My Gretzky analysis best on best pre 90’s

[barabas21]

I just finished watching the 1984 Canada cup which completed my best on best compilation (72 summit series, 76,84,87 Canada cup, couldn’t find full series of 81 Canada cup games).

There has been a lot of talk around hf over the years regarding Gretzky and his talent relative to the 20o5- present era players.

After watching all the different tournaments he was the only player that elevated himself above every other player. He pulled off a couple moves that would not look out of place in today’s game during the 87 Canada Cup, and also should off his classic Gretzky skills. Beyond that even during the 84 Canada Cup he looked a step above everyone else at 23 years old.

When watching these tournaments I was trying to see the all time players to see where they were at. It’s not completely fair because Orr was on half a knee during 76 and wasn’t able to play in 72. It should be noted that Orr still had a monstrous 76 Canada cup all banged up but I was going on the eye test. And for Lemieux He was 23 in 87 and before his prime.

Gretzky needs more respect these days from younger fans because he was in a league of his own even against the greatest in the world during his prime. It wasn’t only the stats he put up but if you watch him play his talent and creativity were off the charts.

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[BenchBrawl]

Preaching to the choir. Gretzky is the only player who can fool me on multiple viewings of a play.

 

[barabas21]

I was born in 1987. Always thought Gretzky was a product of his time even though my dad would always sing his praise.

I finally bought all Canada cups knowing that 2 of them would have him as a key player and was completely blown away watching him.

I can honestly say I was watching the games of 84 and 87 waiting for Gretz shifts to see what he would do next.

 

[Minar]

30 some years ago Gretzky was doing moves that players only in the last few years are staring to employ. I really noticed it watching the playoffs this year. Many players have been coming into the zone putting on the brakes, or button hooking and passing to the late man. These types of plays were common place for Gretzky for many years and only now the rest of players are catching on. Posters on this board have said that button hook play is not possible today because of the speed of the game. Nope. Not a lot of players have done it till recently because it takes so much vision agility and guts to do it right and not turn the puck over or get clobbered. But Gretzky was routinely doing plays like this and others 30 some years ago and he was the only one. He was way ahead of his time.

 

[The Panther]

When you watch Gretzky at his very best, circa 1981 to 1985, what you're seeing is a player with today's learned skills and inherited development of the game -- that is, you're seeing a contemporary player in that era (plus the otherworldly hockey sense, etc.).

When the young'uns bang on about how many points so-and-so would have scored in the 1980s, the answer is Gretzky. Gretzky is the player from today transported to that era. (Except he had to play with the crappy sticks and equipment.)

 

[bobholly39]

There's so much to choose from when you ask the question "what impresses you the most about Gretzky". But to me - it might be how he managed to be the very best player/scorer in every single international tournament + playoff year every single time in his prime years. That's insane consistency at the very top.

It's one thing to outscore others over a large enough sample size of 80 games when you're clearly better - but to be able to step up every time without fail in big moments/high pressure situations over a short amount of games, that's truly amazing.

 

[Staniowski]

There's so much to choose from when you ask the question "what impresses you the most about Gretzky". But to me - it might be how he managed to be the very best player/scorer in every single international tournament + playoff year every single time in his prime years. That's insane consistency at the very top.

It's one thing to outscore others over a large enough sample size of 80 games when you're clearly better - but to be able to step up every time without fail in big moments/high pressure situations over a short amount of games, that's truly amazing.

Gretzky always played very well, but he didn't always dominate.

He played very well in both '81 and '84, for example, but he was not chosen as being Canada's best player in either tournament (Bossy in '81, Tonelli in '84). And Perreault was the leading scorer in '81 before his injury.

And Messier in the '84 playoffs.

 

[koyvoo]

The first time I say Gretzky play live in person was when he had already played 3 seasons with the Kings.

I was at MLG for both the group stage and semi final vs Sweden in the 1991 Canada Cup.

Young at the time, maybe 12 years old, so it’s not like I had the ability to evaluate at a high level, but even though I had watched him on television plenty and he was already long established as something the league had never seen before, it was only at those live viewings that it all came together for me in how amazing his game was.

This is literally just before the Suter incident, so physically everything was still there at 30 years old. But even then, it was the brain more than anything that went along with the sublime skill that set him apart.

Watching at a live arena, seeing the full ice surface the entire time and watching Gretzky I was floored. It seemed in slow motion. I couldn’t count how many times I saw him pick up the puck and end up having 2-3- more opponents gravitate toward him leaving his teammates open for the always clever and accurate dish. I swear, on one play he had his back turned behind the net and saw and timed perfectly his new defensemen coming off a line change for a backhand sauce all the way back to the blueline. A young boy, I was shook by those experiences.