History of the National Hockey League/1992–present/Dead-puck era - Wikibooks, open books for an open world (2024)
Following the 1994–95 lockout, the NHL entered a prolonged period of offensive decline. Throughout the 1980s, 7.6 goals were scored per game on average. That figure had dropped below six goals per game by the 1994–95 season, and to 5.19 by 1998–99. There have been many arguments put forth as to what caused this decline. A common claim is that the drop in offence was due to dilution of talent caused by 1990s expansion, a position former player Brett Hull endorsed. Increased use of the neutral zone trap and similar defensive systems were also blamed. The New Jersey Devils have often been criticized for popularizing the trap, using it to win the Stanley Cup in 1995, and again in 2000 and 2003. This period has been called the dead puck era.
The Canada Cup gave way to the World Cup of Hockey in 1996, an NHL-sanctioned eight team international tournament featuring the top professionals in the world. The inaugural tournament saw the United States upset the favoured Canadians in a three-game final. That same year, the Avalanche won their first Stanley Cup in their first season in Denver, sweeping the Florida Panthers. One year later, the Detroit Red Wings ended a 42-year drought, capturing their first Stanley Cup since 1955. The team's celebration was cut short, as forward Vladimir Konstantinov and team masseur Sergei Mnatsakanov were seriously injured when their limousine crashed six days following the victory. The Red Wings dedicated the 1997–98 season to the two. Upon repeating as champions in 1998, they brought Konstantinov, who had suffered severe brain damage in the crash, out in a wheelchair to celebrate with the team on the ice.
The NHL continued its expansion into the southern United States. In 1998, the Nashville Predators joined the league, followed by the Atlanta Thrashers in 1999. On April 16, 1999, Wayne Gretzky played his final NHL game, retiring as the league's all-time scoring leader and holding 61 NHL records. His number, 99, was retired league-wide the following season. The usual three-year waiting period between a player's retirement and his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame was waived, and he was inducted in 1999. In 2000, the league added its 29th and 30th franchises, the Minnesota Wild and Columbus Blue Jackets.
For marketing reasons, the NHL agreed to participate in the Winter Olympics starting in 1998. NHL players first competed at the Nagano Games. Led by goaltender Dominik Hasek, the tournament was won by the Czech Republic. Hasek, who finished the tournament with a 0.97 goals-against average and a .961 save percentage over six games, was the leading goaltender of the 1990s. His run of consecutive Vezina Trophies from 1994 to 1999 was interrupted only once, in 1996 by Jim Carey of the Washington Capitals. Hasek won another Vezina Trophy in 2001, and two consecutive Lester B. Pearson and Hart Trophies in 1997 and 1998.
The Panthers' trip to the Stanley Cup final in 1996 began a trend in which southern-based teams frequently appeared in the championship round. The Dallas Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup over the Buffalo Sabres in controversial fashion: Brett Hull scored the Cup-winning goal in overtime of game six despite arguments that his foot was in the goal crease, which under the rules of the time would have disallowed the goal. The Stars returned to the finals in 2000, falling to the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes first played in the finals in 2002, losing to the Red Wings, while the Mighty Ducks reached the final in 2003, falling to the Devils. In 2004, the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Calgary Flames to win the Cup. The Lightning win in 2004 was seen as the end to the Devils/Avalanche/Red Wings Stanley Cup era, as the three teams won a combined 8 Stanley Cups between 1995 and 2003. The Dallas Stars in 1999 was the only team other than those three to win a Stanley Cup during that time.
The Edmonton Oilers hosted the NHL's first regular season outdoor hockey game, the Heritage Classic, on November 22, 2003. The game against the Canadiens was held at Commonwealth Stadium before a then-record crowd of 57,167 fans who endured temperatures as low as -19°C.
The National Hockey League was established in 1917 as the successor to the National Hockey Association (NHA). Founded in 1909, the NHA began play in 1910 with seven teams in Ontario and Quebec, and was one of the first major leagues in professional ice hockey.
Dead puck era. Following the 1994–95 lockout, the NHL entered a prolonged period of offensive decline. Throughout the 1980s, 7.6 goals were scored per game on average. That figure had dropped below six goals per game by the 1994–95 season, and to 5.19 by 1998–99.
The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day.
On the ice, the league's scoring descent began, as teams prioritized goal prevention while the goaltending position advanced. The NHL introduced shootouts as tie-breakers, a point for losing after regulation, and NHL talent first debuted at the Olympics.
There are 21 current NHL arenas that were constructed prior to the 2000-01 season. The historic home of the New York Rangers, Madison Square Garden, the oldest venue in the league and the Calgary Flames' Scotiabank Saddledome the second oldest. The Rangers started playing at Madison Square Garden in the 1967-68 season.
The Original Six (French: six équipes originales) are the teams that composed the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs.
Former NHL enforcer Chris Simon has died. He was 52. Simon died Monday night in his hometown of Wawa, Ontario, a spokesperson for the NHL Players' Association who has been in touch with the late forward's agent, said Tuesday.
Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (/ˈɡrɛtski/ GRET-skee; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999, retiring at the age of 38.
puck bunny (plural puck bunnies) (slang, ice hockey) A female ice hockey fan, often one whose interest in the sport is primarily motivated by attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself. Puck bunnies exhibit similar traits to those of groupies toward musicians.
The name hockey—as the organized game came to be known—has been attributed to the French word hoquet (shepherd's stick). The term rink, referring to the designated area of play, was originally used in the game of curling in 18th-century Scotland.
Taping protects the blade from wear and tear, provides a better grip on the stick shaft, and allows you to customize the knob size to fit your hand. Wrapping hockey tape on the blade also prevents moisture and ice buildup, so the puck tracks with your blade instead of slipping out of control.
Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, where it is the national winter sport and arguably the country's most popular game. Hockey is also popular in the United States and in European countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland.
Gretzky Rule: In the Silver League, a player may not score more than three (3) goals in any game. If a fourth goal is scored by the same individual, it will not count. Instead, there will be a whistle and face-off in the offensive zone.
The Original Six Years (1950-1967) In 1942 the Brooklyn Americans quit the NHL and set the stage for what many consider to be the "golden era" of hockey.
The first NHL teams were the Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, Ottawa Senators and Toronto Arenas. The oldest hockey teams in what we now call the Original Six are the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Arenas, who became the Maple Leafs in 1927.
This structure remained stable for a quarter century; the era ended in 1967 when the NHL doubled in size adding six expansion teams. The Toronto Maple Leafs play the Chicago Black Hawks. Note the goaltender is playing without a mask.
The AHL serves as the top development league for the National Hockey League, and the vast majority of players in the AHL have been chosen in the NHL Entry Draft and signed to an NHL contract. Occasionally, players are signed as free agents based on scouting information compiled by AHL teams and their parent clubs.
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