Post lockout best era of hockey?

[RiSeOnFiRe 0]

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Eklund/What...g-in-It/1/23478

[bearfight 1]

It's the "era" im growing up with and can't compare it to the past ones, but I like the reasoning of the game being more evolved. I don't know if it's just post lock out though, I think the last 10-15 years have been awesome

[hamstercaster 2]

I've been fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to have lived through 4 different decades of hockey. I was to young to remember much of the 70's except for maybe 1978-79. It's in my opinion a waste of time to try to compare eras as there are too many different factors involved. IMO, the 80's is when players started taking hockey seriously and it is also when they started making a more than decent paycheck. We had the Gretzky's, Lemieux, Messier, Kurri and so many other great players. Offense was plentiful, clutching and grabbing somewhat at a tolerable level, goalies were actually starting to look better and be better. A great era to say the least and that lasted all the way to the early 90's when the Pens won consecutive cups.

Then came the late 90's early 2000's with clutching and grabbing, the trap, better and better goalies and many a boring night of hockey on tv where on some nights I wasn't sure if I was watching hockey or wrestling.

Then came the lockout and that new era we're in with some truly exciting players, great goalies, coaches getting back to offensive styles although I find they still put too much emphasis on defensive play, at least for the offensive stars out there. The crack down on player fouls is helping although the referees are way too often so inconsistant that the players just don't know what they can and cannot do on the ice. I like this era a lot but I also liked the 80's very much too....

[Chadd 916]

The late 80s and early 90s was an amazing time to be a fan.

[chippa13 1844]

I'll second that.

[tro 4]

The late 80s and early 90s was an amazing time to be a fan.

ah, the talent(Gretz, Hull, lemieux, Modano, StevieY, Burnarby Joe, Coffey, Mess, many more) , the openness, and my favourite back then, the goalies used gear that was there mostly to protect not add to the body.

I also loved how diverse the technique was player to player.

Today most of the players skate and play pretty much the same and almost all goalies play the same butterfly.

Sure today's players and the game is overall better, but I really enjoyed the diversity of skill from this era.

[hamstercaster 2]

Today's hockey is different in parts because of how hockey equipment has evolved, technique and the players themselves who are now running their careers like a business. Not to take away from Gretzky, Lemieux, Yzerman, Hull's talent or anything but I honnestly believe that they would not have had as many points back then with today's goalies.. Players haven't evolved as much as goalies have where goaltending has now become an "art" and goalies have coaches, techniques and such that didn't really exist back then or were not as widely used. but then again, I find it useless to compare eras talent wise because the equipment wasn't the same, the players are bigger now than they ever were etc. One could argue that the goalies weren't as good then or had access to as good equipment as today but it was the same for the players using wood sticks and then aluminum shafts with would blades and all.

But the late 80's early 90's were definitly good years to be a hockey fan.

[chippa13 1844]

Sure, but if you're going to put those guys against today's goalies then you have to give them the same advantage of today's technology, training methods, and strategies. All things would stay the same.

[Chadd 916]

Sure, but if you're going to put those guys against today's goalies then you have to give them the same advantage of today's technology, training methods, and strategies. All things would stay the same.

I don't think you'll ever see someone as far ahead of everyone else as Gretz was.

[IniNew 53]

Sure, but if you're going to put those guys against today's goalies then you have to give them the same advantage of today's technology, training methods, and strategies. All things would stay the same.

Gretzky himself said it was much easier to score back then, when goalies were wearing gear "...half the size, and twice the weight..."

He firmly believes the only way to increase scoring is to change the goalies equipment.