There never has been a more renowned fourth line in NHL history than the Devils’ Crash Line of 1995 Stanley Cup fame that featured Bobby Holik between Randy McKay and Mike Peluso.
Yet by training camp of 1996, Holik had grown so irritated with, and felt so limited by, his association with his fourth-line mates, he staged a boycott of training camp until assured by management he would get the opportunity to broaden his scope.
Because no matter how you parse it, when you’re part of the “best fourth line in the league,” you still carry the label as a fourth-line player.