Hockey evolution: 90's -> 10's

[obsenssive*]

for those of us who couldn't watch hockey in the 90's;

Is their any noticeable evolution of play that can be noticed on a larger general scale (not by individual player) between the 1990's and today?

speed, tactics, styles, amount of goals per game, game format, season format, playoff format, ref involvement/MO... etc.

I hear people complain about the constant rule changes to the game and dilution of talent through expansion. is this generally accepted?

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[RabbinsDuck]

Big, low-skilled pylons were much more valuable in the 90s and early 00s versus post-lockout.
The differential is not the 90s vs. The 00s, it is pre-lockout vs. Post-lockout.

So many teams drafted on size alone pre-lockout - it's the drafting at this time that really made a difference on today's game, IMO.

97-04 is what I consider a significant 'era' in the NHL - call it dead puck era or whatever you want, but hockey league-wide was definitely different during this period.

 

[greatgazoo]

If we're talking from 1990 to today then the size of goalie equipment is #1 in my books. And with that the change from Stand-up goaltending to the Butterfly. It's had a huge effect on the game!

 

[LeBlondeDemon10]

One significant change is that prior to the lockout (even post lockout) you could take aim at a guy's head and the NHL would look the other way. Both Lindros' careers, among others, ended prematurely because of the NHL's failure, once again, to protect its star players...make that everyone.

 

[begbeee]

Hockey during dead puck era was more intensive, after 2nd lockout is hockey in NHL more creative and speedier.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Very True

Big, low-skilled pylons were much more valuable in the 90s and early 00s versus post-lockout.
The differential is not the 90s vs. The 00s, it is pre-lockout vs. Post-lockout.
So many teams drafted on size alone pre-lockout - it's the drafting at this time that really made a difference on today's game, IMO.

97-04 is what I consider a significant 'era' in the NHL - call it dead puck era or whatever you want, but hockey league-wide was definitely different during this period.

Very astute observation. However it will take another 5-10 years before the pylons are eliminated completely and the changes filter down thru the various levels of youth and developmental hockey.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Another evolution is that every team pretty much now collapses around the net in the defensive zone. It's a combination of improvement in equipment (so everyone can block shots now) and coaching strategy. The removal of the red line seems to have caused the neutral zone trap to be replaced by almost a "defensive zone trap."

Even in the dead puck era, it was much more common to see goals go in cleanly. Now, it's so often "shoot into the mess of bodies and hope it bounces in off someone."

 

[RabbinsDuck]

Another evolution is that every team pretty much now collapses around the net in the defensive zone. It's a combination of improvement in equipment (so everyone can block shots now) and coaching strategy. The removal of the red line seems to have caused the neutral zone trap to be replaced by almost a "defensive zone trap."

Even in the dead puck era, it was much more common to see goals go in cleanly. Now, it's so often "shoot into the mess of bodies and hope it bounces in off someone."

Too true - and I hate it!

 

[seventieslord]

There have been changes, as described already, but to me they are so much less pronounced than the changes from the 80s to the 90s, or from the 70s to the 80s.

 

[overg]

Another evolution is that every team pretty much now collapses around the net in the defensive zone. It's a combination of improvement in equipment (so everyone can block shots now) and coaching strategy. The removal of the red line seems to have caused the neutral zone trap to be replaced by almost a "defensive zone trap."

I think that's true, but it goes even beyond that. In the early 90's, defense was for defensemen. You might see a few defensive forwards on any particular team, but by and large forwards were meant to score points, forecheck, and/or fight.

Starting in the mid-90's, with the success of teams like New Jersey (on the high end) and Florida (low end), it became the norm to expect your forwards to play defense, be it backchecking, clogging the neutral zone, or collapsing around the net. Although the neutral zone schemes don't seem as prevalent with the obstruction crackdown and removal of the red line, most of today's forwards are still far more defensively responsible than their early 90's counterparts.

Goaltending has also undergone a significant change. Early 90's goalies were still predominantly stand-up, whereas today it's rare to see anyone use anything but the butterfly.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

I think the overall skill and speed/pace in the game today is the most noticeable change from 90's hockey. I was watching a game from 1997 the other day, and it's closer to 80's hockey than hockey now as far as pace goes, and even goaltending is right in the middle. Goaltending has improved tremendously even since the late 90's.

 

[begbeee]

Goaltending has improved, but goaltenders overall are less skilled, are not?
I dont know.. Remembering 90´s and thinking about names like Belfour, Hasek, CuJo, Brodeur, Roy.. Today we have only Brodeur. Maybe by improving goaltending overall became gap so small, that fewer goalies can reach the extra level and make gap between them and rest of the NHL bigger.
What do you think?
Are these things in some relations or not?

 

[Zil]

Goaltending has improved, but goaltenders overall are less skilled, are not?
I dont know.. Remembering 90´s and thinking about names like Belfour, Hasek, CuJo, Brodeur, Roy.. Today we have only Brodeur. Maybe by improving goaltending overall became gap so small, that fewer goalies can reach the extra level and make gap between them and rest of the NHL bigger.
What do you think?
Are these things in some relations or not?

I'll take Lundqvist over CuJo or Belfour any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

 

[begbeee]

Of course you can cherrypick words from my post, but question and point of my post is elsewhere.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

Goaltending has improved, but goaltenders overall are less skilled, are not?
I dont know.. Remembering 90´s and thinking about names like Belfour, Hasek, CuJo, Brodeur, Roy.. Today we have only Brodeur. Maybe by improving goaltending overall became gap so small, that fewer goalies can reach the extra level and make gap between them and rest of the NHL bigger.
What do you think?
Are these things in some relations or not?

I'd say most definitely. Also Brodeur hasn't been the best goalie in the league for close to 2 years IMO.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Cookie Cutter Goalies

Goaltending has improved, but goaltenders overall are less skilled, are not?
I dont know.. Remembering 90´s and thinking about names like Belfour, Hasek, CuJo, Brodeur, Roy.. Today we have only Brodeur. Maybe by improving goaltending overall became gap so small, that fewer goalies can reach the extra level and make gap between them and rest of the NHL bigger.
What do you think?
Are these things in some relations or not?

Perhaps the nineties were the last decade that goalies had individual styles and characteristics. Lately goalies seem to come from the same mold.

 

[Big Phil]

I think taking the clutching and grabbing out of the game is the biggest change. Other than that, yeah size was a big deal in 1998, but it is today as well. Being a big guy is an advantage regardless of the era. Skill is something that is "allowed" more today than 15 years ago. You can't water ski on the back of another player now.

Other than that...........not too much

 

[seventieslord]

I'll take Lundqvist over CuJo or Belfour any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

And that is why we don't see you on the history board very often.

 

[BraveCanadian]

And that is why we don't see you on the history board very often.

Why would the come here often when they are greeted by this?

I'm not saying I agree cause when Cujo and Belfour were on their game there were very few better.

But the King is no slouch either. Be interesting to see how he does if he ever gets a team in front of him.

 

[seventieslord]

Why would the come here often when they are greeted by this?

I'm not saying I agree cause when Cujo and Belfour were on their game there were very few better.

But the King is no slouch either. Be interesting to see how he does if he ever gets a team in front of him.

Absolutely, he probably has a great career - ahead of him, that is.

"any day of the week and twice on sundays" is an ignorant statement indicating that he doesn't even consider them close, suggesting a complete lack of perspective and almost certainly an abundance of homerism. Here on the HOH boards we expect a greater level of discourse than other sections, and therefore it doesn't surprise me that this poster isn't here often.

It's not about welcoming or shunning him. I hope that clears that up.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Analysis

Absolutely, he probably has a great career - ahead of him, that is.

"any day of the week and twice on sundays" is an ignorant statement indicating that he doesn't even consider them close, suggesting a complete lack of perspective and almost certainly an abundance of homerism. Here on the HOH boards we expect a greater level of discourse than other sections, and therefore it doesn't surprise me that this poster isn't here often.

It's not about welcoming or shunning him. I hope that clears that up.

Reading between the lines, seventies seems to be suggesting that at least an effort at some type of analysis or explanation is expected as opposed to a simple absolute statement.

 

[Infinite Vision*]

Perhaps the nineties were the last decade that goalies had individual styles and characteristics. Lately goalies seem to come from the same mold.

This has a lot of truth to it I'd say.

 

[TheDevilMadeMe]

Reading between the lines, seventies seems to be suggesting that at least an effort at some type of analysis or explanation is expected as opposed to a simple absolute statement.

Agreed. Especially when you are comparing a goalie with a couple of great but not all-time great regular seasons like Lundqvist with a first ballot HHOFer like Ed Belfour. If you're going to make an absolute statement like that which goes against what everyone who actually watched Belfour should have seen (especially if your avatar makes it clear you are from New York), you probably should back up your statement.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Avatars

Agreed. Especially when you are comparing a goalie with a couple of great but not all-time great regular seasons like Lundqvist with a first ballot HHOFer like Ed Belfour. If you're going to make an absolute statement like that which goes against what everyone who actually watched Belfour should have seen (especially if your avatar makes it clear you are from New York), you probably should back up your statement.

Trust this is not a plea for more avatars.

 

[dannythekid]

I definitely don't miss the 90s-pre lockout hacking and whacking, neutral zone trapping system.

Some teams still do it up, but the game is a lot more wide open and built for speed.

Oh, and the two-line pass. Don't miss that.