Theokritos
Global Moderator
- Apr 6, 2010
- 12,542
- 4,947
I agree that Howe is clearly overrated. The players of his era in general are quite lacking. They lacked the physical abilities, skills and competition of stronger generations.
I'll tell you about a real top four player of all time - Joe Malone. Unlike players of Howe's era, Malone had the physical ability to play a whole 60 minutes per game. Players in subsequent generations lack such endurance. Howe didn't have to face players skilled in areas like hook checking, since obviously subsequent players lacked these skills. Howe's competition was also lacking. Howe dominated a league with six teams. Malone dominated in a world when the talent level was so deep that there were multiple top level leagues, no way Howe did that. Competition was so fierce in Malone's time that some top leagues actually used six skaters per team on the ice at a time. I'd like to see what Howe would do with six skaters attempting to stop him. Not as well as Malone I bet, based on my rock solid evidence. Statistically there is no comparison. Howe never scored goals at a 2.2 goals per game pace like Malone did in the NHL. Howe even played after they put in offensively advantageous rules like the forward pass and he STILL couldn't come close to scoring like Malone. No contest.
In any event, disagreeing with the facts I laid out above is just silly. Howe has no case against Malone. Don't even get me started on the players of subsequent generations. Their competition just wasn't strong enough.
This shall henceforth be known as the "Common Sense" argument.