Penguins C Sidney Crosby tops the list of active NHL players in terms endorsement potential, but Wayne Gretzky remains head and shoulders above all current and retired players, according to N-Score results from Nielsen/E-Poll. The N-Score evaluates name, image awareness, appeal and attributes such as sincerity, approachability, experience and influence to determine a player's endorsement potential. Among the top 10 active and retired players in the NHL, Canadians have a slight edge with American audiences. Following Crosby on the list of active players are Red Wings C Mike Modano and Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin. After Modano, the only other active American to crack the top 10 is Sabres C Tim Connolly. Gretzky remains the most well-known hockey name with an N-Score of 203, which is nearly five times higher than his closest competitor. Retired U.S. players in the top 10 include former Rangers D Brian Leetch and G Mike Richter (Nielsen Media Co.).
| TOP 10 N-SCORES FOR ACTIVE NHL PLAYERS |
| RANK | PLAYER | NATIONALITY | N-SCORE |
| 1 | Penguins C Sidney Crosby | Canada | 26 |
| 2 | Red Wings C Mike Modano | U.S. | 20 |
| 3 | Capitals LW Alex Ovechkin | Russia | 16 |
| 4 | Red Wings D Nicklas Lidstrom | Sweden | 14 |
| 5 | Blackhawks C Jonathan Toews | Canada | 14 |
| 6 | Sabres C Tim Connolly | U.S. | 13 |
| 7 | Penguins C Evgeni Malkin | Russia | 12 |
| 8 | Devils G Martin Brodeur | Canada | 12 |
| 9 | Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury | Canada | 11 |
| 10 | Flames RW Jarome Iginla | Canada | 10 |
| TOP 10 N-SCORES FOR RETIRED NHL PLAYERS |
| RANK | PLAYER | NATIONALITY | N-SCORE |
| 1 | Wayne Gretzky | Canada | 203 |
| 2 | Gordie Howe | Canada | 45 |
| 3 | Mario Lemieux | Canada | 32 |
| 4 | Bobby Orr | Canada | 31 |
| 5 | Mark Messier | Canada | 23 |
| 6 | Steve Yzerman | Canada | 20 |
| 7 | Brian Leetch | U.S. | 12 |
| 8 | Cam Neely | Canada | 11 |
| 9 | Mike Richter | U.S. | 10 |
| 10 | Adam Graves | Canada | 7 |
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METHODOLOGY: N-Score is a combined effort between Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research that takes an in-depth look at sports figures' overall endorsement potential, factoring in the attributes and demographic measures that align brands with endorsers. E-Poll maintains a national online panel of 250,000 people age 13+. Each individual N-Score national survey is administered to 1,100 people within that panel via the Internet. The sample is representative of the general population based on gender, income, age and education.
