I never had the privelidge to watch him on live Tv or in person, but I'd like to know your oppinion.
2007-03-24 20:08:36 · 18 answers · asked by starsfan 2 in Sports ➔ Hockey
Gretzky spent his whole career
answering critics who said he was too small, too slow, couldn't handle the hitting, etc. Sure, the Oilers had Semenko but it was Gretz that still scored all the goals and assisted on so many others. Would he survive in today's NHL? For sure. Taking absolutely nothing away from Crosby but Gretz used to have more assists per season than Crosby has points. Great players would still be great players no matter when they played, and todays NHL is no harder or easier to play in than years before.
2007-03-25 01:49:37 · answer #1 · answered by Bob D 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gretzky was a skill player, a pinpoint passer and shooter whose skills were unmatched. He was a quick skater, if not especially fast, but was hard to hit. With the advent of the "new" NHL, with the emphasis on speed and skill and the rules having been changed to favor this, Gretzky would have been an even MORE productive player, with or without Jari Kurri or Mark Messier, Glenn Anderson or Luc Robitaille. I feel that the older NHL.....the NHL of Gordie Howe and Bobby Hull is where Gretzky would not have been the player he became simply because the NHL of that time demanded a high level of physical play from EVERY player, which Gretzky was not. He would have had to hit more, to play more physical on defense, to FIGHT more, which was why Paul Coffey and Marty McSorley were on Gretzky teams.
2007-03-25 10:11:20 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
yes Gretzky would dominate in today's NHL. he played in a tougher league in the 80's and then played in the clutching and grabbing times in the 90's but he definitely wouldn't survive in the Maurice "The Rocket" Richard era.
Amy C>>>>today's NHL is not even close to the violent and fights they had back in the 80's. hockey has a bad rating today and with these incidents with the stick swinging and knockout punches the NHL is finding something to blame but the thing is when the NHL was above the NBA back in the 80's and early 90's it was much more fighting then you have seen in the last 10 years. Gretzky would simply dominate in today's NHL.
GO HABS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
2007-03-25 10:58:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Todays NHL rules favor the European style then when he played in the 80s. There is less fighting, checking and more room behind the net and in the offensive zone.
He played a more European style of hockey, so he would probably be even better.
I would like to have seen him play while in his prime in the late 90s early 2000s when the trap existed. He would have a problem in that era.
2007-03-25 18:05:21 · answer #4 · answered by Mike V 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He'd always be good, no doubt about it---but probalby to varying degrees depending on the era. If he was in his prime 6 years ago, I don't think his number would be as good as they were in his actual prime in the 80's...I think he'd be too exhausted game after game trying to dodge the giants that ruled the game 6-10 years ago. In today's NHL---yes, the Gretzky in his prime would have a real shot of being just as good as he was in the 80's. Today's NHL awards skill and creativity above size and strength.
2007-03-25 12:34:23 · answer #5 · answered by Natalie M 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If Gretzky survived in the 80s, he could definatly play in this sissified version of NHL hockey. This game is becoming a disgrace, and it is sickening to an old school hockey fan, to watch it.
2007-03-25 16:34:19 · answer #6 · answered by Puck me, puck u 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You didn't say what in today's game would be tougher for him. Why wouldn't he? It's not like there were not cheap shots back then either, in fact many would argue MORE so. Because of more attention to Defense and better Goaltending these days he might get fewer points (and NO, Penguin fans I DON'T mean fewer than Crosby) but he would certainly "survive".
2007-03-25 08:30:27 · answer #7 · answered by clueless_nerd 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Gretzky would embarass these seond rate hockey players today (majority of players today would be on farm teams of the 80's early 90's)
2007-03-25 10:22:35 · answer #8 · answered by thewolf2275 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't think he would survive playing today's hockey because it's more violent than it was back when he played with the Kings and the Rangers. But he was a great player and is a good coach
2007-03-25 21:12:25 · answer #9 · answered by Amy C 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sure, as long as he still has the enforcers to protect him. Not saying anything against protecting a star player either. Just saying if he has no one watching out for him he would likely end up getting hurt and out of the game sooner then he was.
2007-03-25 03:43:08 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋