Gretzky as a Ranger

[raleh]

Yeah but Gordie had on-ice protection.

...himself?

 

[hockeyfan125]

By far the most underrated part of his game. I'd argue that he has the best slap shot in the history of the game.

very true. He scored so many goals flying down the wing and just wiring a shot.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

I've seen his stint with the Rangers labled as a disappointment many times.

How would you classify it?

Looking at the numbers he still put up outstanding numbers, 249 points in 3 seasons. including years of 97 and 90..while in part of the dead puck era.

He could have probably played a few more years at a high level.

thoughts?

Gretz was never really part of the dead puck era. It didn't really start until 2000/2001. 1996 was one of the highest scoring seasons period.

 

[NYR94]

I thought Gretzky was great as a Ranger considering his age. Of course he couldn't win the Cup, but the Rangers were a mess two out of the three years he was a Ranger. In 97 they still had Messier and a pretty decent team but just got killed by injuries and the Flyers size. But Gretzky was amazing in those playoffs. Then Messier leaves, the team makes bad acquisitions like Lafontaine, Keane and Skrudland and we all know what happened. I thought Gretzky handled himself really well on a team that was falling apart in 98 and 99. In fact the only good Rangers memories I have of the 98 and 99 seasons are of Gretzky's beautiful passing.

 

[JCD]

Gretz was never really part of the dead puck era. It didn't really start until 2000/2001. 1996 was one of the highest scoring seasons period.

I call.

The "dead puck era" began with "The Year of the Goalie", when Hasek won the Vezina with the first GAA under 2 in a generation. That was 93-94.

 

[Ogopogo*]

Gretz was never really part of the dead puck era. It didn't really start until 2000/2001. 1996 was one of the highest scoring seasons period.

The dead puck era was the time between the two lockouts. And BTW, finishing 3rd in scoring as a 37 year old is still finishing 3rd in scoring no matter the era.

 

[David Puddy]

Here is Gretzky's ranking among the league leaders in his final three seasons:

1996-97

ASSISTS
1. Lemieux PIT 72
1. Gretzky NYR 72
3. Yzerman DET 63
3. Francis PIT 63

POINTS
1. Lemieux PIT 122
2. Teemu ANA 109
3. Kariya ANA 99
4. LeClair PHI 97
4. Gretzky NYR 97
6. Jagr PIT 95


1997-98

ASSISTS
1. Gretzky NYR 67
1. Jagr PIT 67
3. Forsberg COL 66
4. Francis PIT 62

POINTS
1. Jagr PIT 102
2. Forsberg COL 91
3. P. Bure VAN 90
3. Gretzky NYR 90


1998-99

ASSISTS
1. Jagr PIT 83
2. Forsberg COL 67
3. Kariya ANA 62
4. Selanne ANA 60
5. Sakic COL 55
6. Allison BOS 53
6. Fleury CLG/COL 53
6. Gretzky NYR 53
6. Lindros PHI 53

 

[revolverjgw]

Gretz was never really part of the dead puck era. It didn't really start until 2000/2001. 1996 was one of the highest scoring seasons period.

2000? How so?

96-97 6216/1066 5.83
97-98 5624/1066 5.27
98-99 5830/1107 5.26
99-00 6306/1148 5.49
00-01 6780/1230 5.51
01-02 6442/1230 5.23
02-03 6527/1230 5.31
03-04 6318/1230 5.14

The dead puck era was in full swing in 97-98, the year an old Gretzky finished 4th in scoring on a crappy team.

 

[chooch*]

2000? How so?

96-97 6216/1066 5.83
97-98 5624/1066 5.27
98-99 5830/1107 5.26
99-00 6306/1148 5.49
00-01 6780/1230 5.51
01-02 6442/1230 5.23
02-03 6527/1230 5.31
03-04 6318/1230 5.14

The dead puck era was in full swing in 97-98, the year an old Gretzky finished 4th in scoring on a crappy team.

What was his +/- in his last 10 years? And his "speed"; yet never touched.

When did you start watching?

 

[KariyaIsGod*]

What was his +/- in his last 10 years? And his "speed"; yet never touched.

When did you start watching?

Michal Rozsival led the league in +/- this year.

Mario Lemieux was -16.

Who is better?

Why must you continue to cling to such a meaningless stat?

Just admit it already...

You hate Wayne and your bias is prevalent.

 

[jamiebez]

By far the most underrated part of his game. I'd argue that he has the best slap shot in the history of the game.

And so distinctive, too. The way he twists and drops his right shoulder down so far on the windup it almost scrapes the ice. Love that.

 

[rmp]

I think the dead puck era started in 95-96. Just look at the scoring leaders that year and each year after. The 95-96 scoring leaders were high, but a lot of that scoring came in the first half of the year. I read an article (can't find it now) that it was in that season when refs started to put away the whistles a lot more, and that continued after that year, and it shows. Only two guys over 100 points in 96-97, and one the next year. In addition to that, more and more teams started employing the trap, probably spurred by the Devils cup win in 95.

As for Gretzky, the Rangers were one of the worst places he could have gone as a free agent. That overrated bum Messier convinces Gretzky to sign there for less money than he could have had (Canucks were offering Gretzky 7 mil) and then takes off the next year in a flash for the same deal the Canucks made Gretzky the previous year. Part of it was greed, part of it was that Gretzky overshadowed him in the regular season and especially the playoffs and he just couldn't take it. And Neil Smith is an idiot who decided to write the blank checks for free agents after Gretzky left and gave him no one to work with in his last year. He practically forced him into retirement. Why would Gretzky hang around with no hope of making the playoffs and bums for linemates.

 

[Ogopogo*]

I think the dead puck era started in 95-96. Just looking at the scoring leaders that year and each year after. The 95-96 scoring leaders were high, but a lot of that scoring came in the first half of the year. I read an article (can't find it now) that it was in that season when refs started to put away the whistles a lot more, and that continued after that year, and it shows. Only two guys over 100 points in 96-97, and one the next year. In addition to that, more and more teams started employing the trap, probably spurred by the Devils cup win in 95.

As for Gretzky, the Rangers were one of the worst places he could have gone as a free agent. That overrated bum Messier convinces Gretzky to sign there for less money than he could have had (Canucks were offering Gretzky 7 mil) and then takes off in a flash for the same deal the Canucks made Gretzky the next year. Part of it was greed, part of it was that Gretzky overshadowed him in the regular season and especially the playoffs and he just couldn't take it. And Neil Smith is an idiot who decided to write the blank checks for free agents after Gretzky left and gave him no one to work with in his last year. He practically forced him into retirement. Why would Gretzky hang around with no hope of making the playoffs and bums for linemates.

Vancouver was the worst possible location for Gretzky to end his career. The dark cloud of losing and mediocrity hangs so thick over that organization that it is an unattractive hockey destination for anyone familiar with the hockey culture in BC.

 

[God Bless Canada]

I think the dead puck era started in 95-96. Just look at the scoring leaders that year and each year after. The 95-96 scoring leaders were high, but a lot of that scoring came in the first half of the year. I read an article (can't find it now) that it was in that season when refs started to put away the whistles a lot more, and that continued after that year, and it shows. Only two guys over 100 points in 96-97, and one the next year. In addition to that, more and more teams started employing the trap, probably spurred by the Devils cup win in 95.

As for Gretzky, the Rangers were one of the worst places he could have gone as a free agent. That overrated bum Messier convinces Gretzky to sign there for less money than he could have had (Canucks were offering Gretzky 7 mil) and then takes off the next year in a flash for the same deal the Canucks made Gretzky the previous year. Part of it was greed, part of it was that Gretzky overshadowed him in the regular season and especially the playoffs and he just couldn't take it. And Neil Smith is an idiot who decided to write the blank checks for free agents after Gretzky left and gave him no one to work with in his last year. He practically forced him into retirement. Why would Gretzky hang around with no hope of making the playoffs and bums for linemates.

Actually, the clutch and grab was slowly starting to creep into the game as early as 1991. At the start of the 1992-93 season, the league made its first serious attempt at an obstruction crackdown, and it worked. Scoring eclipsed seven goals per game for the only time since 1988-89. (Although there were many other reasons than the obstruction crackdown).

The Habs won the Cup in 1993, playing a mostly defensive system. Many teams copied that style the following year. The neutral zone trap was trendy among coaches, although teams were executing it more with positioning than clutching and grabbing. In the 1995 season, the clutching and grabbing was really bad, as teams played very conservative with the shortened slate.

The league implemented a very serious obstruction crackdown in 1995-96. Goal scoring soared past seven goals per game for the first month. But it didn't last. Numbers looked great, a lot of guys had career years. But the clutch and grab slowly returned, and was a fixture in the playoffs. (Note: one of the reasons that goal scoring was low in 1995-96, IMO, is the diluted talent pool from expansion. In the 1980s, many teams had three lines and two PP units that could score. In 1996, you were lucky to have two, and many teams have only one dangerous PP unit).

The NHL had short-term obstruction crackdowns in the 1998 playoffs and at the start of the 2002-03 season. They lasted less time than the 1995-96 crackdown. I think next year is a very important one for the league, and will prove how serious they are about a long-term crackdown.

 

[Everest]

The theory that Neil Smith was really the man who ended 99's career is one I will hang onto for the rest of my life as a hockey fan.
He was the Rangers GM who bungled up the roster and failed to provide 99 with quality teammates.
99 would NEVER say it himself,but a lot of "us" felt that 99 was cheated/lied to throughout his time as a Ranger.
I highly doubt 99 is very "tight" with Neil Smith these days

 

[Killiecrankie*]

Whats amazing is that in 1996 the pens scored the most goals than they ever did. They were the only team left that played run and gun until kevin constantine came. And then when mario came back in 2000 they were (in my opinion) the last team to play pure run and gun hockey-no team since that 2000 pens team has ever played that style to success(the 2001 pens team tried also but that obviously didnt work).

 

[Finest]

I highly doubt 99 is very "tight" with Neil Smith these days

LOL who is, the guy cant get a GM job. With a resume of which he was one wonders why . Granted he has a cup to show for it, but most people my self included feel like that was more Keenan's doing than smiths. Look at where the Rangers, one of hockeys most recognizable organizations went from the 94 cup team untill 2000 ish when Slatts took over. Its discracfull and IMO hurt hockey as a whole. Reasoning: when you have a team in such a big market getting to the golf course in early may, people will eventually say the hell with them. And many did some went to Isle's others Dev's. Sad. But like I said before Gretzky did extremly well with what he was given to work with as far as line mates. Cant blame the guy for the roster.