1980's: The Golden Age of Hockey

[clarkiestooth 235]

I've been watching a lot of the old Cup finals on NHL Network this summer, and started thinking about which NHL vintage was the best. I'd have to say the 1980's produced the most entertaining hockey: high scoring, yet very physical. Really great action. I think equipment improved substantially from the 70's, especially skates. That was the era when NHLers began to actually do off ice training as well.

[chippa13 1844]

Back then it was strange to not see an uncalled hook or interference on the screen at all times.

[flip12 715]

This is my age talking, but I prefer 90's hockey. Still higher scoring than 2000's and more recent, but much faster and with better goaltending than the 80's. Whenever I watch 80's NHL I cringe at the skating and goaltending. It's just awful. More current hockey is too hyper: hyper-technical, hyper foot movement with the average guys skating much better than ever but still not that efficient. It just looks like hockey under stress. Even the way McDavid scores looks stressed. There's not enough time for craftiness to be in the mix.

The way I see it: 80's = Bronze Age; 90's = Gold Age; 2000+ = Silver. 70's had Orr and Kharlamov, so it's plucked out of sequence with its glimmers of an anachronistic preview of the glory to come in the 90's. I can't place it properly in my metal ages system...Platinum, then?

[Kgbeast 195]

Agree with 90's hockey being the golden age. I think 80's hockey was more about hits and fights. The bigger and uglier, the better. Fans were kind of the same as for 80's boxing fans (could have been the same crowd), with majority waiting to see blood and a knockout. 90's is where the real skill and finesse came to the hockey, even goons were getting skilled. I myself like today's hockey though. The explosiveness and skill level is pretty insane. Goalie work is even more insane. It is softer game now as far as beating go, but I am pretty cool with that. I prefer watching the beating in UFC. I guess for me, coming for CCCP, beating was not really part of hockey.

[adams2001 54]

90s Hockey for me all the way. We saw great NHLers continue to put up good point totals while goalies evolved. I think the 2000s saw the raise of coaching systems and now players are so talented that only the truly elite players stand out. 

My best memories are from the 90s though and I believe that was the most exciting time to be a hockey fan. 

I think the 80s was a dynasty ladened era that would have been cool to see. I've seen some reruns of the epic playoff games but the goaltending kind of makes me cringe sometimes but that's why everything evolves. When something is successful it is often imitated and becomes standard.  

[clarkiestooth 235]

On ‎8‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 7:19 PM, Kgbeast said:

Agree with 90's hockey being the golden age. I think 80's hockey was more about hits and fights. The bigger and uglier, the better. Fans were kind of the same as for 80's boxing fans (could have been the same crowd), with majority waiting to see blood and a knockout. 90's is where the real skill and finesse came to the hockey, even goons were getting skilled. I myself like today's hockey though. The explosiveness and skill level is pretty insane. Goalie work is even more insane. It is softer game now as far as beating go, but I am pretty cool with that. I prefer watching the beating in UFC. I guess for me, coming for CCCP, beating was not really part of hockey.

 

Highest goal scoring era was from the 1980's :  https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/stats.html

 

[clarkiestooth 235]

On ‎8‎/‎4‎/‎2017 at 8:08 PM, adams2001 said:

 

 I've seen some reruns of the epic playoff games but the goaltending kind of makes me cringe sometimes but that's why everything evolves. When something is successful it is often imitated and becomes standard.  

I loved the old goaltending. With the smaller pads, there was a lot more net to cover for the tender, so it was great to see the grace of Bernie Parent, or the octopus-like athletic ability of Ken Dryden. Lost from the game: the kick save, and the spectacular split- glove save.  Today's style of incrementally moving a large wall of padding across the goal mouth doesn't do it for me. Sorry, don't mean to offend any keepers out there.

[Kgbeast 195]

1 hour ago, clarkiestooth said:

 

Highest goal scoring era was from the 1980's :  https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/stats.html

 

High scoring is not necessarily speaks of higher skill. Last season 10:0 CBJ vs. MTL was probably the highest scoring game of the season. It had more to do with crappy goaltending(.75) and sub-par d-work (40 shots allowed). Alternatively, exceptional work by CBJ tender who stopped 30 shots (average to poor d). Obviously the size of the goalie gear has an impact on average scoring to the point of NHL making strides to slim it down. Also today's D-men spend half of the time in the penalty box comparing to 80's and concentrate more on defense than goal scorring.

 

[215BroadStBullies610 435]

I'm probably too young but I'll take the skill of the current game. The way hockey is played is more intriguing.

[chippa13 1844]

On 8/6/2017 at 11:27 AM, clarkiestooth said:

 

Highest goal scoring era was from the 1980's :  https://www.hockey-reference.com/leagues/stats.html

 

Scoring always boosted following large scale expansion.

[the_game 452]

I gotta say 90 to 96'ish for me is the best there is. It was great hockey to watch first and foremost but at the same time being a 10 year old kid getting hooked on hockey and really getting into it that was a perfect time. It might be nostalgia based with me, I think the game is faster now and maybe more skilled, but the guys who were great in that era were just on another level and made for must see TV. That era also had some great rivalries that I just don't think you see today, for me Isles and Rangers was at its peak back then and whatever happened on the ice spilled into the stands, obviously the Wings and Avs need no introduction. There was also still a real edge to the game in terms of toughness, fighting, and having to stick up for yourself on the ice. 

[chippa13 1844]

The downside to that timeframe is that the tail end, 94-96, is when we really started seeing the trap take hold.

[the_game 452]

Agreed, that's why I used '96ish'. You could see it creeping in but at the same time Mario tore it up, Gretz was doing his thing, guys were hitting 50 goals, etc. 

We're never gonna see production spread out like that again. Unless maybe they make the goalies go back to using equipment from that era.

[chippa13 1844]

I don't think we'll ever see scoring like back in that era. Everything is about defensive systems, clogging up the slot and blocking shots.

[adams2001 54]

On 8/8/2017 at 3:22 PM, the_game said:

I gotta say 90 to 96'ish for me is the best there is. It was great hockey to watch first and foremost but at the same time being a 10 year old kid getting hooked on hockey and really getting into it that was a perfect time. It might be nostalgia based with me, I think the game is faster now and maybe more skilled, but the guys who were great in that era were just on another level and made for must see TV. That era also had some great rivalries that I just don't think you see today, for me Isles and Rangers was at its peak back then and whatever happened on the ice spilled into the stands, obviously the Wings and Avs need no introduction. There was also still a real edge to the game in terms of toughness, fighting, and having to stick up for yourself on the ice. 

Totally agree on the Wings Avs rivalry. The blood bath on ice rounds one and two made every other sport obsolete to me as a kid. IMO that was the last great rivalry in hockey. The rivalry had it all, cups, bench clearing brawls, goalie fights, and Roy's swan song (sorry, the Wings homer in me lol).