Have we officially entered a 'new' era of the NHL? Post-Lockout vs Post-Covid

[ACLEVERNAME]

Since time immemorial, the NHL Lockout of 2004-05 has been used as the benchmark of the 'modern' game of hockey. Every stat, play, achievement or blunder has almost always been referenced within the period of "since the lockout." Between rule changes, equipment innovations, and technological feats; the NHL as a whole became a completely new entity within itself. It was a hard line driven in the sand between the 'old' or 'classic' game of the 80's and 90's and what we now know and enjoy today.

That being said, I now wonder if we have already passed the threshold of a 'new era' of the game and are still a bit blind to it? More and more I see "since Covid" being used as a time-frame in discussions/debates. Then you get to thinking just how much the League and game as whole has changed since 'The Bubble' and subsequent 'Covid Year' - I'd have to say it's at least equal if not greater than the impact of the Lockout year.

So what do we think? 5-10 years from now will we still be referencing the 'Lockout Year' when speaking of the modern game or have we entered the new 'Post- Covid' era of the NHL?

Click to read more...

 

[Number 57]

Welcome to the Post-Covid NHL era where you get

-Tons of betting ads
-Ads on jerseys
-Ads on helmets
-Ads during broadcast
-Ads ads ads ads ads ads adsaddsddasdasdasdsadsasdadsads

And those 8 PM starts are killing us easterners. Whoever had that idea must be fired immediately.

 

[weastern bias]

Since time immemorial

I lol'd

 

[Machinehead]

We entered a new era in 17-18 when the second Dead Puck Era ended.

It was before the virus.

 

[HockeyVirus]

I don't think it is relevant long term. Post covid has been a thing mainly because of the unique challenges of a flat cap. If it indeed rises each year as it did before, then it will be the same as it ever was and we will have 5 years that are looked at differently.

Also covid years had 2 shortened seasons, unique divisions, and a bubble cup which had to be taken into account when talking about "normal seasons".

 

[Legionnaire11]

And those 8 PM starts are killing us easterners. Whoever had that idea must be fired immediately.

All of us western conference fans are hard at work searching for some sympathy for you

 

[Yozhik v tumane]

Perhaps like the watered down “war years” of the NHL didn’t perfectly coincide with the WWII (and thus occasionally leading to misunderstandings when evaluating the value of certain players’ performances in the early-to-mid 40s), the pandemic might clumsily be remembered as the shift from the “DPE 2.0” into a higher scoring league, sure. But the general rule changes and more stringent enforcement of penalties leading to the shift did precede the pandemic. Hard to pinpoint the exact time, but I feel the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons saw the league adjusting toward more offense.

 

[JKG33]

For me it'll be around 2014 when they changed to the shitty playoff format, which was also a couple years before McDavid/Drai/Matthews/MacKinnon took over as the dominant faces of the league. Much like Crosby/Ovi/Malkin did after the 2004 lockout

 

[NVious]

"If they ever tell my story, let them say I walked with giants. Men rise and fall like the winter wheat, but these names will never die. Let them say, I lived in the time of JT Miller."​

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

You can divvy it up into way more eras if you want. I think 'post-lockout' survives as a descriptor because the introduction of the salary cap just affected the way teams are built in such a significant way that there's lots of contexts where it's a very meaningful distinction.

 

[MadLuke]

We entered a new era in 17-18 when the second Dead Puck Era ended.

This to me and McDavid-Kucherov-Mack-Matthews replaced Crosby-Ovechkin-Malkin-Kane "officially", new era of high scoring started. First expension with Vegas in a while since 2000 as well, 30 being a strong number to go over.

Rk	Season	Lg	GP	G	PP	PPO	PP%	PK%	SA	SV	SV%	GAA
1	2023-24	NHL	1312	3.11	0.63	3.02	20.98	79.02	30.1	27.2	.903	2.91
2	2022-23	NHL	1312	3.18	0.65	3.07	21.31	78.69	31.1	28.1	.904	2.97
3	2021-22	NHL	1312	3.14	0.60	2.89	20.61	79.39	31.4	28.5	.907	2.92
4	2020-21	NHL	868	2.94	0.57	2.89	19.78	80.22	29.8	27.1	.908	2.74
5	2019-20	NHL	1082	3.02	0.60	2.97	20.03	79.97	31.3	28.4	.910	2.82
6	2018-19	NHL	1271	3.01	0.58	2.92	19.78	80.22	31.3	28.5	.910	2.81
7	2017-18	NHL	1271	2.97	0.61	3.04	20.18	79.82	31.8	29.0	.912	2.78
8	2016-17	NHL	1230	2.77	0.57	2.99	19.10	80.90	30.1	27.5	.913	2.59
9	2015-16	NHL	1230	2.71	0.58	3.11	18.66	81.34	29.6	27.1	.915	2.51
10	2014-15	NHL	1230	2.73	0.57	3.06	18.66	81.34	29.8	27.3	.915	2.52
11	2013-14	NHL	1230	2.74	0.59	3.27	17.89	82.11	30.0	27.4	.914	2.56
12	2012-13	NHL	720	2.72	0.61	3.32	18.22	81.78	29.0	26.5	.912	2.54
13	2011-12	NHL	1230	2.73	0.57	3.31	17.31	82.69	29.7	27.1	.914	2.54
14	2010-11	NHL	1230	2.79	0.64	3.54	18.02	81.98	30.3	27.7	.913	2.61
15	2009-10	NHL	1230	2.84	0.68	3.71	18.23	81.77	30.2	27.5	.911	2.66
16	2008-09	NHL	1230	2.91	0.79	4.16	18.95	81.05	30.1	27.4	.908	2.73
17	2007-08	NHL	1230	2.78	0.76	4.28	17.75	82.25	29.0	26.3	.909	2.61
18	2006-07	NHL	1230	2.95	0.85	4.85	17.58	82.42	29.5	26.7	.905	2.77
19	2005-06	NHL	1230	3.08	1.03	5.85	17.68	82.32	29.9	27.0	.901	2.92

 

[Strexvale]

Welcome to the Post-Covid NHL era where you get

-Tons of betting ads
-Ads on jerseys
-Ads on helmets
-Ads during broadcast
-Ads ads ads ads ads ads adsaddsddasdasdasdsadsasdadsads

And those 8 PM starts are killing us easterners. Whoever had that idea must be fired immediately.

Yep, this.

It's basically the gaudy, borderline unwatchable era of hockey.
We could also call it the game management era of hockey due to the refs getting steadily worse or the video review delay of game era of hockey with the product slowing to a crawl. Or the shitty playoff seeding era of hockey.

Basically it's the NFLication of the sport. and I hate the NFL viewing experience.

The biggest shame of it all is just how unnecessary it all is. Between scoring going way up, a huge increase in talent, and more data on actually interesting things than ever (Analytics can be great but it was not the most user friendly thing. The edge data is actually kinda fun imo.) There's so much potential for this to be the most fun sport to watch on TV, but it's stuck decades in the past. This league desperately needs new people in charge.

 

[ACLEVERNAME]

We entered a new era in 17-18 when the second Dead Puck Era ended.

View attachment 882109
It was before the virus.

Fantastic info right there. Yes, it was before the virus but it can still be argued that it was still within the 'churn of times', so to say. Just as the rise of gambling ads and such mentioned above by @Number 57 - which mostly came about after said event - would also be included.

A turn of an era is never fully 'defined' by a singular event in which its named after or referenced to - its just the understood 'meeting point' of a slew of events, ideas and happenings. WWII, Woodstock, 9/11. All singlular events which existed in a point in time, but defined more broadly by the 'beginning, middle, and end' which better encompasses the true nature of 'change'.

Such is my argument; that we've already passed the threshold into a new era of the game of hockey, but still it lays dormant in the minds of many. It takes time and it takes clarity and understanding to process, understand, and eventually accept the cycle of 'change'. It's a new world - a new NHL.

 

[flying squirrel]

We entered a new era in 17-18 when the second Dead Puck Era ended.

View attachment 882109
It was before the virus.

Interesting, thanks....

Since 17'-18', a steady uptick with scoring is surely happening.

• Believe once we throw in that many NHL organizations, have had their depth shredded by covid flat-cap severely.
• This covid flat-cap enabled an environment, that allowed scoring uptick to continue last few seasons, and we'll see where NHL is once dust settles.
• Think scoring uptick continues until NHL teams are able to rebuild their defensive depth, and then field defensive groupings that have played together for awhile.
• NHL defensive schemes take more time, more effort, and players to be within system, so team becomes great or championship worthy.
• Flattest cap ever, no cap growth for 3-4 years, has taken a sledgehammer to all that!!!
• Covid flat-cap sped up changing of-the-guard, that usually takes place between... The outgoing great teams -vs- New upcoming great teams.
• Upcoming teams have never had it easier to beat teams at end of successful runs.
• Covid flat-cap, is part of the reason to why these playoffs had some of the worst competitive playoff series ever. Any team shored up right before or during flattest cap ever, were shot out of a canon to top of league much quicker than what usually takes place.
• Cap hurts teams having success, like it's designed to do, but......
• That "Changing-of-the-guard" process has always helped upcoming teams, but covid's flat-cap sped up this process, and put that process on steroids. Thus, skewing the balance between.... "The has been teams" -vs- "The wanna be teams".
• Scoring will continue to go up for many reasons, but flattest cap is doing it's part last few seasons
• Think all these NHL players breaking so many scoring records this past season, is more proof of what Covid flat-cap did for scoring.

Thanks for awesome stats OP

 

[Voight]

No, it's the BetMGM Era.

 

[x Tame Impala]

I agree with @Machinehead @MadLuke that 2017/18 is when the big change happened. Maybe 2018/19 after the Caps won their Cup.

-The Hawks/Pens/Kings time of dominance ended
-McDavid/Draisaitl/Matthews/MacKinnon started to replace Sid/Ovie/Malkin/Kane/etc... as premiere players in the league
-scoring starting going up and the game itself just felt different to watch. The playstyle changed, the game felt "lighter" more shifty, less intense and physical
-Vegas comes in and shows the entire hockey world the way these other 30 teams having been trying to build a team isn't the only way
-The 2018/19 SCF was a weird one where there weren't any powerhouse teams in the league, let alone the SCF

And selfishly the Hawks dynasty era was officially over as well as Coach Q was let go and our core players started to age out or be traded away.

2009 to 2018 was a hell of a time to be a hockey fan and I've seen so many amazing players and teams come through the league. It was a real treat and most likely won't ever be topped for me based on nostalgia and personal enjoyment. Hockey will always be great however, this was just a special time.

 

[doublechili]

A couple of things that may be significant over the past handful of seasons:

*franchises with "favorable geography" may be about to win their 5th straight Cup (FLA, VGK, COL, TB, TB). Coincidence, or not?;

*depth matters, on D but especially up front with the ability to roll 3 lines that maintain offensive pressure.

 

[JianYang]

A couple of things that may be significant over the past handful of seasons:

*franchises with "favorable geography" may be about to win their 5th straight Cup (FLA, VGK, COL, TB, TB). Coincidence, or not?;

*depth matters, on D but especially up front with the ability to roll 3 lines that maintain offensive pressure.

Depth has always mattered.

I don't really buy the "geography" bit. What I do believe is that all the teams that are having their upswings right now will eventually experience a downswing
too.

 

[doublechili]

Depth has always mattered.

I don't really buy the "geography" bit. What I do believe is that all the teams that are having their upswings right now will eventually experience a downswing
too.

Sure, depth has always mattered, but of late teams have been winning with lines that are closer to:

1a
1b or 2a
2b
3 or 4

The separation between the 1st and 3rd lines is narrowing, and the function of the 3rd line is less about the traditional role of checking the other team and more about maintaining pressure and zone time.

I'm not sure if the favorable geography thing is a "thing" or not. I was just pointing out a pattern. Time will tell if it continues or not, but FLA, VGK, COL, TB and TB is a pattern, right?

 

[BLNY]

Welcome to the Post-Covid NHL era where you get

-Tons of betting ads
-Ads on jerseys
-Ads on helmets
-Ads during broadcast
-Ads ads ads ads ads ads adsaddsddasdasdasdsadsasdadsads

And those 8 PM starts are killing us easterners. Whoever had that idea must be fired immediately.

9 on the coast and 930 NL. It's terrible.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

We entered a new era in 17-18 when the second Dead Puck Era ended.

View attachment 882109
It was before the virus.

This is true.

2017-18 was a transition year to me. Higher scoring than the DPE 2.0, but lower scoring than the current era that has since followed. You can kind of include it on either side, with the caveat that it was a transition year.

 

[dirtydanglez]

not sure the game a changed enough but 'post-covid' seems like a good time reference that everyone understands. hopefully there arent any other monumental world wide events coming in the near future.

 

[joelef]

Still not marketing there stars though.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Yep, this.

It's basically the gaudy, borderline unwatchable era of hockey.
We could also call it the game management era of hockey due to the refs getting steadily worse or the video review delay of game era of hockey with the product slowing to a crawl. Or the shitty playoff seeding era of hockey.

Basically it's the NFLication of the sport. and I hate the NFL viewing experience.

The biggest shame of it all is just how unnecessary it all is. Between scoring going way up, a huge increase in talent, and more data on actually interesting things than ever (Analytics can be great but it was not the most user friendly thing. The edge data is actually kinda fun imo.) There's so much potential for this to be the most fun sport to watch on TV, but it's stuck decades in the past. This league desperately needs new people in charge.

And the NFL even had the sense not to put ads on the actual playing surface. So the NHL has lapped the NFL in that regard.