Hockey used to be fun

[JFedol]

The NHL has been washed for like 5 years now lol

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

This same topic will be rehashed every 5 or so years.

Granted, the lack of aggression, rivalry and "hate", is lame to see. Certainly a much softer league. 5 years from now we will say it is even softer.

 

[JFedol]

Hell, there seems to be more draw with hard Wood sticks compared to composition ones when you watch older games now. The good ol hockey vibe you get from that is unreal

I'm not sure if it's true (I think it is) but the very soft physicality now may have birthed perimeter players tbh (could be wrong). God rest his soul, but I'm not even sure if Gaudreau could have replicated his 2022 season in the 90s ngl.

 

[MrLunatik]

This same topic will be rehashed every 5 or so years.

Granted, the lack of aggression, rivalry and "hate", is lame to see. Certainly a much softer league. 5 years from now we will say it is even softer.

The less rivalries and hate I think is because they went back to playing every team at least twice, while adding 2 more teams.

Familiarity breeds contempt and there is less familiarity than ever. The fact the Flame played the Oilers just 3 times this year is just sad. This is also why I'm a strong supporter of the divisional playoff format, if we didn't have it, the last of the rivalries would be completely dead.

I'd really like them to get rid of playing everyone twice again, go back to once.

1 game vs other conference - 16 total
3 games vs other division, same conference - 24 total
6 games vs own division - 42 total
Keep same playoff format.

Rivalries will return. Hate will return.

 

[MikeyMike01]

There aren’t enough divisional games in the regular season. 3 or 4 out of 82 is a joke. I barely care about the Rangers anymore because we go months without playing them. Got to make sure we have those horrendously boring games against western conference teams instead.

Another thing the NFL does right and the NHL does terribly wrong.

 

[slybel]

Habs game was kind of 80s fun ... I do miss the 80s hockey.

League is getting soft.

 

[ijuka]

The less rivalries and hate I think is because they went back to playing every team at least twice, while adding 2 more teams.

Familiarity breeds contempt and there is less familiarity than ever. The fact the Flame played the Oilers just 3 times this year is just sad. This is also why I'm a strong supporter of the divisional playoff format, if we didn't have it, the last of the rivalries would be completely dead.

I'd really like them to get rid of playing everyone twice again, go back to once.

1 game vs other conference - 16 total
3 games vs other division, same conference - 24 total
6 games vs own division - 42 total
Keep same playoff format.

Rivalries will return. Hate will return.

Assume 2 games vs other conference, 4 games vs other division, and 6 games vs own division. In that case:

2 * 16 + 4 * 8 + 6 * 7 = 106

This setup would require 106 matches, which just wouldn't be available.

The big issue here is actually how the size of the league has ballooned. Assume that there's only 24 teams and each division has 6 teams instead of 8:

2 * 12 + 4 * 6 + 6 * 5 = 78

Now the ideal would work.

I'm not so fond of the 1-3-6 idea due to uneven home/away games, that's why I think that the ideal system should have an even number of matches against every team in a season. but right now, the league is too big for that.

 

[holy]

Great stop Stolie

Edit - I am in the wrong thread

Don't you ever come into this thread and start proclaiming present day hockey as having great anything.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

it's nostalgia

 

[Miri]

Just watched Avs - Dallas game and the way Avs performed in the second and third period is why i watch hockey in the first place. Wave after wave at speed, absolutely relentless even when winning, not slowing down - peak entertainment to me. And against Dallas, who are absolute match to Avs, and unfortunately still can win the series. Not some bottom-dwellers.

All in all, i absolutely disagree with the sentiment here. I dont know if this is the best hockey ever - chances are watching 80s Oilers was as entertaining. But its certainly NOT more entertaining when there is more clutching, grabbing, “brawl can happen at any moment” and “at least 10 guys on each side are ready to fight”. What the f***.

 

[Rob]

It is more fun now than in the dead puck era. That was some of the most boring hockey I ever witnessed.

 

[John Mandalorian]

All I meant was that hockey has become so dull for me that I prefer the NFL now.

Weird. The NFL has been bad for years.

 

[IceManCat]

I miss rivalries. I miss 90's and early 2000's hockey.

Maybe it's just because my team has sucked so long but I don't think so...

Anyways.. it was fun.

Dude the LA Kings have Oilers have gone at it 4 years in a row. The Lightning and Panthers 4 out of the past 5 years. We have stars on every team that are electric. Hockey is amazing now a days.

 

[IceManCat]

“Nostalgia is an illness for those who haven't realized that today is tomorrow's nostalgia.”

Fun fact that quote came from a Devil worshiper - Zeena Schreck

 

[Beerz]

Dude the LA Kings have Oilers have gone at it 4 years in a row. The Lightning and Panthers 4 out of the past 5 years. We have stars on every team that are electric. Hockey is amazing now a days.

Your argument failed to convince me.

 

[Cool Hand Puke]

All I meant was that hockey has become so dull for me that I prefer the NFL now.

That means more about your bad taste now than how bad hockey is

 

[Lindemann]

Find it funny people complaining about the NHL declining but then go ahead and say the NFL is better now

The NFL is absolutely horrible now compared to what it use to be

If you want to look at a league downfall, look at the NBA. It’s just a 3 point and flop contest now

 

[NeverForget06]

Your argument failed to convince me.

No offence but as a Sabres fan I think you are also just less interested because your team hasn't been in a great game in a decade.... if the Sabres were in this first round I bet you'd be more interested and think hockey wasn't so bad

 

[Ncit3]

This thread is just someone getting old pining for the nostalgia of bygone days. We all feel it with everything. Even things I took for granted or didn't particularly like in the 90s and early 2000s I look back more fondly on because they remind me of a better less stressful more carefree time of my life.

Hockey, at it's core, isn't that much different than it was 25-30 years ago. But you for sure are different. Love those times and cherish them but try to stay less cynical about things happening now. We only go round once and if you spend all the years of your life wishing for the happier days of your youth. You're going to waste every moment going forward.

Fighting against cynicism and trying to be more genuine is something all human beings should strive for in their day-to-day life. We often look at things and think, "hey, things used to be better", but in reality it's the same as it ever was for the Homo sapiens species.

And if it turns out you're not able to look for the positives in hockey at this time, move to something else that makes you happy. Not enough time in a human life to do things you hate and especially those you don't have to do.

 

[Tie Domi Esquire]

This thread is just someone getting old pining for the nostalgia of bygone days. We all feel it with everything. Even things I took for granted or didn't particularly like in the 90s and early 2000s I look back more fondly on because they remind me of a better less stressful more carefree time of my life.

Hockey, at it's core, isn't that much different than it was 25-30 years ago. But you for sure are different. Love those times and cherish them but try to stay less cynical about things happening now. We only go round once and if you spend all the years of your life wishing for the happier days of your youth. You're going to waste every moment going forward.

Fighting against cynicism and trying to be more genuine is something all human beings should strive for in their day-to-day life. We often look at things and think, "hey, things used to be better", but in reality it's the same as it ever was for the Homo sapiens species.

And if it turns out you're not able to look for the positives in hockey at this time, move to something else that makes you happy. Not enough time in a human life to do things you hate and especially those you don't have to do.

 

[holy]

Go back in time and show me a guy get hit that hard.

 

[Bradely]

I miss rivalries. I miss 90's and early 2000's hockey.

Maybe it's just because my team has sucked so long but I don't think so...

Anyways.. it was fun.

Well... interesting. Me think you like UFC and boxing alot.
Adam division was for me the best.

My father use to say how great it was then and after I realized that I was doing the same thing, that it was possibly better before........
My son is starting the same and probably our little children will the same....

It is call evolution. Thing changes. NHL did change.
IMO NHL Hockey and product is more and more americain and les and les Canadian....
things needed to change to increase US market.

 

[Video Nasty]

Fun fact that quote came from a Devil worshiper - Zeena Schreck

Zeena Schreck wasn’t a devil worshiper. The Church of Satan didn’t believe in a literal Devil; it was symbolic. She later left it entirely and pursued Buddhist spirituality.

 

[IceManCat]

Your argument failed to convince me.

It's no ones fault your team sucks. Throw a pity party on your own board.

 

[Beerz]

No offence but as a Sabres fan I think you are also just less interested because your team hasn't been in a great game in a decade.... if the Sabres were in this first round I bet you'd be more interested and think hockey wasn't so bad

No offense taken.. I even mentioned that in my initial post...but i don't think that is the reason. I looked forward to watching other matchups besides my own team.. in fact it was the Avs vs Red Wings rivalry that started getting me into Hockey.