This is a catch 22. As you lose mobility, you find yourself in worse situations, and your choices to get out get worse and worse. It may look like a player is making bad decisions but it's because they are always in positions their younger selves would never find themselves in because of their better mobility.This is a hot take:
While I 100% agree that hockey IQ is the least likely to be lost as you age and can even be improved (Ekholm being a prime example), I do think it's possible for a player to lose hockey IQ as well. Alzner's physical skills and his decision-making all deteriorated as he aged.
Over the course of a player's career, they gain muscle memory and train for specific ways of succeeding, and sometimes even have natural skill at those ways. Over time the game evolves to counter success, and that can leave a player with less relative skill at the things that are successful in the "new" league. This could look like the aforementioned hands going away or being unable to drive play anymore.
Well, Gordie Howe played pro with two of his kids, so they all had to get sleep...Having kids does impact their ability. Imagine trying to be at the top of hockey while dealing with poor sleep.
He played in a different era though, im sure guys were always hungover back then. Maybe he was the one sober guyYou gotta be nuts to still be playing in the NHL at close to 40. Both in skill at the game and mentally. Crazy fitness as well.
Guys take a beating out there. Gordie playing until 52 routinely blows my mind. That was when an elbow to the chops was called like only half the time.
I don't know about physical stamina, I'd expect it to be one of the last traits to go with age. Chara runs marathons and triathlons for fun, 2024 Olympic marathon medalists were all in their 30s etc.Stamina and injury bounce back.
Did you see Gretzky when he was in the Olympics. He was sucking for air and wash up. Hockey is a game of muscle strength and speed bursts. Exactly opposite of marathon runners. ImhoI don't know about physical stamina, I'd expect it to be one of the last traits to go with age. Chara runs marathons and triathlons for fun, 2024 Olympic marathon medalists were all in their 30s etc.
HallelujahThe ability to sleep through the night without having to get up and pee
Strength and burst strength particularly isn't really stamina though.Did you see Gretzky when he was in the Olympics. He was sucking for air and wash up. Hockey is a game of muscle strength and speed bursts. Exactly opposite of marathon runners. Imho
If you're tired after a 15 second shift it is. Hockey players generally peak 25-27 years of age.Strength and burst strength particularly isn't really stamina though.
Bobby Clarke would slow those young whipper snappers down. Couple hacks here and there.Hfboards is incredible. In one thread it will be praising guys like Crosby and Ovechkin, (or Howe, Jagr, Bourque, Sakic, Lidstrom the list goes on..) for their longevity at a high level in the NHL.
In the next thread the groupthink crowd will be overtly trashing players of the past as out of shape drunks and spend their time parroting the unsubstantiated nonsense that players are continuing to get bigger, stronger, and faster, and that older players could never keep up with the advanced way hockey is played now.
And never do they see the problem with both those things both somehow being true in their minds.
In this thread we got both.. truly remarkable.