Every few weeks we will profile a NEW favorite player!

Profile #2: Peter Forsberg – Center (Traded)

Peter Forsberg is the greatest player in the history of hockey. If you don't believe it, just ask a Divesfan, many of whom have been following hockey since the NHL began in 1995.

Indeed, if your idea of great hockey is compulsive circle skating and overly fussy stickwork, then you'll certainly find much to amuse yourself watching Peter The Great.

Can there be any doubt that Forsberg is the greatest player to ever lace up skates?
Yes... and a hell of a lot, actually. But while skeptics point out that Forsberg has yet to do anything that requires even a modest rewrite of the record books, his domination over certain statistical areas leaves little doubt as to the impact he's already had on the game.

In the '98, '99 and '00 seasons, Forsberg led the league in both the Dipsy Doodling and Excessive Puckhandling statistical categories.

In the '99 season, Peter broke the NHL record for Selfish Minutes, clocking in at 1,042 (1,015 more than his nearest competitor).

During a game in the 2000 season, Forsberg set the one-man record for Longest Puck Possession, skating figure 8s in the Dive's zone for the final 97 seconds of regulation as the Pepsi Center crowd cheered thunderously. The Divealanche lost that game 1-0, but who will ever forget it?

In 2001-02, Forsberg became the all time NHL Career Jake leader after spending the entire regular season watching television in Sweden under the guise of being injured. In spring, when asked whether Peter would be healthy for the playoffs, Dives coach Bob Hartley took great pleasure in nudge-nudging and wink-winking to Denver's media homer corps with all the subtlety of a rusty jackhammer. Unfortunately, Peter The Jake's European Vacation wasn't enough to keep his team from being spanked and stripped of the Cup by the Red Wings.

Judging by these stats, it's clear that Forsberg must truly be considered a player who thinks he is great, but they do not even tell the whole story. Forsberg's most notable impact on the NHL has been in the area of Diving, a skill at which Peter The Jake is unsurpassed. If hockey greatness is measured by the distance that one man will launch himself through the air in order to draw a two minute power play, the number "21" should be retired immediately by the entire National Hockey League.

To witness Forsberg in action is to behold the very art and essence of the dive. The glancing touch of an opposing player's arm can catapult him headfirst across the ice as if he'd been hit by a Mack truck. The gentle brush of an opponent's glove can launch Forsberg eight feet through the air as if a landmine that only Peter can feel has exploded somewhere beneath his skates. The slightest tap of an enemy stick can spark a catastrophic, somersaulting yard sale, igniting a chorus of boos and sobs of indignation from the Avsmonkey audience.

Fortunately, due to his solid conditioning and imposing physical stature, Forsberg is seldom injured during his performances, and is always ready to lead his team in the ensuing power play.

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