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Hockey used to be fun

I think scoring is going to continue to go higher with expansion as teams are going to have AHL bottom 6's when there are 34-36 teams. We might see the next McDavid level talent break 200 points for example so it will be entertaining in that way.

But the softness with continue. CTE stuff is like 20 years away from being something the NHL can't ignore. Fighting and hitting will be banned or changed fundamentally. For example any massive hits would be considered roughing, only finishing your checks allowed.

Still love it right now.
 
People grow older and bemoan the fact that X today doesn't hold a candle to how things were when they were young. It's not a new story. It's the same story repeated over and over again. Today's 18 and 20 somethings will be saying it in 2050. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
 
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Definitely the league is watered down. Add the refined goalie equipment, super stick technology, and the rules against hooking, holding, and generally interfering with a players progress, and it’s no wonder this era is so high scoring. Players are getting 100 points who really are more like 40-50 point players. In the old six team league the majority of the guys today would be in the AHL and Industrial leagues.
 
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Drake1588 said:
People grow older and bemoan the fact that X today doesn't hold a candle to how things were when they were young. It's not a new story. It's the same story repeated over and over again. Today's 18 and 20 somethings will be saying it in 2050. Nostalgia is a powerful drug.
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What rivalries do we have today that hold a candle to Bruins-Habs or Red Wings-Avs of yesteryear? Yeah, none. It could be that we're on one big trajectory-line downhill and we're all remembering stops along the way.

The game has been getting softer and less physical and rivalries have been dying on the vine for the entire 35 years I've been watching. It isn't really disputable, or "cranky old people" as youngins like to chalk it up to. I can just as easily chalk it up to their "lack of experience" in being a fan.
 
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JFedol said:
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.
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Agree here... a wooden stick feels nice and solid in your hands. I'm sure I'm at least somewhat biased, since for most of my playing days I used wooden sticks because I was kind of broke and couldn't afford the fancy composites. I finally got my hands on one when I found one on clearance, and it never really felt quite right, although I eventually had a noticeable improvement in my shot (not that my shot ended up ever being actually any good, but I digress).

The old Jofa buckets, also perhaps with a bit of nostalgia mixed in, were awesome. Guys like Selanne wearing one was a sight to behold.

Then again, the days of yore produced the abomination that was Cooperalls. Those were before my time, but they look ridiculous in photos. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone that looks back on them very fondly, and if they do it's probably to laugh at them.
 
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Sabres, Flyers, Rangers, Wings, Avs, Devils, Pens (etc.) of the 90s were a lot of fun to watch. Stopped following NFL because of it. As a CBJ fan, it's been bad for the better part of 25 years; but I maybe bias.
 
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Fatass said:
Definitely the league is watered down. Add the refined goalie equipment, super stick technology, and the rules against hooking, holding, and generally interfering with a players progress, and it’s no wonder this era is so high scoring. Players are getting 100 points who really are more like 40-50 point players. In the old six team league the majority of the guys today would be in the AHL and Industrial leagues.
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So what you're saying is that a more skilled, faster game with less hooking, holding and interference is worse? That's definitely a take.
 
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Beerz said:
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.
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Using the single most memorable sporting event of a decade to show why you were interested back then is pretty much the definition of nostalgia. 99.999% of games weren't like that.
 
BB79 said:
What rivalries do we have today that hold a candle to Bruins-Habs or Red Wings-Avs of yesteryear? Yeah, none. It could be that we're on one big trajectory-line downhill and we're all remembering stops along the way.

The game has been getting softer and less physical and rivalries have been dying on the vine for the entire 35 years I've been watching. It isn't really disputable, or "cranky old people" as youngins like to chalk it up to. I can just as easily chalk it up to their "lack of experience" in being a fan.
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So you're looking at 100 years of the history of hockey, selecting your personal 2 favorite things, and wondering why the snapshot of time of today can't compare?

Yep, that's nostalgia.
 
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Hockey is still fun even if my team is currently overhauling everything minus the owners. What makes it even more fun is the crosstown rivals extending that disaster of a GM to do even more damage.
 
izlez said:
Using the single most memorable sporting event of a decade to show why you were interested back then is pretty much the definition of nostalgia. 99.999% of games weren't like that.
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I said that is what got me interested... that doesn't account for the rest of it. It certainly wasn't nostalgia back then. That rivalry is what got me to even turn the sport on..it isn't what kept me a fan.

Nostalgia is such a stupid and lazy argument..like there can't be valid arguments as to why people can't find the game to be more entertaining 20 years ago than today
 
Beerz said:
I said that is what got me interested... that doesn't account for the rest of it. It certainly wasn't nostalgia back then. That rivalry is what got me to even turn the sport on..it isn't what kept me a fan.

Nostalgia is such a stupid and lazy argument..like there can't be valid arguments as to why people can't find the game to be more entertaining 20 years ago than today
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There can be. It's just that I skimmed like 10 posts in this thread and the Wings-Avs rivalry was brought up twice.

Nobody wants to talk about the Blackhawks-Flames round 1 series in 1996 because it was boring and forgettable when compared to that rivalry, just like 99% of all games in all eras
 
izlez said:
There can be. It's just that I skimmed like 10 posts in this thread and the Wings-Avs rivalry was brought up twice.

Nobody wants to talk about the Blackhawks-Flames round 1 series in 1996 because it was boring and forgettable when compared to that rivalry, just like 99% of all games in all eras
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I mean that is your opinion. People tend to gravitate to their favorites so it makes sense Avs Wings would be referenced. I could watch any and all series back then and be interested. I may watch the finals this year depending on the match up.
 
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I think the product needs some work from an entertainment and more offensive in nature than defensive (LA Kings for example) standpoint. But much rather this than the DPE especially in the early 00s pre-lockout. The NHL was in a really bad place back then.
 
My issue is the same thing that's affected all sports: the live experience and cost. Growing up in the mid-80s and 90s, I used to go to Whaler games for cheap and have the best time. Now, it's crazy expensive for a family to go to a game that is dominated by out-of-town suits who don't pay any attention to the game. Every sport has this, but it's magnified in the NHL since it's the best sport to attend live.
 
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