OT: The quality of NHL hockey and its rapid deterioration

[bluetib]

I firmly believe the long-term contracts teams are forced to give out (because of the salary cap) have a serious detrimental effect on the quality of hockey.

I mean, if you were guaranteed 8 million dollars a year for the next 8 years, why WOULDN'T you take nights off?

Right on!

 

[KapG]

Its not even the size of the rink that's the problem, its the clutching and grabbing that is plaguing the game again.

 

[AustonMitchWilly]

I think the quality of the players is at an all time high, and that neutralizes the generational players that used to stick out.

 

[highslot]

the goalies have gotten bigger. the players wear large pads. the stars are getting concussions.

i think it's quite simple: reduce goalie padding dimensions to 1980's level and change player gear to softer shoulder pads.

also, you don't need international size ice, but i think it would be useful to have international width so forwards can attack the blue line. although i disagree with the poster who said international ice is bad: the world juniors were exciting and canada winning the gold was great.

the international game might be different because there is such a skill discrepancy that the worst teams have to play defensively. however, with an 82 game season and no ties, weaker teams may not want to take chances in a shootout, even on bigger ice.

 

[ACC1224]

the goalies have gotten bigger. the players wear large pads. the stars are getting concussions.

i think it's quite simple: reduce goalie padding dimensions to 1980's level and change player gear to softer shoulder pads.

also, you don't need international size ice, but i think it would be useful to have international width so forwards can attack the blue line. although i disagree with the poster who said international ice is bad: the world juniors were exciting and canada winning the gold was great.

the international game might be different because there is such a skill discrepancy that the worst teams have to play defensively. however, with an 82 game season and no ties, weaker teams may not want to take chances in a shootout, even on bigger ice.

That was in Toronto and Montreal, NHL ice.

 

[Jatt]

the goalies have gotten bigger. the players wear large pads. the stars are getting concussions.

This. Don't tell me that it's because players "are bigger", if Dave Semenko was wearing essentially the football type shoulder pads players are wearing today he would have done a lot more damage to star players than any goon in the NHL today.

But with the softer pads players knew they would take-in a percentage of what they were giving out and respected the hits they were giving unlike the players today going in at full speed because they feel nothing in their mech-suits.

 

[paulhiggins]

How to fix:

1. 2 year compulsary armed service for all 18-20 youth. Hockey players train 10 hours/day, 6 days week, all year. This will be the source of our National Team and only these amateurs are allowed to play in world junior, Olympic, World Championships (it will all be the same team)

2. Entry draft at age 21 (North American players drafted only. Euros can play their lives in Europe)

3. Reduce NHL teams to 20. Expand roster "dressed list" to 20 players + 2 goalies.

4. Remove instigator rule.

5. Get rid of regular season overtime and shootouts.

6. Bring back an international pro tournament every 4 years (non-Olympic years). Compulsary playing if picked for the team.

7. Reduce number of games to 70.

8. One ref and 2 linesmen.

9. Cap on max pro salary ($500,000/yr) and no guaranteed contracts.

 

[Pilky01]

Those shoulder pads are just absurd. They're nearly over top of his head!

 

[Grapes1]

I agree its the hard plastic equipment, and the size of the goalies and their equipment.

However, it probably stems from the advancement in sticks and the power of the average shot. It's getting to the point where you wonder if they are eventually going to have to tone it down a bit. In a way it would be kind of cool if the NHL was like MLB, and in the pro's you had to revert back to wood... not that this will ever happen...

Also, guys block way more shots now with the hard plastic equipment

 

[stealth1]

It has nothing to do with players being better or goalies being better. That hasn't changed much since the first lockout. Its all the obstruction and holding being let go that is the cause of it. The best hockey was the first couple of season coming out of the first lockout. Teams built on speed made for entertaining games. The video isn't meant to troll Leaf fans, its to show the difference from that game to today's game. The league to try to cut down on concussions decided to let obstruction and holding back in the game.

 

[BraveCanadian]

I agree its the hard plastic equipment, and the size of the goalies and their equipment.

However, it probably stems from the advancement in sticks and the power of the average shot. It's getting to the point where you wonder if they are eventually going to have to tone it down a bit. In a way it would be kind of cool if the NHL was like MLB, and in the pro's you had to revert back to wood... not that this will ever happen...

Also, guys block way more shots now with the hard plastic equipment

I think that mandating a standard type of stick and getting rid of the hard plastic equipment so that players block less shots would be a good start.

Then they just have to figure out what to do about goaltenders now being 6'5 instead of 5'9.

 

[Jatt]

I think that mandating a standard type of stick and getting rid of the hard plastic equipment so that players block less shots would be a good start.

Then they just have to figure out what to do about goaltenders now being 6'5 instead of 5'9.

Ken Dryden was 6'4, Mike Liut 6'2, its not that there weren't taller goalies before, but given the equipment they have on now it looks like your trying to beat a mattress on skates.

 

[deletethis]

How about rules to curb shot blocking?

Don't allow players to intentionally leave their feet to block shots or passes or make last ditch efforts at a poke check.

 

[Rants Mulliniks]

OK - better quality players then? But, not sure how better skaters, better goalies and better coaching does not translate to better quality …..???

If the OP was about more entertaining hockey, then maybe he word "entertaining" should have been used.

The Leafs of the 1980’s were lacking in many areas from ownership to management, coaches, scouts, development of their draft picks and ill-advised trades - the worst being the incomprehensible trading in 1989 by general manager Floyd Smith of the Leafs’ first round draft choice in a year where future franchise type players such as Eric Lindros and Scott Niedermayer were available. Smith traded this pick for journeyman defenseman Tom Kurvers.

I guess we've sunk so low that we are now envious of the Ballard era?

Definitely the players are of better quality. Game itself stinks. Ballard has nothing to do with it. Those teams were a million times worse than today yet still entertaining.

Why is that?

 

[Leaf Army]

There's a lot of parity in the game today. Conventional thinking leads people to believe that parity means more exciting hockey.

What parity actually does is cause teams to play extremely conservatively.

I'm not saying parity is a bad thing. But there are pluses and minuses.

 

[highslot]

That was in Toronto and Montreal, NHL ice.

forgot about the juniors, but last i checked, sochi is not in montreal.

 

[ACC1224]

forgot about the juniors, but last i checked, sochi is not in montreal.

Correct it's in Russia. That was the boring Olympic tournament, the Juniors were held in Canada on NHL ice. You even said winning the gold was great?

 

[spidergoalie]

Having re-watched the '87 Canada Cup not too far back, I'll stick with my opinion that hockey was overall more entertaining back-when (cf. Sochi)

You cannot seriously compare a short tournament with only star players on a handful of teams to the regular NHL though.

I agree there are too many teams, I agree drop the instigator rule, I agree with smaller chest protectors and shorter leg pads, but none of those would ever be approved by the PA. Unions are not generally in favour of fewer jobs and even remotely more dangerous working conditions.

 

[HarryLime]

this is the low point as far as I'm concerned. has nothing to do w the leafs.

 

[Gormo]

Imo shot blocking is ridiculous now. Everyone does it now and I cant stand it; like we need 6 goalies out there.

I think is a real problem that gives a huge advantage to the defenders, I just dont know how to address it.