People/things you are nostalgic about that might raise an eyebrow

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
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Okay, a bit of a discussion I had the other day with someone was about O.J. Simpson. Once a great, great running back and probably still has the best single season by a running back in 1973 to this day. Hall of Famer and then had a nice career as an analyst and a few good movies like Naked Gun. Then, well, the rest is history starting in 1994 and it involves a white bronco. But I have to admit, I am nostalgic for that "old" O.J. He was charming, seemingly genuine, had an "everydayman" quality to him and was generally liked. I know what has happened to him in the last 25 years and that can't be ignored.

So in the field of hockey what is a comparable to stuff like this?

Alan Eagleson - Did some awful things and deserves the wrath and prison time he got. Now, Eagle was that charmer as well and when I see an old interview of him part of me wonders how he could have screwed over so many of his own clients. I get nostalgic about things like the 1972 Summit Series, the Canada Cups, etc. His voice still takes me back to those moments of great hockey and when there was so much on the line. But then I get reminded that he was really a corrupt human being.

Harold Ballard - Yeah, yeah. Look, I hated him, and that was the point. But I do miss the days when there were more villains in hockey. Ballard would always sit in his bunker at MLG and once took a deflected Bobby Hull shot off his head (?) up there. I never liked how he handled the hockey operations of the Leafs and I would never go back to that but I did love it when owners/coaches/players had more of a personality and were more recognizable.

Helmetless players - Yeah, I miss it a bit. We'll never go back to it, but again it was a way to relate to the players better. Lafleur with his main of hair, Bobby Hull with less and less hair all the time. Howe always seemed to have perfectly combed hair all of the time. Esposito, Perreault, Sittler, Robinson, etc. all had shags of hair and it brought a bit more flair.
 

The Panther

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Mar 25, 2014
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Tokyo, Japan
As hockey goes, I miss the personality and distinct character each arena used to have. When I say "used to", I mean as recently as the mid-90s. After that era, pretty every old 'classic-6' team building closed or was demolished. Even newer teams like Buffalo lost their building, which was a big part of the team's character.
 

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
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.... and then the Lawyers & Accountants took over.... a game only the wealthy can afford... the players for the most part buttoned downed, wound up tight from the upper middle classes.... all the personality of a bottle of tonic water and those with effervescence looked upon askance, with suspicion, mistrust. A world upside down, inside out..... its called growing old Phil. Times change. People change. Consider yourself lucky that you were born when & where you were born, lived it, experienced what you did. ;)
 

frisco

Some people claim that there's a woman to blame...
Sep 14, 2017
3,553
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Northern Hemisphere
Gino Odjick’s shirtless playoff fight against St. Louis in 1995, I guess. Yes, incredibly stupid and somewhat pointless, but you can't deny there's an entertainment factor there.
+Rob Ray.

I kind of miss of the old style goalie masks.

The Scott Stevens type hits that were considered "clean" and punishment for not keeping your head up.

The 2-minute forward shifts ala Phil Esposito.

When teams at most had one or two shot blocking d-men and no one else attempted it. In a similar vein, the one-way offensive forwards that hung out in the neutral zone even when the puck was in their own end.

My Best-Carey
 
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BigBadBruins7708

Registered User
Dec 11, 2017
13,580
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Las Vegas
when not every defenseman had to be PMD/act like a 4th forward to be considered "good"

Give me the big, nasty stay at home defenseman that knows his role. Protects his own zone, makes people pay for being in front of the net or crowding the goalie, lays big hits and doesn't hesitate to drop the mitts. I miss when defensemen were actually scary

think Chara, Stevens, Shore

only a handful still play that way, Adam McQuaid is a current version
 

Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
36,763
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i miss the one giant trough that wrapped around two walls in the men’s room at the old pacific coliseum that everyone had to pee into in unison.

ye olde days, a real sense of community

... :laugh: quite a number of the old arenas had that (as did taverns, bars etc).... and no, I dont miss that.... what I do miss is stepping into the bowl of an arena & seeing a beautifully pristine ice surface, boards, looking up & seeing nothing but seating without any sponsorship signage beyond maybe something on the score clock.
 

blood gin

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Jan 17, 2017
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When they used to paint "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" near the blue lines during the 80's
 
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blood gin

Registered User
Jan 17, 2017
4,174
2,203
As hockey goes, I miss the personality and distinct character each arena used to have. When I say "used to", I mean as recently as the mid-90s. After that era, pretty every old 'classic-6' team building closed or was demolished. Even newer teams like Buffalo lost their building, which was a big part of the team's character.

A lot of generic mallrinks. Remove the team logos and it's hard to tell one from the other. I think the next building boom will attempt to "ballpark" some NHL arenas much like what happened when Camden Yards was constructed. But there is only so much you can do in terms of making a hockey arena quirky.

I also think capacity wise they should ranger from say 14,000 to 18,000. When you get more than 18,000 it starts feeling to cavernous. Too stadiumesque. With people being further and further away from the ice.

Boston for example could've built a really nice Garden replacement and kept the small rink and sat maybe 15,500. With luxury boxes and all the necessary fancy BS.
 
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Killion

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Feb 19, 2010
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When they used to paint "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" near the blue lines during the 80's

Yes that was a nice touch, the "Seasons Greetings" on the ice.... as for seating capacity & size there have been studies done over the past several years by noted sports marketing, business of sport faculties that advocate the same; that NHL arenas' for the most part are over-sized by 2500-3500 seats or more in some markets. That "less is more". You create more demand with less inventory, more exclusive. A considerable number of franchises over the years only playing to 80-60-40% (some even less, whole sections tarp'd off) capacity in some cases which not only affects the bottom line but so too the whole fan experience, live & broadcast, playing in a tomb. The cookie cutter, brutalist architectural style as well, bereft of character; plastic, hollow, soulless.... Not good. So yes; smaller facilities, unique & interesting architecture, individuality & character would be nice. Seattle seems to be on the right track with its complete reno gut-job of Key Arena so theres some hope on that front for future generations.
 
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c9777666

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Aug 31, 2016
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When they had specific and unique ads on the rink boards for nat. Televised weekend games on FOX/ABC and the first few years of NBC (MasterCard, The New Dodge, Speed Stick) that you would only see on Saturday/Sunday/playoff games/All Star Games on the big networks
 
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brachyrynchos

Registered User
Apr 10, 2017
1,472
997
Being happy that at least one of the local papers had the previous night's scores (boxscores and stats were a bonus)
Getting the Hockey News delivered, it always came too late (that's what she said) and it was already old news, but it didn't matter.
On Long Island in the early to mid '80s, a public channel would air the WGBH Boston Bruins matinee games, they were wonderful.
Yeah, all before the internet and nhl network.
 

mrhockey193195

Registered User
Nov 14, 2006
6,513
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Denver, CO
When fans didn't turn on their homegrown players and superstars and want them shipped out of town because their salary was $1MM more than what it should have been. Maybe that isn't a controversial opinion, but most people (myself included) think the salary cap has been great for the health of the game...but this is one of the side effects I hate with a passion.
 

Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
36,763
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Crease clearing d-men

Big hits

Racing down the wing and scoring with a slap shot from the face off circle

Small arenas

Fans hanging their own homemade signs from the balcony

Players that hated each other

Small, athletic goalies

Loose cannons

Yeah, all of this & more... like guys actually carrying the puck.
 

Nick Hansen

Registered User
Sep 28, 2017
3,119
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When fans didn't turn on their homegrown players and superstars and want them shipped out of town because their salary was $1MM more than what it should have been. Maybe that isn't a controversial opinion, but most people (myself included) think the salary cap has been great for the health of the game...but this is one of the side effects I hate with a passion.

Agreed. I never heard this of players back before the salary cap - you simply didn't really care what they earned. Look at the shellacking a guy like Toews is receiving these days. He still would've been criticized without a cap as his game has noticeably worsened but his cap-hit just makes it all the worse.
 
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Killion

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
36,763
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Tie games!

A lot of people found them unsatisfying, but I always liked the idea of two teams meeting up, giving their all, and then walking away having been perfectly evenly matched for the night.

Yep.... this too.... One of the unique things about the game & they decided it wasnt good enough, that there had to be a winner. Some of the greatest games Ive' ever seen or been involved in as a player were tie games. Just sad, pathetic... that in order to satisfy the "casual fan"... OT & Shootouts.... and its not workin.... we got Morons on our team Dissonance.... err, sorry... Jr.....
 

The Pale King

Go easy on those Mango Giapanes brother...
Sep 24, 2011
3,110
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Zeballos
The names of the old division and conferences. Not just the 1974 through the early 90s, I like the sound of the directional ones too. North-west, South-east. North-east. All that.

I still think calling a division the Metropolitan is dumb. So bland.
 

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
31,703
4,144
As hockey goes, I miss the personality and distinct character each arena used to have. When I say "used to", I mean as recently as the mid-90s. After that era, pretty every old 'classic-6' team building closed or was demolished. Even newer teams like Buffalo lost their building, which was a big part of the team's character.

Those were the days when you didn't have to even have players skating on the ice to know you were seeing the Forum, or MLG, or Boston Garden. That was the thing, you just knew right away. I miss that too. Each arena had a distinction that was unique. Now? Give me a break!
 

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