You lost me at Crosby is better than Gretzky.
- Maxbone

You honestly think Gretzky woulda been able to put up Crosby numbers TODAY with guys playing at almost 4 times his fastest speed trying to crush him thru the ice?? Semeko now woulda been Dan Carcillo.......

Coaching systems today....4000x better
Health and conditioning of ALL players today......200x better
Able to process the speed of todays game vs yesterdays game......200-300x better(having raced motocycles alot of years I can tell you driving at hiway speeds conditions you to see things at one pace. DRiving at 200-300kmh/h makes hiway spped downright so slow you see it in super slowmo)

THERE is NO comparsion.....todays players are better PERIOD. I have great great fondness for the broad street bullies in the 70's, my team, but that team would get killed physically and pretty much in EVERY fight now by just about ANY AHL team UP.......

You honestly think Gretzky woulda been able to put up Crosby numbers TODAY with guys playing at almost 4 times his fastest speed trying to crush him thru the ice?? Semeko now woulda been Dan Carcillo.......
- RichardPeterNuss

I absolutely don't think Gretzky could put up Gretzky-like numbers in the modern NHL. I do, however, think he still would have led the league in goals, assists, and points every season.

The greats would have been great in any era.

Lidstrom IS thee greatest dman to have ever lived. WHY??? Same reason as Crosby's much MUCH better then Gretzky EVER was. He's the best in THIS era. Orr like Gretzky was so far ahead of his time it was ridiculous. BUT in this day and age, with the players built like tanks, and your AVERAGE Dman being Robinson's size now when Robinson back in his day being a tank of a man, the players now are a bazillion times more athletic, talented, FAST and HUGE. Gretzky while no doubt he woulda been skiled had he played today would've also been murdered inside a week the way he used to go into zones you simply acnnot gointo today especially with your head down. Yesterday's players were what they were, the best in their TIME but todays players are BEST PERIOD cause the game has evolved to a science. Anyone too stupid to that fact need only look at the goalies back then and how not ONE really had a clue, nor any technique whatsoever other then guessing and dumbassed luck. You put Ovechkin back into the old NHL and he'd be one of the biggest physically, THEE most ridiculously skilled and he'd have run roughshod over Mario's days........Excitement Orr was it, but Orr couldn't hold Lidstrom's jock in TODAYS game he was too little, average in skating now, and way waaayyy to frail to lay in todays game...(hell Lidtrom woulda been a big BIG boy back then....)
- RichardPeterNuss

So...asides from having never watched Gretzky, what other areas do you fail in?

Gregor claims that Blain is often referred to as soft, and Czerwonka is not good enough as a skater
- andymaury

I think the main reason these two will go unsigned is because teams only sign so many players out of one draft year. Hall, Pitlick, Hamilton, Marincin, Martindale, Bunz, Davidson and Pelss all signed out of 2010 draft class. Eight guys all the same age. Almost a sixth of all the contracts the team can carry.

You honestly think Gretzky woulda been able to put up Crosby numbers TODAY with guys playing at almost 4 times his fastest speed trying to crush him thru the ice?? Semeko now woulda been Dan Carcillo.......

Coaching systems today....4000x better
Health and conditioning of ALL players today......200x better
Able to process the speed of todays game vs yesterdays game......200-300x better(having raced motocycles alot of years I can tell you driving at hiway speeds conditions you to see things at one pace. DRiving at 200-300kmh/h makes hiway spped downright so slow you see it in super slowmo)

THERE is NO comparsion.....todays players are better PERIOD. I have great great fondness for the broad street bullies in the 70's, my team, but that team would get killed physically and pretty much in EVERY fight now by just about ANY AHL team UP.......
- RichardPeterNuss

Put Gretzky in today's era with all of todays advantages that you listed above and he'd just be hat much better. Even in a high scoring era, nobody was anywhere near his level. You're an attention seeking troll, and this is the last of mine you'll get you moron.

I absolutely don't think Gretzky could put up Gretzky-like numbers in the modern NHL. I do, however, think he still would have led the league in goals, assists, and points every season.

The greats would have been great in any era.
- Maxbone

Did you see the Greztky era Oilers LIVE during their dynasty??? Watch an old game online or thru u tube. Then watch how much faster Taylor Hall is today compared to the fastest player back then. He'd be almost back to his own end in a race by the time the fastest guy even made it to the opposite goal line...I loved the NHL gone by, wish they'd return to white unis at home, but today is light years faster, tougher, SMARTER and BETTER all round. Yesterdays games were so enetertaining cause NO ONE had a clue and theyr were slop fest induced clusterflucks...Plus add in way lighter stronger euipment, way lighter sticks, real goalie equipment, today would murder yesterday....And Toa....I grew up in an era of no internet, and colour tvs were about to be born....Go back before the leafs last cup to when I was born.....living in mom's basement, playing hide the salami to worl of warcraft doesn't make you have a clue. Semeko was tough as nails, back then but today, well Boogeyman before he died woulda made him his beeitch AND scored like Gretzky if he'd played back then before his Death....

Did you see the Greztky era Oilers LIVE during their dynasty??? Watch an old game online or thru u tube. Then watch how much faster Taylor Hall is today compared to the fastest player back then. He'd be almost back to his own end in a race by the time the fastest guy even made it to the opposite goal line...I loved the NHL gone by, wish they'd return to white unis at home, but today is light years faster, tougher, SMARTER and BETTER all round. Yesterdays games were so enetertaining cause NO ONE had a clue and theyr were slop fest induced clusterflucks...
- RichardPeterNuss

The games may be faster today but entertainmentwise -I would go back to the 80s 7-3 games anyday- mind you we did have some 8 and 9 goal games against Chicago this year that was damn entertaining... I wish we played them more this year Oh well I guess we always have next year

God forbid that you could ever be completely objective. You ask why anyone would want to coach in Calgary but do you ever pause and think, "Why doesn't anyone want to play or stay in Edmonton?" Perhaps because it's like Winnipeg without the charm? Don't bother trying to convince me otherwise, I spend enough time in all three cities to be able to say it with confidence.
- ElPhantasmo69

Winnipeg has charm. Hogwash. As an ex resident of all three cities Winnipeg comes up short in every category.

There really isn't much to chose from between any of those cities to be honest but having lived in all three Winnipeg comes up behind the other two in most categories. Crap weather, major mosquito problems. Lack of infrastructure, terribly long, cold winters. The red river ex is a joke.

The reality is a player or coach signing based on location wouldnt chose any of these three cities.

So that leaves opportunity and there are numerous locations that offer better opportunity than Calgary.

The games may be faster today but entertainmentwise -I would go back to the 80s 7-3 games anyday- mind you we did have some 8 and 9 goal games against Chicago this year that was damn entertaining... I wish we played them more this year Oh well I guess we always have next year
- saskoil21

I agree the Oilers dynasty was most entertaing of all. but why was that?? Cause teams had no clue, proper positioning didn't exsist, goalies wore bed matressess, and couldn't stop a beachball, and they guessed at everything. Watch Hextall in the cup final in game 7 against the oilers after Philly came back to tie it from 3-1. He guessed at EVERYTHING, with a season and cup on the line....

Did you see the Greztky era Oilers LIVE during their dynasty??? Watch an old game online or thru u tube. Then watch how much faster Taylor Hall is today compared to the fastest player back then. He'd be almost back to his own end in a race by the time the fastest guy even made it to the opposite goal line...I loved the NHL gone by, wish they'd return to white unis at home, but today is light years faster, tougher, SMARTER and BETTER all round. Yesterdays games were so enetertaining cause NO ONE had a clue and theyr were slop fest induced clusterflucks...Plus add in way lighter stronger euipment, way lighter sticks, real goalie equipment, today would murder yesterday....And Toa....I grew up in an era of no internet, and colour tvs were about to be born....Go back before the leafs last cup to when I was born.....living in mom's basement, playing hide the salami to worl of warcraft doesn't make you have a clue. Semeko was tough as nails, back then but today, well Boogeyman before he died woulda made him his beeitch AND scored like Gretzky if he'd played back then before his Death....
- RichardPeterNuss

So much fail in this post. Given your obvious age you must be incapacitated and incapable of forming an objective opinion.

I agree the Oilers dynasty was most entertaing of all. but why was that?? Cause teams had no clue, proper positioning didn't exsist, goalies wore bed matressess, and couldn't stop a beachball, and they guessed at everything. Watch Hextall in the cup final in game 7 against the oilers after Philly came back to tie it from 3-1. He guessed at EVERYTHING, with a season and cup on the line....
- RichardPeterNuss

Really? You think strategy and positional hockey was born since the oilers dynasty. You really need to do some research before you post.

Offensive takeouts, defensive strategies were born in the 40's and have been in constant evolution since.

It won't do any good since the Oilers fail to attract any depth talent to help the team win. even Pittsburgh didn't need the kind of crazy talent you're accumulating to win the cup. If you can't assemble a proper defense or You have to resort to this to deflect criticism away from your team's utter lack of success? You call Feaster names (I don't like him either, but that's besides the point) and are incredulous that he still has a job, yet can't comprehend that in his first year of being a GM he's managed to divest himself of a crapload of bad contracts, given the team a bit of wiggle room, addressed the issue of scouting, given young players a chance, hired a coach that may help improve the team's fortunes and stopped trading with Toronto. What has the Oilers' mis-manager done? Built a consistent loser after going to the cup finals, lost every draft lottery in recent memory; failed to build a solid defensive core, and managed to keep his job. Who is the buffoon here?
If you're going to write a blog, please try in the future to build credibility and respectability. Oilers' fans deserve better as do the rest of us.
- ElPhantasmo69

Say what u will about clouts, but almost every point or thought u had concerning the oilers is so horribly misguided.

Just a terribly clueless post in pretty much every way.
Its almost impressive how little u actually know

Actually Tao of Semeko brings my point up perfectly. Colton Orr is so much better then Semeko EVER was, but Orr will never see the light of NHL day again. He's a better skater way better player, 25x tougher, bigger stronger, faster, and he can't cut it cause he can't keep up. With the intigator gone (Bettman's stupidest move in a conga line of stupidity) tough guys can't play cause while they'd be as good as anyone back in the day...today they simply suck....(And I really liked semeko moreso then most of that team minus Coffey who I also think was the greatest offensive D man ever but still wouldn't be all that special today)

Actually Tao of Semeko brings my point up perfectly. Colton Orr is so much better then Semeko EVER was, but Orr will never see the light of NHL day again. He's a better skater way better player, 25x tougher, bigger stronger, faster, and he can't cut it cause he can't keep up. With the intigator gone (Bettman's stupidest move in a conga line of stupidity) tough guys can't play cause while they'd be as good as anyone back in the day...today they simply suck....(And I really liked semeko moreso then most of that team minus Coffey who I also think was the greatest offensive D man ever but still wouldn't be all that special today)
- RichardPeterNuss

hahahaha. This is fantastic.

1. Colton Orr isn't better than a lamp post. Cement hands was there to beat people up and keep Wayne safe. He did that job very well.

2. What you fail to realize is that players now train harder than players then...but if players then were in the modern era, they're train as hard as everyone else now, so their level of fitness would increase appropriately. The only real difference between now and then is the goaltending: How big they are, and how much equipment they wear. All the other factors could be worked around.

3. Paul Coffey wouldn't be that special? Yikes. Watch some old footage. Coffey wasn't brilliant defensively but he was to offense from D what Gretzky was to offense from center. Are you about 14 years old or something? You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

Actually Tao of Semeko brings my point up perfectly. Colton Orr is so much better then Semeko EVER was, but Orr will never see the light of NHL day again. He's a better skater way better player, 25x tougher, bigger stronger, faster, and he can't cut it cause he can't keep up. With the intigator gone (Bettman's stupidest move in a conga line of stupidity) tough guys can't play cause while they'd be as good as anyone back in the day...today they simply suck....(And I really liked semeko moreso then most of that team minus Coffey who I also think was the greatest offensive D man ever but still wouldn't be all that special today)
- RichardPeterNuss

Colton Orr is listed at 6'3 220.

Dave Semenko is listed at 6'3. 215.

Semenko would absolutely kill Colton Orr. Know why? He played in a lawless era where players couldn't count on the refs or rules for help and the only real law amongst tough guys was the law of the jungle.

Tip for ya DicEatMuff. Know why Semenko looks wayyy smaller in those videos you've been basing your arguments on? The padding was wayyy smaller. Just a helpful hint.

Actually Tao of Semeko brings my point up perfectly. Colton Orr is so much better then Semeko EVER was, but Orr will never see the light of NHL day again. He's a better skater way better player, 25x tougher, bigger stronger, faster, and he can't cut it cause he can't keep up. With the intigator gone (Bettman's stupidest move in a conga line of stupidity) tough guys can't play cause while they'd be as good as anyone back in the day...today they simply suck....(And I really liked semeko moreso then most of that team minus Coffey who I also think was the greatest offensive D man ever but still wouldn't be all that special today)
- RichardPeterNuss

You really need to stop talking now... We in Calgary saw how dominating the Oilers were back then, hell our team was built to beat the Oilers. Different eras and different players. Gretzky was one in a million and his records won't be touched...

Lidstrom IS thee greatest dman to have ever lived. WHY??? Same reason as Crosby's much MUCH better then Gretzky EVER was. He's the best in THIS era. Orr like Gretzky was so far ahead of his time it was ridiculous. BUT in this day and age, with the players built like tanks, and your AVERAGE Dman being Robinson's size now when Robinson back in his day being a tank of a man, the players now are a bazillion times more athletic, talented, FAST and HUGE. Gretzky while no doubt he woulda been skiled had he played today would've also been murdered inside a week the way he used to go into zones you simply acnnot gointo today especially with your head down. Yesterday's players were what they were, the best in their TIME but todays players are BEST PERIOD cause the game has evolved to a science. Anyone too stupid to that fact need only look at the goalies back then and how not ONE really had a clue, nor any technique whatsoever other then guessing and dumbassed luck. You put Ovechkin back into the old NHL and he'd be one of the biggest physically, THEE most ridiculously skilled and he'd have run roughshod over Mario's days........Excitement Orr was it, but Orr couldn't hold Lidstrom's jock in TODAYS game he was too little, average in skating now, and way waaayyy to frail to lay in todays game...(hell Lidtrom woulda been a big BIG boy back then....)
- RichardPeterNuss

anyone who thinks that Gretzky is not the best of all time is kidding themselves. being the best player isnt defined by what would they have done today or how would they handle the new nhl, etc. the best player is the player that dominated THEIR era, not somebody elses. no what ifs, and, or buts.

if you are gonna bring up how a player like crosby or ovechkin would do in the Gretzky's era than you also have to bring up how a player is trained. todays players go through so much more physical conditioning and they study the game so much more than the past. players dedicate their lives to becoming the best, and no doubt if gretzky was in this era he would too. if Gretzky grew up with this training, no doubt he would be bigger, faster, stronger, and even more intelligent than he already was. he would dominate todays nhl if given the opportunities that players today recieve.

Yakupov

You really need to stop talking now... We in Calgary saw how dominating the Oilers were back then, hell our team was built to beat the Oilers. Different eras and different players. Gretzky was one in a million and his records won't be touched...
- geta02it

The two best teams in the NHL in the 80's were the Oilers and Flames. The Stanley Cup Finals in most years was played in the Smythe Division Championship.

Yakupov
- laughs2907

Plenty of comments on Twitter today from people at the Combine that the Oilers absolutely will keep the draft pick and take Nail Yakupov.

Everyone can calm down now.

Yakupov
- laughs2907

What number will he be? I am liking 8

Actually Tao of Semeko brings my point up perfectly. Colton Orr is so much better then Semeko EVER was, but Orr will never see the light of NHL day again. He's a better skater way better player, 25x tougher, bigger stronger, faster, and he can't cut it cause he can't keep up. With the intigator gone (Bettman's stupidest move in a conga line of stupidity) tough guys can't play cause while they'd be as good as anyone back in the day...today they simply suck....(And I really liked semeko moreso then most of that team minus Coffey who I also think was the greatest offensive D man ever but still wouldn't be all that special today)
- RichardPeterNuss

A good start would be spelling a name correctly........it was Dave Semenko

The two best teams in the NHL in the 80's were the Oilers and Flames. The Stanley Cup Finals in most years was played in the Smythe Division Championship.
- Maxbone

Totally agree... Damn you Oilers!!!
Kuri and Gretzky just knew where each other were... its kind like the Sedin's without all the awkward incestuous, telepathic inuendos...

Plenty of comments on Twitter today from people at the Combine that the Oilers absolutely will keep the draft pick and take Nail Yakupov.

Everyone can calm down now.
- Maxbone

People are suggesting Yakupov + Marincin + 4th for E. Kane... Call me crazy, but NO THANKS! I'd love to have Kane, but I'm not sure I'd even trade our first for Kane... Yakupov will be that good. Book it.

The only reason it's so much different now is because the equipment is so much better.

Give Gretzky a TotalOne or an x60 or a Nexus and he'd embarass anyone on the planet. Give him FlexLites and he's zipping past most players...and Gretzky wasn't even a crazy good skater.

There's no way to compare the two eras, their way different. I look at Crosby now, and just see Gretzky in better equipment. Saying guys like Crosby and Ovechkin would zip past guys like Gretzky in his hay-day is retarded. Of course they would. Their skaters were about 10lbs heavier.

Not an argument even worth having IMO. Unless you can look past the differences in the eras and notice raw talent, it's just pointless to talk about.