What is chocolate for your historical mind?

[NyQuil]

Old divisional names
Hip checks
Slap shots off the wing
Brown goalie pads
Brian Smith
Stomping Tom Connors
Shooting pucks to win prizes at intermissions

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

WHA
Soviet dominance in the 60's - 80s..

 

[Jive Pawnbroker]

My dad taking me to Port Huron Flags (IHL) games back in the 70s.

Getting to shake the hand of Brian McFarlane during his HNIC days.

"Do you believe in miracles? Yes!!!"

Working at the 2007 Draft and getting to meet youngsters like Ryan McDonagh and PK Subban.

 

[alko]

Czechoslovakian Team

 

[blundluntman]

The 70s just may be my favorite era of hockey, it's without a doubt the reason why I have any interest in the history of hockey.

Around 18, I got really into 90s hockey (out of nostalgia) and read as many articles/lists as possible and watched a lot of documentaries. I idolized guys like Brett Hull, Bure, Sakic, Fedorov, Forsberg, Lemieux, Hasek, Roy, etc. I was fascinated by the high-flying scoring of the early 90s and loved the rivalries and juggernauts of the late 90s. However, I wasn't all too interested in the 80s, 70s or any time before that. Obviously, I knew Gretzky and Orr were the greatest but there was no context to it. I just saw their numbers and thought "Wow, that's unreal, he must've been pretty good."

This went on until I was 21 and I one day was reading through a top 10 Rangers of all time list when I stumbled upon Rod Gilbert. I briefly looked up his numbers and saw that the guy was scoring around 90 points at his peak during the 70s and that's when I thought "Oh wow, even back then scoring was so high that 90 points barely cracked the top 10 scoring lists. If this guy was that good and I never heard of him until just now, just how many great players really existed back then?" After that, I started to dig into a lot of the history around the 70s and late 60s and stopped thinking of it as "the old times" and began comparing the milestones/primes of great players to the stars I grew up on.

That's when I got really interested in players like Marcel Dionne, Bobby Clarke, Guy Lafleur, Gilbert Perreault, Rod Gilbert, Esposito, and of course, Bobby Orr. I started comparing guys like Lafleur and Dionne to great players of the 90s like Sakic and Forsberg and started to see just how dominant those guys really were and why lists always ranked them so high. I started to compare guys like Clarke to Fedorov and really started to appreciate just how dense and vast the history of the sport really was.

Once I'd contextualized how great the 70s were, Gretzky's dominance finally made complete sense to me. The 80s wasn't just an era of pond hockey that was an anomaly, it was an extension of the 70s and a precursor to the 90s. Outside of Gretzky, the scoring in the 80s wasn't all too different than the 70s or the early 90s (at least, it was closer than I thought). This showed me just how insane of a player Gretzky was and reminded me that the players before him weren't slouches by any means whatsoever. I also started to see just how insane of a player Orr was, and how rare he actually was considering there was nobody like him before or during the time he took the league by storm. It really drove home just how important the passing of the torch was for the league and made the history/legacy of past greats resonate with me a lot more.

Sorry for the Essay but yeah.

 

[NyQuil]

Also Beckett’s hockey card magazine.

 

[VanIslander]

What is sweetest about Gretz is that so many of his greatest plays didn't result in points!

I had my jaw on the floor countless times when he hadn't scored yet.

The highlight videos don't preserve "insanely good passes that were not received well, not turned into goals, ugh".

I dare you to find an Oilers game where Gretzky scored zero points and not find stunning plays by him. EDIT: Heck, i'll do ot. It sounds fun. Excuse me. I'll be back.

EDIT: I am having a hard time. I can't find an Edmonton game in which Gretzky didn't score. 200 points a year makes it difficult. Wait, i can season surf for shutouts. I'll be back...

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

started comparing guys like Lafleur and Dionne to great players of the 90s like Sakic and Forsberg and started to see just how dominant those guys really were and why lists always ranked them so high. I started to compare guys like Clarke to Fedorov and really started to appreciate just how dense and vast the history of the sport really was.Once I'd contextualized how great the 70s were, Gretzky's dominance finally made complete sense to me. The 80s wasn't just an era of pond hockey that was an anomaly, it was an extension of the 70s and a precursor to the 90s. Outside of Gretzky, the scoring in the 80s wasn't all too different than the 70s or the early 90s (at least, it was closer than I thought). This showed me just how insane of a player Gretzky was and reminded me that the players before him weren't slouches by any means whatsoever. I also started to see just how insane of a player Orr was, and how rare he actually was considering there was nobody like him before or during the time he took the league by storm. It really drove home just how important the passing of the torch was for the league and made the history/legacy of past greats resonate with me a lot more.

Sorry for the Essay but yeah.

Actually, it was.

 

[blundluntman]

Actually, it was.

Outside of Gretzky and Lemieux, the Art Ross winners on average can't be that different numbers-wise. The floor may be a bit higher with more players scoring over 100 (which is likely due to expansion) but the peaks are pretty similar.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Outside of Gretzky and Lemieux, the Art Ross winners on average can't be that different numbers-wise. The floor may be a bit higher with more players scoring over 100 (which is likely due to expansion) but the peaks are pretty similar.

So now its Gretzky and Lemieux!

In the 1970's, the highest amount of 100 point scores was 9 in 1975-76. In the next season there were only 3.

The highest total of 100 point scorers in the 1980's was 16, in 1984-85. Only in 1986-87 were there less than 9.

 

[blundluntman]

So now its Gretzky and Lemieux!

In the 1970's, the highest amount of 100 point scores was 9 in 1975-76. In the next season there were only 3.

The highest total of 100 point scorers in the 1980's was 16, in 1984-85. Only in 1986-87 were there less than 9.

Obviously, it's Gretzky and Lemieux lol they're both in a tier of their own as far as forwards go (I forgot to mention Lemieux but most people are aware that they're both anomalies and not like any other star players from the 70s or 80s).

I already acknowledged that the floor was higher but the ceiling remained the same. Yes, there were more 100-point scorers in the 80s, but it's not like everybody was scoring 140+ points or anything. Outside of Gretzky and Lemieux, the next highest scoring season of the 80s was within 3 points of the highest scoring season of the 70s. The milestones were comparable is my point. Which I say because it emphasizes just how much higher of a level Gretzky ascended to (and Lemieux shortly after).

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Obviously, it's Gretzky and Lemieux lol they're both in a tier of their own as far as forwards go (I forgot to mention Lemieux but most people are aware that they're both anomalies and not like any other star players from the 70s or 80s).

I already acknowledged that the floor was higher but the ceiling remained the same. Yes, there were more 100-point scorers in the 80s, but it's not like everybody was scoring 140+ points or anything. Outside of Gretzky and Lemieux, the next highest scoring season of the 80s was within 3 points of the highest scoring season of the 70s. The milestones were comparable is my point. Which I say because it emphasizes just how much higher of a level Gretzky ascended to (and Lemieux shortly after).

I think its only fair, if you are eliminating Gretzky and Mario, that we eliminate Esposito from the 1970's, as he was shattering NHL records in the same way those greats were. Take away Espo's 152, 145, 133 and 130 seasons and who is next? Bobby Orr. Call him the 1970's Mario. Take him out and what you have is a lot lower than the 1980's without The Great One and Mario.

 

[blundluntman]

I think its only fair, if you are eliminating Gretzky and Mario, that we eliminate Esposito from the 1970's, as he was shattering NHL records in the same way those greats were. Take away Espo's 152, 145, 133 and 130 seasons and who is next? Bobby Orr. Call him the 1970's Mario. Take him out and what you have is a lot lower than the 1980's without The Great One and Mario.

I don't think I'd compare Esposito to Gretzky or Mario. He was great and he did break records but not like those two. Gretzky and Maro's career highs are around 50 points higher than Esposito or anybody else. Esposito's career high was 16 points higher than the next-best player in the 70s (not named Orr).

But if you were to do so, you'd have Lafleur at 136 vs Yzerman at 155 which is definitely a big difference (then you have Bossy at 147). But after that, it's basically capped within the 120-130 range for elite players.

So while you're right that it's higher in the 80s, I still think the milestones are at least comparable during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Players like Lafleur, Bossy, Dionne and Trottier are scoring 120-130 points at their peak. Then you have other great players like Perreault, Sittler, Clarke, and Mahovlich in the 110s. In the 80s, 120 and 130 is usually the peak (outside of two players). And in the 90s it's the same outside of 1993. There are anomalies but for the most part, star players are eclipsing 100 points and 50 goals on the regular. The 70s, 80s and 90s are much higher scoring than the 2000s and 2010s where 100/50 is a much rarer occurrence (100 for a star player in that time period is basically what 120 was during the 70s,80s and 90s). The numbers aren't identical between the 70s, 80s and 90s, but it's closer than I'd thought at the time.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I don't think I'd compare Esposito to Gretzky or Mario. He was great and he did break records but not like those two. Gretzky and Maro's career highs are around 50 points higher than Esposito or anybody else. Esposito's career high was 16 points higher than the next-best player in the 70s (not named Orr).

But if you were to do so, you'd have Lafleur at 136 vs Yzerman at 155 which is definitely a big difference (then you have Bossy at 147). But after that, it's basically capped within the 120-130 range for elite players.

So while you're right that it's higher in the 80s, I still think the milestones are at least comparable during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Players like Lafleur, Bossy, Dionne and Trottier are scoring 120-130 points at their peak. Then you have other great players like Perreault, Sittler, Clarke, and Mahovlich in the 110s. In the 80s, 120 and 130 is usually the peak (outside of two players). And in the 90s it's the same outside of 1993. There are anomalies but for the most part, star players are eclipsing 100 points and 50 goals on the regular. The 70s, 80s and 90s are much higher scoring than the 2000s and 2010s where 100/50 is a much rarer occurrence (100 for a star player in that time period is basically what 120 was during the 70s,80s and 90s). The numbers aren't identical between the 70s, 80s and 90s, but it's closer than I'd thought at the time.

In 1970-71 Esposito scored 152 points, shattering his own record of 126, which shattered the previous record of 97. The closest non-Bruin in 190-71 was Bobby Hull with 96.

In 1971-72 he had 133 points, better than anyone other than Orr by 24 point.

In 1972-73 130 points, better than anyone by 26 points.

in 1973-74 145 points, 23 points higher than Orr. And 58 points higher than any non-Bruin.

That seems quite dominant to me.

 

[JianYang]

Late 80s early 90s hockey cards.

 

[Jedub]

Satellite Hotstove, Don Cherry, Whites at home.

 

[blundluntman]

In 1970-71 Esposito scored 152 points, shattering his own record of 126, which shattered the previous record of 97. The closest non-Bruin in 190-71 was Bobby Hull with 96.

In 1971-72 he had 133 points, better than anyone other than Orr by 24 point.

In 1972-73 130 points, better than anyone by 26 points.

in 1973-74 145 points, 23 points higher than Orr. And 58 points higher than any non-Bruin.

That seems quite dominant to me.

I never said Esposito wasn't dominant... I said his numbers were closer to other players (as far as career highs are concerned) than Gretzky and Lemieux, so I didn't think it messed with the mean as drastically (the next closest career high season in the 70s is 16 points behind; for Gretz and Lemieux during the 80s, it's 60 and 44). Despite that, I even went ahead and excluded Esposito as you asked and made my case anyway.

My point this entire time has been that star players from the 70s, 80s and 90s are comparable to each other as far as career highs are concerned. I didn't say they were identical, I literally said they were closer than I thought before I did my research. I don't get why we're going back and forth like this.

 

[MadLuke]

One issue by looking at Esposito record by how much it shattered previous record is that an high scoring, 78 games seasons was quite new in 1970-1971, nhl was still 06-70 games relatively low scoring in 1967.

Howe went from scoring 65 pts to 40 years old version topping 103, you would expect those old records to get badly upgraded.

Comparing him to what Bossy-Lafleur did and Lemieux-Gretzky to Bossy-Yzerman-Nicholls, etc... over a window of seasons is probably more a way to go.

 

[iamjs]

Slapshot

Growing up (and still having family) in Johnstown, this one is still my sweet spot years later. The War Memorial was my home ice as a subpar beer leaguer, and sometimes I'll pop the DVD in just to look at things as it was in the 70s vs now.

 

[bobholly39]

I'm Canadian. Canada competing and winning top tier International Tournaments probably qualifies (be it 02 olympics, 2010 & 14 olympics, or 2016 world cup).

"Chocolate" because let's be honest, Canada is very large favorites every tournament, so competition isn't always as high as you'd want it to be. So much so, that a Team Canada vs Team World probably still has Canada as favorites a lot of the time. But I still enjoy those tournaments, and I still enjoy it when we win.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I never said Esposito wasn't dominant... I said his numbers were closer to other players (as far as career highs are concerned) than Gretzky and Lemieux, so I didn't think it messed with the mean as drastically (the next closest career high season in the 70s is 16 points behind; for Gretz and Lemieux during the 80s, it's 60 and 44). Despite that, I even went ahead and excluded Esposito as you asked and made my case anyway.

My point this entire time has been that star players from the 70s, 80s and 90s are comparable to each other as far as career highs are concerned. I didn't say they were identical, I literally said they were closer than I thought before I did my research. I don't get why we're going back and forth like this.

"Outside of Gretzky, the scoring in the 80s wasn't all too different than the 70s "

That was the point you made that I was disputing.

 

[blundluntman]

"Outside of Gretzky, the scoring in the 80s wasn't all too different than the 70s "

That was the point you made that I was disputing.

I elaborated 3 replies ago

 

[Babe Ruth]

For me, nostalgic comfort food would be late 8os hockey games: Blades of Steel for Nintendo.. TV Sports Hockey for the Turbografx.

 

[DJ Man]

(Sorry, but didn't know where else to share this!)

 

[Takuto Maruki]

Eastern teams on west coast swings. Something so glorious about seeing both New York teams, Washington, or whoever else was on the eastern seaboard make the trek especially to Vancouver, but also Edmonton and Calgary.