You definitely have to be in top shape to play hockey.
I look at guys like Hasek, Anderchuck, etc, wonder how they keep on doing what they're doing.
But guys like Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, those legends only come once in a blue moon. I have yet to see another marquee player since them, and that's a pretty bold statement. The only one, I think, is Crosby.