By Larry Feist /
Looking back 10 years to another January 1999 event, The 49th NHL All-Star Game was held in the hockey hotbed of America -– Tampa Bay, Florida. This year’s game in Montreal was the 57th annual – notice that there has not been 10 All-Star games in the last 10 years – darn strikes and lockouts.
The difference in the host cities strikes a real parallel in the difference in the way the NHL game is played now versus to a decade ago.
A comparison of the rosters of these two games reveals the change in style, officiating, coaching in the NHL.
The real quantitative stat that tells the true state of the game is average age of the starters. In 1999, it was 31; in 2009, it was 24. If greybeards Kovalev and Niedermayer weren’t voted on, this 2009 average age would be even lower. Wow, times have changed. ?The way the NHL game was played in 1999 was all about bruising veterans, behemoth defensemen and coaches that didn’t know how to run drills on offence.
Just look at the ’99 All-Stars.
Scott Stevens and Darryl Sydor anchored the blueline while Hitchcock, Ruff, Schoenfeld and Ftorek coached. No disrespect, but none of those guys add a lot of entertainment value to a game.
There was Krivokrasov, Sturm, Holik and Kristich on the World Team – enough said. There was some flair for sure in Sundin, Lindros, Fleury and everyone’s favourite, Yashin, but add in aging Roenick, Amonte, Modano, Primeau, Leclair and you mean what I get.?This year’s teams are all about the way the game is played now: youth, skill, speed, and great goaltending coupled with puck possessing attack-style hockey.
Vanek, Kane, Toews (above), Ovechkin, Malkin, Weber, Carter, Price – in 1999, coaching and GM styles would not have allowed these guys to even be in the NHL yet.
‘Toil in the minors and earn your stripes.’ That was the mantra of the day.
Now, phenomenal skill gets you on the powerplay at the age of 19.
The NHL All-Star Game has always been very underwhelming, but what an indicator it is when comparing the way the game was played in January 1999 versus January 2009. |
