Each NHL team has players whose accomplishments stand out among their teammates, representing scoring forwards, skilled defensemen, and outstanding goaltenders. A select few can be considered the pinnacle of excellence, worthy of being etched into the team's Mount Rushmore, denoting their status as the top four players in franchise history. For teams with extensive histories, narrowing down the list to four players can be a formidable task, while it may prove more straightforward for teams with shorter legacies.

This analysis focuses on the last 25 years of NHL history, beginning with the 2000-01 season. Players from this period are notably familiar to today’s fans, based on their performance, postseason achievements, the value they added to their respective clubs, and their appeal as fan favorites. Some of the players mentioned may appear on more than one team’s Mount Rushmore, considering their careers spanned several clubs. The list includes players from relocated teams, such as the Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets) and Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Mammoth).

The following players illustrate this concept for various NHL franchises, highlighting their individual and collective contributions to their teams' successes.