This was a close one. There were a total of 318 votes cast and the results show the players were split three ways.

Sidney Crosby with his unrelenting effort, his size and determination make him number one in this important category, but his lead is narrow.

Tied for second in this all-important category were Pavel Datsyuk of the Red Wings and Zdeno Chara of the Bruins. These are two very different players, so there may be some disagreement on how the players define toughness.

Questions for the poll were written by Hockey Night in Canada and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). The questions were circulated to players by the NHLPA. The responses were compiled by staff members of the NHLPA and forwarded to Hockey Night in Canada. 318 players responded to the questionnaire.