1979-80 Season

[The Panther]

I disagree with this guy's thesis, but indeed the 1979-80 season was quite interesting for all the obvious reasons, most summarized in the video:


Although 1979-80 is before my memories, I have always thought of it as sort-of the start of the "modern" era of hockey. I say this mainly because my club (Edmonton) joined the NHL, but you can look at it also as a very stable League thenceforth (21 clubs from 1979 to 1991), and of course the beginning of players like Messier, Bourque, and Gretzky, who had very long careers.

It remains bizarre that those guys' career slightly overlapped with Keon, Howe, and Mikita...

Click to read more...

 

[Dingo]

The beginning of the end for dinosaur hockey.

Gretzky went on to be the greatest, everyone else in that top 10, with the exception of Dionne, was totally irrelevant to league scoring by their thirtieth birthdays... at the LATEST.

Really cool that Gordie and Hull were there.

edit - entire top 20, all in their twenties, except Gretzky, all obsolete, except Dionne, and a good excuse for Bossy, by 30.

 

[carjackmalone]

And that Stoughton ,Gare,and simmer split the goal scoring title

 

[MS]

I disagree with this guy's thesis, but indeed the 1979-80 season was quite interesting for all the obvious reasons, most summarized in the video:


Although 1979-80 is before my memories, I have always thought of it as sort-of the start of the "modern" era of hockey. I say this mainly because my club (Edmonton) joined the NHL, but you can look at it also as a very stable League thenceforth (21 clubs from 1979 to 1991), and of course the beginning of players like Messier, Bourque, and Gretzky, who had very long careers.

It remains bizarre that those guys' career slightly overlapped with Keon, Howe, and Mikita...

I disagree that it was the league's greatest season but it's definitely the start of an era - 21-team league, end of the WHA, first season of Gretzky, change to an 18 year old draft, change in dynasties from Montreal->NYI, basically the rough point where the US/Euro invasion started en masse.

To me the 'eras' in the NHL since WW2 are pretty well-defined :

1945-67 - Original 6 Era
1967-79 - Expansion era
1979-94 - '80s offensive era
1994-04 - Dead Puck Era
2005-present - Cap era

It will be interesting to see if/when/how the current era ends but we're now on a 20-year stretch that has been remarkably consistent in terms of scoring and parity, and largely dominated by two players (Crosby and Malkin) whose careers started exactly in 2005 as well as the salary cap/free agency system that has been largely unchanged since it was introduced.

 

[The Panther]

1994-04 - Dead Puck Era
2005-present - Cap era

I basically agree with your first three post-WWII eras, but I'm not sure about these two. It's tricky, because 1995 was only lower-scoring because of intense travel / intra-divisional games, and then 1995-96 is basically back to higher scoring. Also, 1996-97 isn't really the Dead Puck Era yet -- it's the transition season into it.

Post spring-1994 does seem a convenient demarcation point, though, because the game was in such a great state by spring 1994 (coinciding with the MLB players' strike)... and then the Work-Stoppage killed all that NHL momentum.

Really, though, the Dead Puck Era is only 1997-98 to 2003-04 (seven seasons), which seems short to be an "era".

And then the scoring levels circa 2010-11 to 2017-18 are right back to Dead Puck Era levels (esp. when three-on-three overtime goals are discounted).

I do feel like a new-ish era began in about 2018-19, but I'm not sure why...

Thinking about it further, maybe you're right that 1995 to 2003-04 is an "era", but it isn't all Dead Puck. What it really is, is the "size-fetish era". If you were six-foot six and could skate in a straight line, you basically had an NHL job...

 

[MadLuke]

Because of the competitor league getting away, having Howe, Hull, Brewer, Ratelle, Keon, Mikita, Cheevers, Esposito x2, Henderson, playing in the same league of Bourque-Gretzky up and comers must have been exciting.

A bit like 2006 before the first game, going up in a league with Forsberg come back, Crosby-Ovechkin starting and still Lemieux-Yzerman-Sakic-Hasek-Hull-Belfour, etc... in the mix. Did not went that well for everyone involved, but first week, opening night, felt quite special.

The list of turning point do look quite something in retrospecs (how massive the Islanders would be, how giant Gretzky would be) the Euro arrival phenomenom, not sure if those at the time felt like it, but obviously the expansion would have and an art ross winning rookie of that age by itself was a big deal, even if some would have had some narrative in both case of just wait Lafleur come back.

 

[Staniowski]

Because of the competitor league getting away, having Howe, Hull, Brewer, Ratelle, Keon, Mikita, Cheevers, Esposito x2, Henderson, playing in the same league of Bourque-Gretzky up and comers must have been exciting.

A bit like 2006 before the first game, going up in a league with Forsberg come back, Crosby-Ovechkin starting and still Lemieux-Yzerman-Sakic-Hasek-Hull-Belfour, etc... in the mix. Did not went that well for everyone involved, but first week, opening night, felt quite special.

The list of turning point do look quite something in retrospecs (how massive the Islanders would be, how giant Gretzky would be) the Euro arrival phenomenom, not sure if those at the time felt like it, but obviously the expansion would have and an art ross winning rookie of that age by itself was a big deal, even if some would have had some narrative in both case of just wait Lafleur come back.

Watching Bourque and Gretzky and Mark Howe and Kent Nilsson in 1980 was exciting; watching Gordie Howe and Hull and Mikita and Esposito and Keon was the opposite of exciting. The good news was the latter guys were gone very soon, replaced by many skilled young players.

 

[MadLuke]

A bit similar for a lot of the old player in 2006, but before the first game, all those legends returning in the league could have been.

 

[Staniowski]

The '79-'80 season certainly wasn't the greatest season ever, but it was arguably the most important season in NHL history. You can see the importance in retrospect, but it was also talked about (by players, coaches, fans, etc.) a lot at the time. In particular, everybody noticed the sudden increase in speed - guys like Bourque, Messier, Gartner, Gretzky, Mark Howe, Hartsburg, Kent Nilsson, etc. flying around the ice for the first time.

That season was the beginning of the greatest influx of speed, skill, talent the NHL had ever seen, and nothing else had ever been close to it.

It was really the beginnings (if any season could be called the begginings) of what the NHL is today. That season was the start of a much bigger talent pool, the best players were better, and the depth of talent was substantially better. It led to better offense, better defense, there was better coaching, these things combined produced better hockey a few years down the road.

The Canadian talent was obviously great - fueled mainly by improvements in infrastructure (indoor rinks, minor hockey programs) and transportation in the 1960s. But this was the start of Americans, Swedes, and Finns as important components of the NHL. There was a lot of talent from these countries entering the NHL in the 1980s. And a few Czechoslovakian players.

The early '80s were exciting (and a bit wild) times in the NHL. The league became very young, and defense took a while to catch up to offense, but it did eventually.

If somebody was going to write a complete history of the NHL, the '79-'80 season would be a good place to start, a good point of comparison for what came before it, and what came after.

 

[MS]

I basically agree with your first three post-WWII eras, but I'm not sure about these two. It's tricky, because 1995 was only lower-scoring because of intense travel / intra-divisional games, and then 1995-96 is basically back to higher scoring. Also, 1996-97 isn't really the Dead Puck Era yet -- it's the transition season into it.

Post spring-1994 does seem a convenient demarcation point, though, because the game was in such a great state by spring 1994 (coinciding with the MLB players' strike)... and then the Work-Stoppage killed all that NHL momentum.

Really, though, the Dead Puck Era is only 1997-98 to 2003-04 (seven seasons), which seems short to be an "era".

And then the scoring levels circa 2010-11 to 2017-18 are right back to Dead Puck Era levels (esp. when three-on-three overtime goals are discounted).

I do feel like a new-ish era began in about 2018-19, but I'm not sure why...

Thinking about it further, maybe you're right that 1995 to 2003-04 is an "era", but it isn't all Dead Puck. What it really is, is the "size-fetish era". If you were six-foot six and could skate in a straight line, you basically had an NHL job...

The 'pure' DPE was from 1997-2004 but I'd have the era starting with the 1994-95 season for a few reasons :

1) The CBA signed after the 1994 lockout defined that era, through the new salary cap CBA in 2005. This was the start of UFA and the explosion of salaries that quickly killed Quebec and Winnipeg in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Total new financial landscape for the league.

2) The 1995 Cup was won by the Devils playing the Lemaire trap style of hockey that was then basically duplicated by everyone over the next few years.

3) Gretzky and Lemieux combined for 48 points in the 1994-95 season. Even though both would be back with better seasons in the future, this signaled a massive changing of the guard with Lindros and Jagr taking over as the premier NHL forwards.

You could probably call that era a lot of things but to me it's pretty clearly an era. You could even call it the 'goalie era' because more than any other time in NHL history elite goalies were a disproportionate part of the storyline.

The '79-'80 season certainly wasn't the greatest season ever, but it was arguably the most important season in NHL history. You can see the importance in retrospect, but it was also talked about (by players, coaches, fans, etc.) a lot at the time. In particular, everybody noticed the sudden increase in speed - guys like Bourque, Messier, Gartner, Gretzky, Mark Howe, Hartsburg, Kent Nilsson, etc. flying around the ice for the first time.

That season was the beginning of the greatest influx of speed, skill, talent the NHL had ever seen, and nothing else had ever been close to it.

It was really the beginnings (if any season could be called the begginings) of what the NHL is today. That season was the start of a much bigger talent pool, the best players were better, and the depth of talent was substantially better. It led to better offense, better defense, there was better coaching, these things combined produced better hockey a few years down the road.

The Canadian talent was obviously great - fueled mainly by improvements in infrastructure (indoor rinks, minor hockey programs) and transportation in the 1960s. But this was the start of Americans, Swedes, and Finns as important components of the NHL. There was a lot of talent from these countries entering the NHL in the 1980s. And a few Czechoslovakian players.

The early '80s were exciting (and a bit wild) times in the NHL. The league became very young, and defense took a while to catch up to offense, but it did eventually.

If somebody was going to write a complete history of the NHL, the '79-'80 season would be a good place to start, a good point of comparison for what came before it, and what came after.

I've said a few times here over the years that a game in 1980 doesn't look meaningfully different from a game in 1970 but that a game in 1990 looks like it's about 5 leagues higher than a game in 1980. The change that happened over that 10 year period - in terms of the size of the players, the short shift revolution, the athleticism of the players, the pace of the game, the quality of the goaltending - was absolutely insane and greater than at any other point in NHL history, and 79-80 was the start of that.

 

[Staniowski]

The 'pure' DPE was from 1997-2004 but I'd have the era starting with the 1994-95 season for a few reasons :

1) The CBA signed after the 1994 lockout defined that era, through the new salary cap CBA in 2005. This was the start of UFA and the explosion of salaries that quickly killed Quebec and Winnipeg in 1995 and 1996 respectively. Total new financial landscape for the league.

2) The 1995 Cup was won by the Devils playing the Lemaire trap style of hockey that was then basically duplicated by everyone over the next few years.

3) Gretzky and Lemieux combined for 48 points in the 1994-95 season. Even though both would be back with better seasons in the future, this signaled a massive changing of the guard with Lindros and Jagr taking over as the premier NHL forwards.

You could probably call that era a lot of things but to me it's pretty clearly an era. You could even call it the 'goalie era' because more than any other time in NHL history elite goalies were a disproportionate part of the storyline.



I've said a few times here over the years that a game in 1980 doesn't look meaningfully different from a game in 1970 but that a game in 1990 looks like it's about 5 leagues higher than a game in 1980. The change that happened over that 10 year period - in terms of the size of the players, the short shift revolution, the athleticism of the players, the pace of the game, the quality of the goaltending - was absolutely insane and greater than at any other point in NHL history, and 79-80 was the start of that.

Yes, the '80s were a very important decade for hockey. Big changes, mostly the result of increased talent, and better coaching....and the beginnings of the incorporation of European skills and tactics.

I always suggest people to watch a couple games from every season, in order, starting in '79-'80, all the way to the DPE. It's an education in hockey.

 

[Crosby2010]

Tons of storylines too. The Habs gunning for 5 Cups in a row? Gretzky entering the NHL. The Flyers' 35 game unbeaten streak. All the while the iconic 1980 Olympics take place. The season ends with Bob Nystrom's goal, the next time that a season ends on a goal is 1996. And of course this is the birth of the Islanders winning.

 

[Dingo]

Yes, the '80s were a very important decade for hockey. Big changes, mostly the result of increased talent, and better coaching....and the beginnings of the incorporation of European skills and tactics.

I always suggest people to watch a couple games from every season, in order, starting in '79-'80, all the way to the DPE. It's an education in hockey.

i havent done exactly that, but yes, early 80s looke a lot different than late 80s, and early 90s gets even better.

especially important to watch normal teams. If I watch late 70s Bruins vs Habs it still looks sprt of modern, other than goalies and shooting. But, if you can watch Canucks vs Red Wings or something similar... egad.... beer league!

 

[Air Budd Dwyer]

i havent done exactly that, but yes, early 80s looke a lot different than late 80s, and early 90s gets even better.

especially important to watch normal teams. If I watch late 70s Bruins vs Habs it still looks sprt of modern, other than goalies and shooting. But, if you can watch Canucks vs Red Wings or something similar... egad.... beer league!

One of the things I actually prefer about watching pre cap-era games, especially in the 80's and early to mid 90's, is how much more space there appears to be. The game seemed way more wide open, more east-west. Am I crazy for thinking the 2 line pass needs to be brought back?

 

[Dingo]

One of the things I actually prefer about watching pre cap-era games, especially in the 80's and early to mid 90's, is how much more space there appears to be. The game seemed way more wide open, more east-west. Am I crazy for thinking the 2 line pass needs to be brought back?

i dont think it was the two line pass that opened it up. My opinion, anyways... I think it was the lack of skating ability from the depth players, mostly, but also the weak goaltending - when you can score from two steps inside the blueline with no screen, at a reasonably high percentage, defences have to attack instead of shell up. This creates turnovers which oead to odd man rushes, and it also creates the defensive player who jumps up getting beaten one on one. All of this makes more space.

In fact, when they reduced the goalie PADS in 2017 (i think) this very thing has happened. If you watched the Canucks play in front of Luongo it was all about five guys in the slot, shoot all you want from out there, it would take a very unlucky bounce to find a crack in that giant foam armour.

Much like boxing with 16 oz gloves vs MMA or no gloves - you cant just bury your head behind those pillows? now you gotta have head movement, which opens up counters, and makes things get wild both ways very quickly.

Just my 5am opinion!

edit! when i say 'weak goaltending' a LOT of it is just the pads themselves. Not weak athletes, just different.

Ok, extra edit, im on a rant here - one thing I love about baseball is the traditional wooden bats. If they went to the new bats that i buy my daughters they would have to extend the fences by fifty feet or all the records would become obsolete quickly, the game would change. there would be a ton of outfield in that case.

I wish i could watch a hockey game with new guys with old equipment, same as id like to see golf played with old McGregor irons and persimmon woods. Nobody is afraid to go in the rough anymore, and all the courses can do is grow them longer which is a bit silly, or keep putting the tee boxes back further. The game, and athletes who Darwin to the top, are very different

 

[Dingo]

 

[Johnny Engine]

i dont think it was the two line pass that opened it up. My opinion, anyways... I think it was the lack of skating ability from the depth players, mostly, but also the weak goaltending - when you can score from two steps inside the blueline with no screen, at a reasonably high percentage, defences have to attack instead of shell up. This creates turnovers which oead to odd man rushes, and it also creates the defensive player who jumps up getting beaten one on one. All of this makes more space.

That, but also average shift length makes a big difference to how these guys can move around. I don't think say, the 1991 North Stars could have been anywhere near as "always on top of you all the time", if they weren't constantly hopping over the boards with a pep in their step.

I've also wondered what the game would look like with zero tolerance line changes - five sets of skates on the ice maximum at all times, if you give up a rush because someone is mid change too bad. I can think of a number of reasons why this would be a bad idea - a panicked jumble of skates flying at the boards every change, more strain on the linesmen, another damn thing to review- but it does make me curious. Maybe not even all that different in the big picture.