Kitchener, Ontario. 1936–1947 [14]
The LCB Line Reggie Leach, Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber Philadelphia Flyers NHL Named for their initials, set an NHL record for most goals by a single line (141) during the 1975–76 season. 1974–1981 [15]
The Legion of Doom Eric Lindros, John LeClair, Mikael Renberg Philadelphia Flyers NHL Named as all weighed over 220 pounds, and ranged from 6'2" to 6'4" tall. 1994–1997 [9]
The LILCO Line Billy Harris, Clark Gillies, Bryan Trottier New York Islanders NHL Named after the Long Island Lighting Company because they lit the lamps so often with their goal-scoring. 1970s [16][17]
The Mafia Line Phil Esposito, Don Maloney, Don Murdoch New York Rangers NHL Named for the "godfather" Phil Esposito and his two "dons", Don Maloney and Don Murdoch. late 1970s [8]
The Perfection Line Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak Boston Bruins NHL 2014–2022 [18][19][20]
The Production Line Sid Abel, Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay Detroit Red Wings NHL Named in reference to their prolific goal production as well as the automotive industry in Detroit. The line was put together by head coach Tommy Ivan in 1947. 1947 [9][21]
The Punch Line Toe Blake, Elmer Lach, Maurice Richard Montreal Canadiens NHL The trio was the top line on the Montreal Canadiens from 1943 to 1948 and won two Stanley Cups. 1943–1948 [9]
The S Line Nels Stewart, Babe Siebert, Hooley Smith Montreal Maroons NHL 1927–1932 [22]
The Triple Crown Line Dave Taylor, Charlie Simmer, Marcel Dionne Los Angeles Kings NHL Named after their achievements; in 1980–81, the trio combined for 328 points to become the first line in NHL history where each player scored 100 points or more in the same season. 1979–1984 [23][9]
The Trio Grande Mike Bossy, Clark Gillies, Bryan Trottier New York Islanders NHL The Trio Grande won four Stanley Cups with the New York Islanders in the 1980s, and all three are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. 1980s [16][24]
The Uke Line Johnny Bucyk, Bronco Horvath, Vic Stasiuk Boston Bruins NHL Named for their common Ukrainian heritage. 1957–1961 [25]
The West Coast Express Markus Naslund, Brendan Morrison, Todd Bertuzzi Vancouver Canucks NHL Named as a reference to the local commuter rail service of the same name. 2000–2006 [26][27]
The A Line Patrik Elias, Petr Sykora, Jason Arnott New Jersey Devils NHL Named For the Letter A in their names; The trio combined for 428 points during the 1999–2000 and 2000–01 seasons and was the best offensive line to play together on the Devils. 1999–2002 [28]
The Crash Line Mike Peluso, Bobby Holik, Randy McKay New Jersey Devils NHL These three fourth-liners were named the Crash Line because of their size; put simply, they crashed. All three of them weighed over 200 pounds each and accomplished much more than the average fourth-liners would. Not only could they hit and fight, but the three also combined for 13 goals and 23 points in the 1995 playoffs when the Devils won their first ever Stanley Cup. 1995-1998 [29]
The Lotto Line Brock Boeser, Elias Pettersson, JT Miller Vancouver Canucks NHL So named because of the Canadian lottery Lotto 6/49 and the line's jersey numbers, Boeser wearing 6, Pettersson 40, and Miller 9. 2019-2024 [30][31]
The BMW Line Nathan Bastian, Michael McLeod (ice hockey), Miles Wood New Jersey Devils NHL The first letters of their last names spell the car brand; much like the car brand, they were known for their speed and big hits, being a fourth line accustomed to physical hockey. 2021-2023 [32][33]
That 70s Line Tanner Pearson, Jeff Carter, Tyler Toffoli Los Angeles Kings NHL All three players wore numbers in the 70s (70, 77, and 73, respectively). The line's name pays homage to That 70s Show. The line played a key role in the Kings' 2014 Stanley Cup win. 2014-2018 [34][35]
The Pizza Line Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Dany Heatley Ottawa Senators NHL Originally named the CASH Line (after the initials in Captain Alfredsson, Spezza, and Heatley), the line soon gained the more enduring nickname of the Pizza Line due to a promotion by Pizza Pizza where, if the Senators scored 5 goals in a home game, clients could enjoy a slice of free pizza courtesy of the brand. Due to the line's scoring prowess, Pizza Pizza was forced to change the terms of their promotion from 5 to 6 goals, and the name stuck. 2005-2009 [36][37]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The Flying Frenchmen". Ontario Heritage Trust. Retrieved January 13, 2024.
  2. ^ Gretzky, Wayne (2016). 99: Stories of the Game. Penguin Publishing Group. p. 76. ISBN 9780399575488. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  3. ^ "Lowell MacDonald Visits Pittsburgh". NHL.com. October 16, 2009. Retrieved June 24, 2020.
  4. ^ Buker, Rick (2018). 100 Things Penguins Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die. Triumph Books. p. 152. ISBN 978-1641251303.
  5. ^ Coffey, Wayne (2005). The Boys Of Winter: The Untold Story Of A Coach, A Dream, And The 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team. Crown Publishers. p. 53. ISBN 9781400047666. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  6. ^ Gilbert, John (27 September 2010). Herb Brooks: The Inside Story of a Hockey Mastermind. MVP Books. p. 183. ISBN 978-0-7603-3995-4. Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  7. ^ a b "All-time best lines". The Hockey News. 7 March 2012. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  8. ^ a b Fox, Luke (11 February 2015). "15 greatest NHL line nicknames". Sportsnet. Retrieved 29 April 2020.
  9. ^ a b c d e Strong, Gregory (February 21, 2017). "NHL 100: Legion of Doom highlights hockey's all-time iconic lines". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Retrieved February 21, 2017.
  10. ^ "Grind Line", Wikipedia, 2021-01-01, retrieved 2021-06-25
  11. ^ Khan, Ansar (27 July 2011). "How Kris Draper, The Grind Line were critical to the Detroit Red Wings' Stanley Cup teams". mLive. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  12. ^ Foster, J. Douglas (16 March 2008). "Grumpy Old Memories". NHL.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  13. ^ Larionov, Igor (23 February 2015). "The Beautiful Game". The Players' Tribune. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  14. ^ "The Kraut Line". Kitchener Sports Association. Archived from the original on 2019-01-29.
  15. ^ Seide, Jeff (May 25, 2024). "Top 10 NHL Lines - The Hockey Writers Hockey History Latest News, Analysis & More". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved December 3, 2024.
  16. ^ a b Keese, Parton (6 December 1977). "Islanders' Hot Trio Grande". The New York Times. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  17. ^ Fischler, Stan (16 November 2018). "Maven's Memories: Isles Take Step Forward in 1975-76". NHL.com. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  18. ^ "Bruins' Perfection Line is again the NHL's best and the rest of the league is trying to get in on the action". RSN. 5 November 2019. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  19. ^ Yost, Travis (2021-05-20). "Travis Yost: Aging like a fine wine, the Perfection Line continues to drive Boston Bruins - TSN.ca". TSN. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  20. ^ "The best lines of the past 30 years for all 31 NHL teams". ESPN.com. 2020-05-07. Retrieved 2021-07-21.
  21. ^ Guest, J. Conrad (23 January 2013). "Tommy Ivan devised Red Wings' famous "Production Line"". VintageDetroit.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  22. ^ McDonell, Chris (2014). Hockey's Greatest Stars. Firefly Books. p. 40. ISBN 9781770852884. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
  23. ^ McLaughlin, Walter (8 July 2019). "Remembering the Los Angeles Kings' Triple Crown Line". The Hockey Writers. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
  24. ^ Kirshenbaum, Jerry (12 December 1977). "Three Islanders Unto Themselves". Sports Illustrated Vault | SI.com. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 1 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Uke Line 60 years later". Lethbridge Herald. Retrieved 2023-06-10 – via PressReader.
  26. ^ "Naslund, Bertuzzi & Morrison return to Vancouver". National Hockey League. November 30, 2015. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  27. ^ Ziemer, Brad (December 6, 2015). "Canucks' West Coast Express line put Sedins on right track". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  28. ^ "Ranking the 5 Best Line Combinations in New Jersey Devils History". National Hockey League. May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2024.
  29. ^ "Ranking the 5 Best Line Combinations in New Jersey Devils History". National Hockey League. May 31, 2013. Retrieved August 21, 2024.
  30. ^ "Lotto Line Combines for Four Goals and Canucks Have a Four-Game Winning Streak on the Road". National Hockey League. January 11, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  31. ^ "Why haven't the Canucks gone back to the Lotto Line?". Vancouver is Awesome. February 20, 2024. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  32. ^ "Devils Lines Finding Individual Identities". National Hockey League. November 13, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  33. ^ "FanFirst Friday: BMW: The Ultimate Playoff Machine?". All About the Jersey. March 10, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  34. ^ "Kings' trio puts it all on the line". Los Angeles Times. November 7, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  35. ^ "Kings' "That 70s Line" Is Gone but Not Forgotten". The Hockey Writers. April 14, 2021. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  36. ^ "Dany Heatley and Daniel Alfredsson reflect on Jason Spezza's time with Senators". The Athletic. May 30, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
  37. ^ "Pizza Line leads Sens past Thrashers". The Augusta Chronicle. December 4, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2024.
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