If Ulysses S. Grant played hockey: left wing, rated 79

Ulysses S. Grant as a hockey player: scouting report

Ulysses S. Grant would play left wing, and he would be the kind of forward opponents hate to see over the boards, because he simply never lets up. He was known above all for persistence, for pressing forward when others would pause, and that is the identity of a great power forward. Physical play is the best thing on his card. He would forecheck relentlessly, finish every check and grind defensemen down over sixty minutes until they started making mistakes.

His defense is nearly as strong, and his balance on his feet comes from somewhere surprising. At West Point he was regarded as the finest horseman in his class and set a high jump record on horseback that stood for many years. A rider that skilled has superb balance and timing, which helps him hold his position along the boards and win puck battles. He later wrote one of the most admired memoirs in American history, published by Mark Twain's company, and the clear, plain style of that book matches his game: no flash, just the right play. His shot is solid and his skating is respectable for a grinder.

Passing is the weak spot. Grant was famously a man of few words, and on the ice he would rather drive the net himself than look for the fancy play. Defenseman and goalie are equal second options. Pair him with a creative center who handles the playmaking and a skilled right winger who can finish, put him on the forecheck and let him wear the other team down shift by shift until the third period belongs to his line.

Plays like A quiet, relentless power forward who just keeps coming

Put Ulysses S. Grant in your lineup

8 rolls, a starting six and a bench, 82 games. Can you go 82-0? Free, no account.