Most exciting decade of hockey in the past 40 years?

[The Grim Reaper]

No real criteria for defining "exciting". Could be hitting, scoring, top players, fighting, systems, etc...

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[Mrb1p]

Wasnt around for the better part of the 90s but Ill go with Crosby, Ovis decade.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I'll take the 90s. Granted the last couple seasons were tight defensively, but 1990-97 was a great mix of free wheeling offense, physicality, intensity, along with a few great defensive teams like NJ and the best era for goaltenders ever. It feels like that era had everything. I take it over the 80s because it was more well rounded with defense and goaltending also on display. Not to mention Europeans were a huge part of the league in the 90s and basically non existent in the 80s.

After that I'd say it was 2005-12 or so. Since then it feels like the intensity has been sapped out of the game. I like that offense is coming back, but the physicality and hatred is long gone.

 

[Luigi Lemieux]

I'm convinced this series (and the rematches that followed) were the pinnacle of nhl hockey. Was a perfect storm that can't be recreated now. Salary cap preventing multiple super teams, less physicality and more safety measures, less hatred with players being friends.

 

[bobholly39]

90s - but I'm sure a lot of that is nostalgia speaking. Still it's when I first got into hockey - also last time my team won a cup, Lemieux/Gretzky - high offense seasons - Colorado/Detroit power houses - lots to like

Wasnt around for the better part of the 90s but Ill go with Crosby, Ovis decade.

I literally can't tell which decade you're speaking of =/

 

[Mrb1p]

90s - but I'm sure a lot of that is nostalgia speaking. Still it's when I first got into hockey - also last time my team won a cup, Lemieux/Gretzky - high offense seasons - Colorado/Detroit power houses - lots to like



I literally can't tell which decade you're speaking of =/

Prime years

 

[bobholly39]

Prime years

That didn't help

 

[BB06]

That didn't help

05-10 I'd guess? Not a full decade

 

[Perfect_Drug]

80's AINEC

In 1992, the "Instigator Rule" was introduced and in a few short years, it absolutely ruined hockey.

Anyone that cheap shot Gretzky would get their face caved in by Dave Semenko and Marty McSorley. You could slash his hands, but you sure as hell would pay the price in the infirmary

Believe it or not, this kept the play "honest" and the stars were allowed to free-wheel. After 1992, it became open-season on the stars.

Skill-less players could now clutch and grab with impunity. Teams devoid of skill could now win cups because stars were now treated like garbage. This crap goes on today.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I'll take the 90s.. especially the early to mid 90s when Lemieux and Gretzky could still light it up.

 

[Video Nasty]

As a complete confined decade, I’ll go with the 80s.

Picking any 10 year stretch, I’d go with late 80s-mid 90s.

 

[DitchMarner]

Voted 90s.

 

[Varan]

I think if you go with half-decade 05-10 is unmatched with the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry

 

[Ducks in a row]

80's because of so much scoring and prime Gretzky dominating like no one ever did. Also Miracle on Ice happened in the 80's.

 

[lawrence]

90's however the last 2 years of the 90's were one of the worst as that's when more and more teams used trapping hockey.

 

[nickdawg95]

90-04

 

[SotasicA]

80s up to mid-90s was the best and most exciting the game has been.

The game then simultaneously shifted towards more defensive play and goalie gear exploded, plus the fights slowly started to disappear. And we haven't gotten over that hump. Defensive systems still rule, goalies cover too much of the net, and fights are at an all-time low. No passion and very limited scoring chances.

 

[Voight]

1980s were great cause not only did you have the new generation of Gretz, Lemieux, Bourque, Coffey, Roy, , Savard, Hawerchuk, Stastny, Mess etc but you still had some of the 70s stars playing like Trottier, Bossy, Potvin, Dionne, Lafleur, Robinson, Clarke, Park, Smith etc

 

[Star Ocean]

90s for sure

 

[Hischier and Hughes]

All I know is none of it compares to hockey today!

Give me more talented, high scoring games over clutch and grab with goals against fence posts in net!

 

[McFlash97]

80s. Anyone saying 90s must be nuts. Half the decade was boring ass trap hockey.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

80s up to mid-90s was the best and most exciting the game has been.

The game then simultaneously shifted towards more defensive play and goalie gear exploded, plus the fights slowly started to disappear. And we haven't gotten over that hump. Defensive systems still rule, goalies cover too much of the net, and fights are at an all-time low. No passion and very limited scoring chances.

Agreed.
I've seen my favorite team win the cup 3 times in the last decade and I still think the league was more fun to watch back in the 80's and early 90's.

 

[Rorschach]

90s is when hockey went from a non-top 4 sport into solidifying itself as a serious team sport. A lot of that had to do with a perfect storm of having two of the greatest players of all time, a large class of great players to surround them, hockey cards becoming collectible among all card collectors, and expansion happening at the same time.

In 92-93, there were 14 guys who scored 50 or more goals...

Also, throughout the 90s, there were multiple super-teams duking it out that could never be assembled today in the salary cap era (maybe one exception, 2010 Blackhawks, which imploded, cap-wise, after their Cup). In the 80s, there were two obvious ones, Islanders and Oilers, maybe the Flames for one year.
90-91 Blackhawks
90s Penguins - several iterations
Early 90s Canadiens
Mid 90s Red Wings
Mid 90s Avalanche
90s Devils, if they could make the playoffs

So a lot of things were peaking during this time. Both extremes of scoring and violence were at their height in the 90s, especially early through mid 90s. Eventually by the late 90s, it became the clutch and grab era.

 

[snipes]

90s had it all. Speed, skill, physicality, crazy rivalries and real hate.

This current era is a fun era to watch as a fan, it’s definitely the “speed and skill era” after we’ve had DPE 1 & 2 along with the high flying 80s before that.

Mid 90s hockey was awesome as a fan but this era we’re in is really fun to watch as well. Players are so skilled today and the equipment advances have really facilitated this, it’s incredible to see at ice level live how fast the game has become.

 

[Satoru Gojo]

Wasn't really around for 90s hockey so only have a solid memory of the next two decades.

Gave a slight edge for the 2000's but i may just be basing that off nostalgia