Comparing different decades

[gifted88]

I always hear people complain when comparing two players from different decades. the 80's to the 90's seems to get the most heat from people. So which two consecutive decades were the farthest apart in terms of competitiveness?

I'm kinda expecting the 80's - 90's to win but I'd like to hear more about the past decades.

Click to read more...

 

[BraveCanadian]

I always hear people complain when comparing two players from different decades. the 80's to the 90's seems to get the most heat from people. So which two consecutive decades were the farthest apart in terms of competitiveness?

I'm kinda expecting the 80's - 90's to win but I'd like to hear more about the past decades.

In my opinion the war years and the post 67 expansion to late 70s are the worst times for disparity in the league.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Rule Changes

Rule changes have always been the biggest factor followed by equipment evolution and innovation.

 

[VanIslander]

Rule changes have always been the biggest factor followed by equipment evolution and innovation.

Nope. Expansion by far has been the biggest factor.

The average full-time NHLer in the O6 1965 was vastly superior to the average full-time NHLer in 1975. The WHA also exacerbated the disparity.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Rule Changes

Nope. Expansion by far has been the biggest factor.

The average full-time NHLer in the O6 1965 was vastly superior to the average full-time NHLer in 1975. The WHA also exacerbated the disparity.

Expansion is a subsection of rule changes since they are required to accommodate any expansion - expansion draft rules are never the same, rules defining/governing conferences, divisions are never the same, etc. Playing rule changes have a much greater impact see forward pass, Red Line, introductions. Administrative rule changes - end of sponsorship, entry type drafts, salary cap, etc.

The average NHLer pre forward pass was the average NHL with the forward pass but the forward pass rule changed the game and the results more than any expansion ever did.

Likewise innovation - within eight seasons 1960-1967, you had the mask, curved stick, Bobby Orr = rushing dman. changed the game and competitiveness more than expansion ever did.

 

[danincanada]

Obviously expansion in '67 changed the whole landscape of the NHL from the O6.

Next to that though I think the difference between the 80's and 90's is next. You have a hockey power in the former USSR suddenly providing great players to the NHL and you also have goalie equipment getting much bigger and lighter resulting in it being tougher to score.

 

[seventieslord]

Nope. Expansion by far has been the biggest factor.

The average full-time NHLer in the O6 1965 was vastly superior to the average full-time NHLer in 1975. The WHA also exacerbated the disparity.

Bingo. 60s-70s, no question, not even close.

 

[begbeee]

I would say not 80s vs 90s but 90s vs 2000s.
During 90s there were in the league many all-time greats from 80s and also recent greats.
Comparing goalies of 2000s to 90s; defensmen of 2000s to 90s and even forwards arent really close. Hope it would be better during 10s.

 

[Killion]

In my opinion the war years and the post 67 expansion to late 70s are the worst times for disparity in the league.

Yup, totally agree with you on that one in terms of the so called "modern game". If we really go Antiques Roadshow Id bet the transitional period between the introduction of the forward pass in the late 19th-early 20th century wouldve' also been a time of great disparity in terms of talent. Skate & stick technology from the stone-age with strap on-blades etc. Barnstormers' like the Kenora Thistles & Renfrew Creamery Kings; putting together squads that would challenge the best that the pro leagues could muster against them. That whole period from about 1880 to the 19's, the creation of the NHA & PCHL (the Patricks' innovations etc) must have created some rather stark disparities & differences that would make the WW2 & 67-80 periods seem like a Hiccup in a Hurricane in comparison.

 

[charliolemieux]

Bingo. 60s-70s, no question, not even close.

Bingo.

You double the number of teams but still have the same talent.

Basically no offseason training and No Euro's.

Why do you think there was so much goonery in the 70's?

 

[Czech Your Math]

Definitely the 60's to 70's. It went from a compressed backlog of talent before expansion to a diluted league with a huge disparity between the powerhouse teams and the expansion teams. This might have only lasted a short while, except the NHL then continued to expand, while the WHA emerged to siphon off some of its talent.

 

[CHGoalie27]

I too play Bingo!

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I think all decades need to be separated. I don't know about you guys, but it really chaps my ass when I see Dit Clapper, a guy who played in the 20s, ranked higher than a guy like Scott Niedermayer. Especially when no one has ever seen Clapper play. It's just so much easier to rank players too, when separating decades and eras.

 

[Psycho Papa Joe]

The 60-70's and 40-50's are the only two logical choices IMO.

 

[unknown33]

40s and 50s

edit: after giving it another thought I'm not really sure how much WII affected NA
40s and 50s (or 30s/40s) would be the definitive answer applying to European Sports though

 

[seventieslord]

I think all decades need to be separated. I don't know about you guys, but it really chaps my ass when I see Dit Clapper, a guy who played in the 20s, ranked higher than a guy like Scott Niedermayer.

why?

oh, and by the way, try this:

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I think all decades need to be separated. I don't know about you guys, but it really chaps my ass when I see Dit Clapper, a guy who played in the 20s, ranked higher than a guy like Scott Niedermayer. Especially when no one has ever seen Clapper play. It's just so much easier to rank players too, when separating decades and eras.

If not seeing a player play is an issue, why would you assume a Dit Clapper wasn't as good as Niedermayer?

Clapper was an all-star at forward and defense.

And Clapper also played more in the 40s than the 20s.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

Nope. Expansion by far has been the biggest factor.

The average full-time NHLer in the O6 1965 was vastly superior to the average full-time NHLer in 1975. The WHA also exacerbated the disparity.

This, for sure. When I watch games from the 60's I swear most of the players look better than the ones from the 70's. The reasons why have been stated, and make perfect sense.

 

[Stephen]

There seems to have been a huge sea change in the NHL around 1995, but so much between the 1980s and 1990s, entirely. The early 90s were still high scoring, but after the lockout, with the rise of the Devils, things really started grinding to a halt offensively. People were still predicting 150+ point seasons for the elite stars of the time...

 

[Canadiens1958]

The Next One and other Player Profiles

There seems to have been a huge sea change in the NHL around 1995, but so much between the 1980s and 1990s, entirely. The early 90s were still high scoring, but after the lockout, with the rise of the Devils, things really started grinding to a halt offensively. People were still predicting 150+ point seasons for the elite stars of the time...

Injuries and health.

The era of the big player was decimated by injury and health issues. Lemieux, Lindros, Neely, Kevin Stevens saw their careers shortened drastically, Nolan, Leclair, Primeau also saw their career paths impacted by injury.

Likewise various other talented players were impacted by injury. Pat Lafontaine, Pierre Turgeon, Pavel Bure, Alex Mogilny, Jeremy Roenick, Teemu Selanne, Paul Kariya, Peter Forsberg.

Short lists without looking at others or dmen - Brian Berard,

 

[Hardyvan123]

Bingo. 60s-70s, no question, not even close.

Got to agree here going from 6-12-14-16 then up to 21 at the end of the decade with the WHA in 72 as well with no new feeder systems for players really diluted the overall league and made it possible in part for a streak of 3 dynasties with the Habs, Isles and Oilers. Of course careful management and luck came into play as well.

70's to 90's also had quite a large affect with the European invasion and the Us College system feeding players into the NHL as well.

 

[DaveG]

even the 80s-90s wasn't nearly as drastic as the 60s-70s. With the fall of the Soviet Union you opened up the league to a bunch of new, highly trained players. So even though the league added a bunch of new teams they also weren't really diluting the talent pool nearly as much as people assume.

I mean you more then double the size of the league while relying prettymuch strictly on Canada for talent (some talent from the US but IIRC that wasn't really a huge factor until the 80s). And you have a rival league starting to pluck off player after player since there were major issues with the leagues contracts and other issues that allowed for the WHA to make significant inroads.

 

[Axxellien]

..bingo?

I too play Bingo!

..There`s bingo here on this board?