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Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

To those arguing that players of the past couldn't compete or wouldn't be as effective in today's game, how far back does that go? And I'm asking this sincerely, not trying to provoke. So, using Norwich as an example as that is who I am most familiar with, the best player in Cadet history is Keith Aucoin (acknowledged that an argument could be made for McLean too) who averaged 27 goals and 60 points over his four seasons in Northfield from '97 to '01. What would his numbers be if he played in 2019?

Edit: And, to take this another way, we assume Aucoin is the best player in Norwich history because he made it to the NHL. Would he have similar success nowadays? Would a Kyle Thomas or Will Pelletier have made it to the NHL if they would have come through in the '90s?

People can argue about how you can't compare and how it's not fair, but it's the offseason. This is the type of discussion that is made for the offseason.
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

BKrosky said:
The whole point of me making this thread was to compare recent teams within the past decade (Or this millennium) and our favorites to watch and who we think had the most talent. But once again a bunch of curmudgeonly old men take it too far and start arguing online about what happened 30 years ago and how it relates today - That wasn't the point of this discussion.

Yeah, no s*** hockey was different back then. There were some things players were better at back then, and a lot of things they were worse at. Thanks for ruining a nice discussion.

This is why we can't have nice things.
Click to expand...

I resemble that remark. :D
 
BetterInLakePlacid said:
Now give them some time, updated training and gear and such, and sure the talent might be there to level it out in the long run but you drop one of those two teams in the video right into Point last Friday they lose by 10+ no matter who they played and I might be being generous.
Click to expand...

^^^ This is absolutely accurate.

I also don’t personally buy into the notion that the talent level of D3 is down because there are more NCAA programs now at both the D1 and D3 levels. How many kids are registered with USA Hockey now vs. in 1988? There are kids on NCAA rosters (and 1st round NHL draft picks) from states like Florida, Texas, and Arizona. We never used to see that. There are way more players now and the level of play is better than it ever was no matter how nostalgic we are about when we used to lace ‘em up.
 
Evolution

Evolution

Another factor to complicate the comparison of teams from the days us old farts [struggle to] remember and the teams of recent-past is how different the game is played from era to era. On yesterday’s Spittin’ Chiclets episode, Kerry Fraser (retired NHL referee) describes how the NHL game changed over the course of his career. While the transitions in the way the College Hockey game is played may not have paralleled and/or mirrored those experienced at the NHL level, the game has and does evolve. Some of those transitions are subtle and barely-noticeable from year-to-year (such as speed & size), while others are obvious from one season to the next (points of emphasis and/or rule changes).

Cheers!!!
~TTF
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

I'm not sure who said it, but the game is vastly different than it was twenty years ago. It is easy to surmise that a player like Bobby Hull, with his rocket shot and skating speed, would still be a great player today. Lafleur would be a terrific player, albeit a little small, with his speed and shot, but everything about the game, on ice, off ice, video room, tactics & strategies, systems, and more have changed. Everyone thought that Ken Dryden was an oversized goalie, and he was for his day. Today, guys like Roger Crozier, Darren Pang and Gump Worsley, heck, even Jacques Plante, would have a tough time getting a "look-see" from scouts because of their size.

Think back to the old Broad Street Bullies and their style of play, that could not happen in todays league, they'd give up too many PPGs to be successful.

Science and technology have changed the game, it is different, faster, more cerebral but players still need to have skills un order for teams to be successful, and the kids who are playing today have skills we did not have in the 60's, 70's & 80's. Their hands are far quicker, their first steps get them to speed and time and space is either created or erased by the team's strategies. Teams work on individual skills as much as they work the flow of the game.

That is not to say that the players of past eras had the science that today's players they wouldn't be able to compete, I think they would. The game is just different today.
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

Martin St. Louis called - he thinks size can be overrated when talking about talent in the modern game.
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

spwood said:
Martin St. Louis called - he thinks size can be overrated when talking about talent in the modern game.
Click to expand...

Martin St Louis was an exceptional player who hard to work hard to overcome his size, or lack thereof. There were lots of teams who passed him by, both college and pros, but he also came around at the time the thinking about size was changing. Talent plus will, which is what St Louis had, will allow for success in any endeavor. The man was simply a tremendous talent with a knack for finding the back of the net, and remember, the don't ask you how? They ask you how many?
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

JSicedog said:
Its not even worth arguing, your delusional. A D3 player now shoots harder than anyone in the NHL did 40 years ago lol
Click to expand...

Make him play with 1970's skates and sticks, or give the 70's players today's equipment when they play against him. If you compare across eras, you need to consider the changes in the game.
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

JSicedog said:
Its not even worth arguing, your delusional. A D3 player now shoots harder than anyone in the NHL did 40 years ago lol
Click to expand...

I am not arguing with you, I gave up on you understanding long ago. I do appreciate your enthusiasm though. But you should have a nice day. :)
 
NUProf said:
Make him play with 1970's skates and sticks, or give the 70's players today's equipment when they play against him. If you compare across eras, you need to consider the changes in the game.
Click to expand...

That’s where are argument differs. If you throw that wrench into the argument, then yes I would agree with you. I was under the impression that the player was using 2019 equipment in 1970
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

This is all interesting stuff for a guy who started in Norwich as a Rook in 1952. It gives me three or four different time zones to consider changes. and yes today's div III hockey is nothing like what I saw in 1952. Then neither is Norwich where we started with 265 and graduated 129. Middlebury was THE big rival. We didn't even know there was a Castleton, and the idea of Hobart being in a New England hockey conference was out of sight. But then, you didn't ever see Norwich on Channel 5.
 
Re: Most Dominant D3 Hockey Team?

NU56 said:
This is all interesting stuff for a guy who started in Norwich as a Rook in 1952. It gives me three or four different time zones to consider changes. and yes today's div III hockey is nothing like what I saw in 1952. Then neither is Norwich where we started with 265 and graduated 129. Middlebury was THE big rival. We didn't even know there was a Castleton, and the idea of Hobart being in a New England hockey conference was out of sight. But then, you didn't ever see Norwich on Channel 5.
Click to expand...

:p

The Rook position even pre-dates me!!
 
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