A quantum leap in hockey history: a player built by trainers from the skates up

[Dipsy Doodle]

At the risk of coming off like a fanboy inundating the History forum with yet another Crosby thread, I think this article is unique and of interest to anyone who cares about the game's evolution:

http://www.macleans.ca/homepage/magazine/article.jsp?content=20070423_104256_104256

Much thanks to NinjaSid on the Pittsburgh forum who initially posted it.

Click to read more...

 

[Stonefly]

We should ask this guy who wins the Pitt/Ott series. Check out the date on the article.

 

[Wisent]

Why do they use "quantum leap"? A quantum leap is actually a very small movement.

 

[Masao]

Why do they use "quantum leap"? A quantum leap is actually a very small movement.

Because they want to sound intelligent by using big words.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

Why do they use "quantum leap"? A quantum leap is actually a very small movement.

While a quantum is indeed a tiny increment of energy, a quantum leap refers to the discontinuous change of an electron within an atom from one energy state to the next. That is, it "skips over" the intermediate quantum, which flew in the face of older theories which proposed that energy always changed continuously.

Hence, a quantum leap now simply refers to any sudden large advance. Bobby Orr was a quantum leap in the role of the defenseman, because despite offensively gifted defensemen like Harvey and Kelly, there was nothing to suggest that a blueliner would lead the league in scoring in a few short years.

So this article isn't merely using big words for their own sake.