Best Backhands in Hockey History (2024)

East Coast Icestyle said:

Patrick Kane has one of the best backhand shots I've ever seen and I'm surprised he's not up for the title here

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Some pretty sweet backhanders here.

East Coast Icestyle said:

Patrick Kane has one of the best backhand shots I've ever seen and I'm surprised he's not up for the title here

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I don't think slapping a cab driver counts.

mobilus said:

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Thanks for posting this.

We’ve got a guy who’d celebrated his 52nd birthday a week earlier fighting off a determined, physical Habs back checker (Rejean Houle), using his body to protect the puck, and then ripping a 50 foot backhand that clearly shocked the living you know what out of Denis Herron.

Mister Ambidextrous strikes one last time. Brilliant ending to a remarkable career.

Most of the players mentioned in this thread had (or still have) superb backhand shots. But they aren’t 50 footers with mustard fired with straight blades.

BadgerBruce said:

Thanks for posting this.

We’ve got a guy who’d celebrated his 52nd birthday a week earlier fighting off a determined, physical Habs back checker (Rejean Houle), using his body to protect the puck, and then ripping a 50 foot backhand that clearly shocked the living you know what out of Denis Herron.

Mister Ambidextrous strikes one last time. Brilliant ending to a remarkable career.

Most of the players mentioned in this thread had (or still have) superb backhand shots. But they aren’t 50 footers with mustard fired with straight blades.

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Now that's a backhand!

Howe has been said to backhand left or right, ambidextrously.

Either backhand is considered to be HARDER than most slap shooters.

Heck, his ability to one-handed lift his stick and shoot is legendary.

Remember: Howe was top 5 in NHL scoring for 20 consecutive seasons. He wasn't a Marleau.

johan f said:

Zetterberg scored a bunch from backhand.

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I loved watching Zetterberg put in those shots from 2005 to 2010. After all his wrist injuries he lost accuracy and power on that shot, though.

Tim Connolly is another guy that I thought had a really impressive backhander.

Stony Curtis said:

That is just greasy. Eddie O soooo wished that the puck had deflected off of Doug Murray's stick lol.

Back in the 70's, Errol Thompson had one of the best around. He also rocked a perm that would give Richard Simmons a run for his money.

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I reference this goal constantly.

Aside from Malkin's 2009 goal against Carolina, this is the greatest backhand I've ever seen.

mobilus said:

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Damn. I've never seen a backhand score from that far out.

Dirt 101 said:

Howe has been said to backhand left or right, ambidextrously.

Either backhand is considered to be HARDER than most slap shooters.

Heck, his ability to one-handed lift his stick and shoot is legendary.

Remember: Howe was top 5 in NHL scoring for 20 consecutive seasons. He wasn't a Marleau.

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I think you're referring to the Johnny Bucyk anecdote where Johnny, as a rookie on the Red Wings, said the saw Howe lift the puck off the ice one-handed and deposit it upper corner in goal? Johnny said, the next practice, they all tried to simulate what Howe had done but no one could even lift the puck off the ice one-handed.

No.

I read how he was asked in the 1950s in Detroit to lighten up in practice because he was injuring teammates on tick-tock drills.

Cursed Lemon said:

I reference this goal constantly.

Aside from Malkin's 2009 goal against Carolina, this is the greatest backhand I've ever seen.

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Yeah, you have to be daring to even try that Datsyuk shot late in a game 7.

OgeeOgelthorpe said:

I loved watching Zetterberg put in those shots from 2005 to 2010. After all his wrist injuries he lost accuracy and power on that shot, though.

Tim Connolly is another guy that I thought had a really impressive backhander.

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Connolly had some of the sickest hands I've seen in hockey. Damn shame about the injuries and concussions (I believe?). Here he destroys Alfredsson before proceeding to score a very nice goal:

Cursed Lemon said:

I reference this goal constantly.

Aside from Malkin's 2009 goal against Carolina, this is the greatest backhand I've ever seen.

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If it were anyone else, you'd call it an incredibly lucky shot. With Datsyuk it's an incredibly skilled shot.

mobilus said:

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That wasn't a wrist shot, like the usual backhand, that looked and sounded like a REVERSE SLAPSHOT

GMR said:

Is Crosby the answer? He has some remarkable highlight reel goals on the backhand. Other guys I remember with great backhands:

Sundin
Modano
Kariya
Damphousse

What about Gretzky or Lemieux?

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Igor Larionov. He had some pretty slick mitts and a great backhand as well.

I think the two best forwards ever, Howe and Gretzky, are the correct answers here.

Gretzky's backhand was legendary, especially swooping out from behind the net.

In more recent times, I'd agree with Datsyuk and Patrick Kane.