In life, as in any sport, that game is inevitably going to undergo some sort of evolution or change. At one point, football did not have instant replay and did not have many camera angles. Now, the game can be viewed from any age. Back then, the offense in the NFL was a lot more methodical and balanced between passing and running the football. Now, a lot of NFL teams center their offense on the passing game. In the past, NBA teams focused on interior scoring before scoring from the three-point line. Now, the three-point line is top-priority for offenses in the NBA.
The game of hockey has undergone a similar type of evolution through the decades. We will go over how the game of hockey has changed.
In 1he 1980s and 1990s, we were blessed to see great players such as Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. We were so spoiled watching these legends. Thus, it is very easy to look back at that era and view it as a superior era to the current one.
However, this would not be the case. The current players have more physicality and speed than the players of the previous era. It can also be said that they have a more robust skill set. For instance, it used to be a unique thing to see a slapshot from a hockey player. Nowadays, most players can perform a slapshot.
Of course, coaching nuances have evolved over the years.
The roles of defensemen have evolved. In prior years, NHL defensemen used to stay in the defensive zone. Today, you would be surprised to see one team that does not have a defenseman that lingers near the blue line.
As opposed to previous decades, goals in the National Hockey League are hard to come by nowadays. Even though players have enhanced offensive skills, it is tougher to score.
The equipment that NHL players use has undergone an evolution. The pads worn by goalies are more significant in size. NHL players have gone from hockey sticks made out of lumber to composite bats to enhance their shots’ quality.