Biggest improvement in Hockey today; its the ...

[Hockeynomad]

Goaltenders?

Today's goaltenders in large part to a much more comprehensive fitness regimen allowing much better flexibility makes this position the greatest improvement and by far. And also due to featherlight equipment especially the leg pads, remember in the old days they had the heavy feather, today's goaltender can fall down and jump up in a snap.

The quickness of today's goalie also means that almost all can employ the butterfly stance, the one that covers most of the net, and can quickly close that 5-hole.

The only really acrobatic goalie I could remember was Roger Crozier, and Tony Esposito was one fo the first to employ the butterfly, but he was victim to many "5-holes". But in yesteryear, most were of the standup variety and though many were good at covering angles, it can not compare to the butterfly.

Also to admit, the catching and stcik gloves are much larger today, and can cover more real estate and very importantly the pads are still a lot bigger.

But the fitness improvement really puts them head and shoulders over the Plantes, Shachuks, Hall.


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[Big Phil]

Yes a goalie is much improved from say 1975, but that gets overated a lot. To the point that younger fans laugh at 1970s goalies who let in bad angle slap shots or whatnot. What we forget is that it is impossible to tell how good Patrick Roy, Brodeur and Hasek could have been if they wore Gerry Cheevers mask (which still hurt if it hit you, just didnt cut you) or even no mask at all. They might let in a few more bad goals if their pads werent the size of road signs as well. It has improved, but the larger equipment has allowed the Garth Snows, Tim Thomas, and Brian Bouchers of the NHL to excel as well

 

[Up the Irons]

i would say its the professionalism of the players in terms of training. its a year round job now. they are all in great shape, they take power skating in the summer. they are all polished players. not alot of duds out there