Who is the best NHL player from Halifax?

With the 2021-22 NHL season coming to a close, Haligonians may have finally seen the torch pass for the best player from their city.

The fairest way to compare hockey players apples to apples is to use a statistic known as points per 60 minutes. Not all players play the same amount of games or spend the same time on the ice per game. The statistic of points per 60 minutes levels the playing field.

Alex Killorn – 2.27 points per 60 minutes

The 32-year-old Halifax-born player now has two Stanley Cup rings playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Whether he faces the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins or Florida Panthers in the first round, it will be a steep challenge. We'll know whether he ties Sidney Crosby's three Stanley Cup rings.

Brad Marchand – 3.66 points per 60 minutes

One of the most infamous NHL players was one game away from his second Stanley Cup in 2019. In the end, it was the St. Louis Blues who hoisted the cup in Boston that night. Like Killorn, Marchand faces a deeply competitive journey to the cup in the NHL's Atlantic division this year.

Sidney Crosby – 3.73 points per 60 minutes

'Sid the kid' is no longer a kid but an NHL veteran. If that makes anyone in their 30s feel old, look at his production. Crosby, at 34, is just as much of a Stanley Cup threat as he was 10 years ago, with no signs of slowing.

Nathan MacKinnon – 4.09 points per 60 minutes

MacKinnon is one of the most intense and competitive players in the NHL. With over 4 points per 60 minutes this season, he now has the right to claim he is the best NHL player from Halifax. FiveThirtyEight is a website that specializes in statistical models. Their Stanley Cup model gives the Colorado Avalanche the best chance at winning the cup this year at 28 per cent. That would not be the case without Nathan MacKinnon.