It's both so insanely awesome and messed up at the same time. Kariya has no memory of it at all. But the whole sequence from the hit, to the return, to the goal, and to the call is iconic.
Ray Bourque was one of my dad's favourite players, my dad passed away from Cancer in 1999, to see my team not only acquire Bourque, but get the man his cup in 2001 was the best thing I've ever seen in this sport. Every time I watch Sakic hand Bourque that cup it brings me back there. Roy, Forsberg and Sakic were the heroes of my childhood, the Avs-Wings rivalry is to this day the greatest feud in hockey and it took me a long time to warm up to the post-lockout NHL. I respect the game for what it is today, don't get me wrong, but if you didn't experience the "dead puck era" first hand it would be easy to discount it. It was anything but boring.
Roy, Hasek, Beezer, Brodeur, Osgood, Lemieux, Jagr, Sakic, Forsberg, Selanne, Kariya, Lindstrom, Hull, Shanahan, Lindros . . . and on, and on and on. Watching the skilled players beat the trap was epic. Watching the trap dump and chase weed out the less skilled was a brilliant move. Let's not forget the enforcers Twist, Bob Probert, Big Ulf. Hockey was and still is awesome!!!
I grew up a wings fan in the 90's so I look extremely fondly on this era, highly defensive, massive hits, watching crazy offensive flow like the Russian five, the best defensive defensemen in history, the rivalry with the aves.
This is like a sweet slice of old UA-cam. Just a guy talking about something he cares about for a little while, with relevant 480p clips played in all their glory, and instrumentals of licensed music as the backing track. Not only do I miss hockey like this, I miss videos like this
it was the era of lost all time great careers. players like kariya, forsberg, and lindros all suffered injury problems that derailed their careers and shortened them. if not for injuries, theres a good chance all three of those players are recognized today as all time greats. their skill was so insane. especially forsberg who was one of the best passers of all time.
Idk, I think plenty of people think Forsberg is an all time great considering his HHOF induction speach on their official UA-cam channel is the most viewed speech video they ever put out. 110K views to Mark Messier's 36K. There's even so many Wings fans commenting their respect of the man on that speech.
NHL was awesome during the "dead puck' or "clutch and grab" era's. I was a 90's kid so perhaps it's nostalgia, but growing up in Philly the Flyers were legit as big as the Eagles were and everyone knows how passionate Eagles fans are. When i pitched in little league and struggled, my coach would walk out to the mound not to give me advice but yell at me because i was delaying the game and he was going to miss the Flyers 1st period. Lindros was such a beast and should be remembered much more fondly than he actually is as of today. Thinking back on this era: "Legion of Doom" flyers line, Some drunk fighting Tie Domi in the penalty box,Matthew Barnaby being a rat pest, Lindros crushing guys against the boards, Lindros getting laid out by Darius Kasparitis and Scott Stevens. I remember my dad cooking hot dogs/burgers on the grill as that Devils/Flyers Game 7 was set to come on and the promo featured that Metallica song "I Disappear" that was done for a "Mission Impossible" movie- it really set the tone for the game and Gary Thorne always brought it for those national televised games. Lindros getting knocked out signaled the end of that Flyers era, although they still had decent teams after he was gone, just could never get over the hump. The only way i'd watch an NHL game today is if i bet on it. I gave up caring about the Flyers about 10 years ago as most of the city did.
I loved this era, the games seemed more intense, much less space on the ice, more physical contact, more hitting, and some of the most talented teams in history.
It was the real golden era, not the shit they advertise today. Honestly, I cannot even believe im saying this, but the rich players are just stupid talented while the low income ones still play with the cheapest gear and try their asses off but theres just not enough resources like being able to pay for private skating or ice time or all the gadgets or just the top end gear. The game is so expensive, its almost just a rich kids sport only now. It sucks so bad.
@@hoskins666 Just like in any other area of physical prowerss, 90's players in their prime would get absolutely destroyed by 2020's players in their prime. This isn't a controversial statement, Gretsky himself pointed this out - the game isn't that different, but epigenetics and improved coaching and training practises have had a big impact. The gap between 2020's players and 90's players is comparable to 70's vs 90's.
As someone born in the mid-1990s, my earliest memories of watching hockey were in the Dead Puck Era and there's a ton of names from that era that are unforgettable for me. Beyond the big names like Bourque, Sakic, Jagr, Lemieux, Gretzky's retirement, I'll always have a special place in my heart for a lot of other players from the era. Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, Alexei Kovalev, Eric Desjardins... The late 90s NHL brings back a lot of memories of being a young hockey fan.
Great video. Those Avs/Wings series were incredible. Devils/Flyers were some real gauntlets as well. I remember the Blackhawks were most awful during that time, which led me to cheer for the Devils in the Playoffs. I was at that game where Marty scored against the Habs. One of my favorite sporting memories.
The dead puck era was so creative, just like early modern hockey. 1991-2010 was such a crazy time, butterfly was invented, hacek did what hacek did lol (love his style of tending) and Defence was finally seen as something you should put a lot of effort into. Than when things seemed to calm down players adapted and got creative and we got players like ovi and Crosby. Literally a wild time!!
Great Video, I love watching highlights of the Dead Puck Era, The Avs and Red Wings Rivalry was so peak, and finally if I had to guess what era was the best for NHL hockey it was the 1970s and 1980s due to players like Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito, and many others.
The flyers 2000 playoff run was what made me fall in love with hockey. I remember watching game 4 against the pens. The game started at 730pm and didn't end until 230am. I watched every second, and i almost woke up the whole house when keith primeau scored in the 5th ot to win it.
It's funny because I was already a hockey fan but I got caught up in that Devils 2000 run and became a fan of that team (even though I'm still a Caps fan first and foremost ). That series vs the Flyers was the best series of that postseason. It was an amazing series. The Flyers got that big 3-1 series lead and Boucher played fantastic. Then the Devil's kind of got it together and started to push back and ended up coming all the way back. Fantastic memories of watching that postseason run.
@Sweeptheleg83 I remember that series very well. Boucher put in one of the best goalie performances I've ever seen on a flyers team. I remember thinking that the devils lost those 3 games more than the flyers won them. It was my first taste of playoff heartbreak. Been hooked since
@@jmarx3943 Defining moment of that series was Lindros getting smashed by Stevens, and wound up not playing for a year and a half(of course him and Clarke hated one another)
I might be biased (strictly because I was born in 92’ so I didn’t ever know hockey in the 80’s or early 90’s), but I consider this era of hockey (96’-06’) to be my favorite era of hockey, followed closely behind by the current (2014-present) era. I have so much nostalgia for this time in hockey!
As a Red Wings fan, this era was obviously a good time for us as the team won three cups. However, watching any game not involving the Red Wings tended to be quite the chore; as soon as one team gave up two goals, you could turn the game off because you already knew who won.
@@SpookyGuyRL I am pretty sure "massive viewership decline" is disproved by the fact that national broadcast deals were made in the US. So I think thats going to be a hard claim to prove.
I grown up in the dead puck era. Was the best. I missed out on 70s 80s hockey. Like with the slapshot movies. But 90s 00s with all the great movies like mighty ducks. Mystery Alaska. Youngblood ECT... Drawn a lot of people too hockey.
I wish that I could've been old enough to experience this era of hockey! I was six years old when I was just getting into hockey during the 05-06 season, so I just barely missed out on this great era of hockey! The Red Wings at the peak of their dynasty! Fights that were epic!
My favourite era of hockey; back when guys actually had to fight through contact. The NHL has gone too far the other way with soft hooking and slashing calls and teams routinely scoring 5,6,7 goals in a game. Forwards are barely touched on their way to the net now and they've completely neutered defense to the point where it is EXPECTED that an early 3 goal lead won't be enough to win the game.
I loved the 90's hockey but love it more today, the "softness" of it results in less injuries and more skill based hockey, you can't grab, slash or elbow your way out anymore, you have to use brain and follow the rules.
@@karlkarlsson9126 the “less physicality = more skilled play” is a dumb argument in every sport. The other guy being able to muscle you makes you have get more creative, not less. As the video points out the whole European style rose in the late 90s which was all about high skill play.
@@karlkarlsson9126 first of all hooking was a still a penalty then. Second, that’s my exact point, you can out skill a guy who’s all muscle. Even when they let guys play more physical, you couldn’t just build a team of meatheads, there was still tons of skill based hockey.
I was born in 88. I’m an oilers fan. I grew up watching hockey in the late 90s watching the oilers in the first two rounds of the playoffs against the Avalanche and Stars.
I have to laugh anytime I hear someone say that hockey would be better to watch if the broadcast made the puck easier to see. They tried it 20 years ago and most people hated it, and of course its so early 2000s FOX!
This era was awesome. If a Canadian team was winning cups theyd call it the golden age. A lot of it is bias against the Devils who were smaller market team that beat up and was more successful than big ones
The butterfly style is objectively the correct way to play goalie. Once that caught on, mixed with the advent of the trap, the offense was forced for the first time in league history to actually have strategic systems and a legitimate skillset. Offense in the 80s and earlier was run and gun, and forwards were so good they could just play high level shinny with no plan and get away with it.
Yeah I agree, but I think the turning point to the modern game we see today was the 2016 Pens adopting a real fast paced play. Their fast play dominated the slower Sharks in that years finals.
@ funny you say that cause I am actually a pens fan and you’re 100% right. Now currently the pens are that older slower team and we can’t keep up with a lot of other teams now lol.
Does it seem like that era was the last that had cool player nicknames? Selanne was The Finnish flash, Lindros was the E Train, Khabibulin was the Boolin Wall, Hasek was the Dominator etc
Yeah a lot of the nicknames for new guys are not that good. I can't think of any great nicknames these days of any younger player besides Kirill the Thrill
AS AN AVALANCHE FAN I MUST SAY THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE RED WINGS FEUD BEGAN WITH THE HIT ON FOOTE AS APPOSEDD TO THE HIT ON DRAPER. a COMMON MISCONCEPTION REGARDING THE FUED.
As an Avs fan born in the late 90's, I remember my dad telling me how he stayed up till 1:00 in the morning waiting for a game winner and seeing it in 3OT. Final score 1-0. Crazy. The league is so much high scoring now, but back then, they played so physical that they also named it the Clutch & Grab era. My favorite player of all time is Forsberg. I grew up watching his highlights.
The problem with the dead puck era wasn’t the trap it was goalies becoming the size of a house. If you increase pad size or goalies get bigger the net should’ve gotten bigger.
I would argue the 24 teams era was actually the most talented era of all time. The 6 new teams of this era actually fits the influx of europeen player after the cold war and you can add that finnaly, the scouting system was becoming efficient. In the 80's, the new teams, didn't really come with new talent pool and the scouting was a joke a the moment. So even with great talent, the scoring was low because most of the players were good enough to defend properly. Lately, the addition of teams didn't come with new talent pool or better scouting and even worse, some europeen leagues can now compete with the NHL for "some" 4th or even sometimes 3rd liner. So you have now Mcdavid, deking AHL level player almost every game (and playing with some AHL level player).
I grew up and played hockey during the dead puck era. Physicality and heavy hits were emphasized in minor hockey and so I never really excelled at the game, being blessed with a smaller frame. The Avs and Red Wings rivalry was memorable, and I hated Claude Lemieux as much as anyone.
Great content, I enjoyed that. Please consider applying a low cut to your voiceover track. It filters out the low end rumble, which is really apparent in this video when listening on a system with a subwoofer. Thanks from an audio engineer.
I agree with you 100% on another note that goal by the stars definitely should not have counted and the one for Calgary definitely crossed the line as I could see from the angles available.
I was born in 93 and for me, im biased due to that. Because you know, when you are sitting there at 5, 6 and 7 years old, watching these games, getting to know the players, those are your foundational hockey years. My entire hockey life was built on this era and I knew no other style. I wanted to be Nicklas Lindstrom or Darius Kasparaitis. I played heavy defense as a kid and was absolutely crushing people in peewee and parents cheered me on. In conversation it’s clear that overall, I have more “physical” and “defensive” opinions. I’ve noticed that the entire way I played as a kid is penalized in youth hockey these days, and it’s just interesting to see how fast things can change. People often tell me I have “goon” takes but conversely I think they have soft takes. The game felt more exciting and the players had more emotion. I love hockey but the modern product has absolutely been watered down (for me). I miss the emotion and the grit, I hate hate HATE instigator rule, secondary altercation rules, and the modern fighting rules approach. The NYR - NJD storyline last year was one of the most exciting things to happen to the sport in some time, and at the climax event, they toss 8 players out of the game a mere 2 seconds in. I was so disheartened that I felt an empty pit in my stomach, that the game I grew up loving to death and playing had truly become something I didn’t recognize. For me, I love the goals and the talent, but what really made the stars great was how they had to work against talented defensive cores that made them work for it. Knowing they were up against equally passionate and motivated defenses made the goals feel sweeter and more rewarding. Watching dude dodge a hip check and going in for a clapper is way way more fun to watch than him avoiding a pylon fishing for pucks like it is today. That was kinda a long post lol. But for anyone who read it thanks for coming to my Ted talk and if you ever talk to someone and think “wow this guy has a very physical approach to hockey” maybe they aren’t a goon, maybe they just grew up in this era and fell in love with the product this era produced.
I loved the glowing puck when watching on a small CRT, although the light blue was a very dumb color for the puck when it wasnt moving fast. Should have started at navy and then moved to purple when slow, red fast up to red-orange on a hard shot.
@@staffan144it’s not impressive to watch offense skate around pylons, that’s why Sid and Ovi and the other stars from that era are just on a completely different level than todays stars
the 90s era was the best hockey there ever was and ever will be, there was tons of depth on most teams and there was a good balance of offense, defense, hitting and fighting. goal scoring averages don't make good hockey, the 1999 expansion killed it
I love the dead puck era. I am very biased because that’s when I fell in love with hockey. I remember being five or six watching the wings lose to the Devils in the Stanley Cup final. And I remember scoring seven on Patrick in game seven. Well, I think actually six on Patrick, but the point is the same.
It was the era of my childhood that setted the standard about what hockey looks like. I’m totally biased to say was it better or worse than some other era. For me it is THE era.
The 90s were my favourite, likely due to having nostalgic glasses on, but I recall the late 90s and early 2000s being a lot less fun with the trap system. It was also better when the major ads on hockey night were beer ads, boards didn't have changing ads, and had absolutely no sports betting ads.
Bad era of hockey. Not quite as bad as the systematic no goal wasteland of the 2010s when 50 goals outside of Ovechkin was rare, but the clutch and grab made for really slow, boring play, killed creativity. The original late 90s did have the bright spots you mentioned. Other than bad expansion teams, the early 90s had great balance and it still had fighting which was hardly ever booed. Clogged ice and michelin man goalies bad for the game.
Is fighting booed? If you look at the numbers, fighting has been trending up for the last few seasons since 2019. The media may say there's no place for it, but it wouldn't be trending upward if fans didn't like it. I think fighting has its role, and makes hockey unique. It may look kinda goofy at times, but it can definitely shift momentum. I think hockey is more skilled than ever, and there's no place for devoted goonery anymore, but I think the enforcer role is still very important, but you need to be able to contribute to the game. You can't just be good at punching faces to get by, you need to punch faces, and also either score goals, prevent them, or both. I think hockey today needs a mix of high scoring offense, which it has now, and more self-policing through fighting. I also hate make-up/offsetting calls. If your team is playing undisciplined, they deserve to be called more than the other team, not have soft calls to make up for a previous call on the other team to appease fans. Sometimes, your team, or the opponent's, can't stay out of the box, and the team who plays clean shouldn't be penalized for it.
@Scoots_McGee Most are not "fights". You want to see fights, look back in the 80's and 90's. These days, most are players hugging and who can tackle whom
The worst part was when they decided to use instant replay to call instances of offensive players in the crease. There were so many goals called off because a skate was in the crease, even though it had absolutely no impact on the goalie. This didn’t last long, but it didn’t help the popularity of the game.
Colorado avalanche era Patrick Roy had those insanely large pads and massive chest protector. Sadly this was the end of the domis, proberts, mcsorleys, needed on every team if you wanted to protect your stars. When guys were too small to have long injury free careers. I miss the hits, fights and unfiltered don on hockey night in canada. ( were your damn poppies or go home ). Bless our soldiers , their families, and the players for giving us a distraction from the sad collapse of our countries.
I don't miss it either. During this time, it was hard to get into watching a game or even get excited about scoring chances because you already knew that the puck was not going to go in.
@@michaelvandeginste3497I can't watch a game in this era tbh. I find the fact that there are no hits, to many power plays and the fact that players can just go infront of the net without getting knocked down by the defender the worst. More offens doesn't mean better games that logic is just stupid. If that's the case why not just take the goalies out of the equation?
@chrisd3969 just because you're arguing the opposite problem doesn't mean that I'm applying stupid logic. The game needs a balance of physicality and scoring, which it did have prior to the wave of expansion in the '90s.
Though the holding was annoying, the most unforgivable sin of this era were the hits to the head. People cheered for that stuff as if some low skilled goon destroying a talented player made for a better game. Sure the top tier teams were still fun to watch but average teams facing off were forgettable. I quit watching the NHL for a long time after I got a job as a Zam driver and was able to watch former college players, minor leaguers, and Olympians play the game up close in evenings. The fast passing and flow was such a night and day difference from the hooking and holding of the NHL. I’ve only gotten back into it the last few years. the reffing is still arbitrary, but at least we aren’t seeing 4th liners ending the careers of top forwards regularly.
Why Jaromir Jagr should get more respect than he does is he put up godly numbers in this era. Between 1994-95 to 2000-01 he averaged 1.54PPG.
100%
Great observation!!! LETS GO PENS
So does Peter Forsberg
@@broadstreetbullies849Don’t be stupid, no he didn’t, not even close. Foppa averaged 1.24 PPG.
@@broadstreetbullies849
Forsberg did not avg 1.55 clown
This is the hockey that I watched as a kid that got me into playing. I remember all of this..thanks for taking me down memory lane
Was the best hockey era!
"off the floor on the board" is an era defining moment for the best & worst reasons.
It's both so insanely awesome and messed up at the same time. Kariya has no memory of it at all. But the whole sequence from the hit, to the return, to the goal, and to the call is iconic.
Knowing what we know now about Mike Babcock, I'm entirely convinced Kariya wasn't given much of a say in returning to the game.
I think Disney wouldn’t have sold the ducks if they won this Stanley cup
I miss Gary Thorne doing games on ESPN
@@stevendchu100%
Ray Bourque was one of my dad's favourite players, my dad passed away from Cancer in 1999, to see my team not only acquire Bourque, but get the man his cup in 2001 was the best thing I've ever seen in this sport. Every time I watch Sakic hand Bourque that cup it brings me back there.
Roy, Forsberg and Sakic were the heroes of my childhood, the Avs-Wings rivalry is to this day the greatest feud in hockey and it took me a long time to warm up to the post-lockout NHL. I respect the game for what it is today, don't get me wrong, but if you didn't experience the "dead puck era" first hand it would be easy to discount it. It was anything but boring.
Well said.
I miss this era of hockey. Hard hitting, great goaltending, and when you did score, it felt massive.
Roy, Hasek, Beezer, Brodeur, Osgood, Lemieux, Jagr, Sakic, Forsberg, Selanne, Kariya, Lindstrom, Hull, Shanahan, Lindros . . . and on, and on and on. Watching the skilled players beat the trap was epic. Watching the trap dump and chase weed out the less skilled was a brilliant move. Let's not forget the enforcers Twist, Bob Probert, Big Ulf. Hockey was and still is awesome!!!
I grew up a wings fan in the 90's so I look extremely fondly on this era, highly defensive, massive hits, watching crazy offensive flow like the Russian five, the best defensive defensemen in history, the rivalry with the aves.
This comment makes me happy. We had the same childhood
Grew up then too, GREAT teams. Sergei was so dominant. Russian 5 was beautiful.
2002 both teams were loaded. Yet the Avs in that game 7, didn't bother to show up. They would go 20 years between final 4 appearances.
that rivalry was the best I remember!
This is like a sweet slice of old UA-cam. Just a guy talking about something he cares about for a little while, with relevant 480p clips played in all their glory, and instrumentals of licensed music as the backing track. Not only do I miss hockey like this, I miss videos like this
it was the era of lost all time great careers. players like kariya, forsberg, and lindros all suffered injury problems that derailed their careers and shortened them. if not for injuries, theres a good chance all three of those players are recognized today as all time greats. their skill was so insane. especially forsberg who was one of the best passers of all time.
This. Lets celebrate an era of hockey where notable careers were unnecessarily cut short! Yay!
Forsberg is definitely considered an all time great despite his injuries, especially when you factor in his national team career.
Idk, I think plenty of people think Forsberg is an all time great considering his HHOF induction speach on their official UA-cam channel is the most viewed speech video they ever put out. 110K views to Mark Messier's 36K. There's even so many Wings fans commenting their respect of the man on that speech.
Don't forget Bure's injuries
There was a lot more fighting , roughing, but yeah getting rid of the blue line did open things up
NHL was awesome during the "dead puck' or "clutch and grab" era's. I was a 90's kid so perhaps it's nostalgia, but growing up in Philly the Flyers were legit as big as the Eagles were and everyone knows how passionate Eagles fans are. When i pitched in little league and struggled, my coach would walk out to the mound not to give me advice but yell at me because i was delaying the game and he was going to miss the Flyers 1st period. Lindros was such a beast and should be remembered much more fondly than he actually is as of today.
Thinking back on this era: "Legion of Doom" flyers line, Some drunk fighting Tie Domi in the penalty box,Matthew Barnaby being a rat pest, Lindros crushing guys against the boards, Lindros getting laid out by Darius Kasparitis and Scott Stevens. I remember my dad cooking hot dogs/burgers on the grill as that Devils/Flyers Game 7 was set to come on and the promo featured that Metallica song "I Disappear" that was done for a "Mission Impossible" movie- it really set the tone for the game and Gary Thorne always brought it for those national televised games. Lindros getting knocked out signaled the end of that Flyers era, although they still had decent teams after he was gone, just could never get over the hump. The only way i'd watch an NHL game today is if i bet on it. I gave up caring about the Flyers about 10 years ago as most of the city did.
leafs fans remember roenicks series winner
@ That’s a huge memory for me. Darcy Tucker crushing Sami kapanen so bad he couldn’t celebrate roenicks goal
That was hilarious that fat hooligan going into the box with Tie Domi!
"off the floor, on the board!" Might be my favourite call ever.
I loved this era, the games seemed more intense, much less space on the ice, more physical contact, more hitting, and some of the most talented teams in history.
The Golden Era of NHL. Now its gay
It was the real golden era, not the shit they advertise today.
Honestly, I cannot even believe im saying this, but the rich players are just stupid talented while the low income ones still play with the cheapest gear and try their asses off but theres just not enough resources like being able to pay for private skating or ice time or all the gadgets or just the top end gear. The game is so expensive, its almost just a rich kids sport only now. It sucks so bad.
Best era. I like a highly defensive and physical game to watch, it was literally war.
Also "dead puck era" a lot if offensive flair , skill and individualities, modern hockey is predictable, similar and boring, only system
@@opiumroz-955 today's players just skate around not really being challenged at all, the great players of the 90s were way more skilled
@@hoskins666 Just like in any other area of physical prowerss, 90's players in their prime would get absolutely destroyed by 2020's players in their prime. This isn't a controversial statement, Gretsky himself pointed this out - the game isn't that different, but epigenetics and improved coaching and training practises have had a big impact.
The gap between 2020's players and 90's players is comparable to 70's vs 90's.
@@Dogembassador 😂
@@Dogembassador "90's players in their prime would get absolutely destroyed by 2020's players in their prime."💀💀💀
As someone born in the mid-1990s, my earliest memories of watching hockey were in the Dead Puck Era and there's a ton of names from that era that are unforgettable for me. Beyond the big names like Bourque, Sakic, Jagr, Lemieux, Gretzky's retirement, I'll always have a special place in my heart for a lot of other players from the era.
Jason Allison, Adam Deadmarsh, Alexei Kovalev, Eric Desjardins... The late 90s NHL brings back a lot of memories of being a young hockey fan.
Great video. Those Avs/Wings series were incredible. Devils/Flyers were some real gauntlets as well. I remember the Blackhawks were most awful during that time, which led me to cheer for the Devils in the Playoffs. I was at that game where Marty scored against the Habs. One of my favorite sporting memories.
This is the era I fell in love with the game.
You've earned a sub, my friend. Quality content.
Go Avs!
One of the biggest reasons John leclair should be in the hall of fame.look at the goal production he put up in the dead puck era
Dead puck era had a little bit of everything! I don’t remember it being to boring at all
Maaaaaaaaan I miss hearing Jenerette calling sabres games... That voice was ICONIC (this is coming from a leafs fan too, GLG!)
The dead puck era was so creative, just like early modern hockey. 1991-2010 was such a crazy time, butterfly was invented, hacek did what hacek did lol (love his style of tending) and Defence was finally seen as something you should put a lot of effort into. Than when things seemed to calm down players adapted and got creative and we got players like ovi and Crosby. Literally a wild time!!
Cool vid man, thanks for putting this together. I love watching highlights from the Wings-Avs rivalry.
Great Video, I love watching highlights of the Dead Puck Era, The Avs and Red Wings Rivalry was so peak, and finally if I had to guess what era was the best for NHL hockey it was the 1970s and 1980s due to players like Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy, Bobby Clarke, Phil Esposito, and many others.
Wait? The best era was an era where the most talented guys weren't clutched and grabbed to death?
I can’t be the only person who actually kinda enjoys going back and watching games in this era
Unfortunately, games before that often have poor video quality which make them difficult to watch
The flyers 2000 playoff run was what made me fall in love with hockey. I remember watching game 4 against the pens. The game started at 730pm and didn't end until 230am. I watched every second, and i almost woke up the whole house when keith primeau scored in the 5th ot to win it.
It's funny because I was already a hockey fan but I got caught up in that Devils 2000 run and became a fan of that team (even though I'm still a Caps fan first and foremost ). That series vs the Flyers was the best series of that postseason. It was an amazing series. The Flyers got that big 3-1 series lead and Boucher played fantastic. Then the Devil's kind of got it together and started to push back and ended up coming all the way back. Fantastic memories of watching that postseason run.
@Sweeptheleg83 I remember that series very well. Boucher put in one of the best goalie performances I've ever seen on a flyers team. I remember thinking that the devils lost those 3 games more than the flyers won them. It was my first taste of playoff heartbreak. Been hooked since
@@jmarx3943 Defining moment of that series was Lindros getting smashed by Stevens, and wound up not playing for a year and a half(of course him and Clarke hated one another)
I might be biased (strictly because I was born in 92’ so I didn’t ever know hockey in the 80’s or early 90’s), but I consider this era of hockey (96’-06’) to be my favorite era of hockey, followed closely behind by the current (2014-present) era. I have so much nostalgia for this time in hockey!
Love the musical choices (and the video too). Keep it up!!!
As a Red Wings fan, this era was obviously a good time for us as the team won three cups. However, watching any game not involving the Red Wings tended to be quite the chore; as soon as one team gave up two goals, you could turn the game off because you already knew who won.
Honestly I absolutely loved that era of hockey. You saw the best keepers like Roy, Brodeur, Balfour, and even Osgood.
and hasek,kolzig, cujo
Great video & there were so many crazy changes in this period that truly changed the game.
Amazing vid. Anyone who lived through that time, knows it's hockey's GOLDEN ERA...
I lived through it and it sucked
@@505Hockey Brainwashed
@@505Hockey Agree. Careers cut short. Massive NHL viewership decline. Youth hockey enrollment decline.
@@SpookyGuyRL I am pretty sure "massive viewership decline" is disproved by the fact that national broadcast deals were made in the US. So I think thats going to be a hard claim to prove.
That Sundin backhand though 😮
I grown up in the dead puck era. Was the best. I missed out on 70s 80s hockey. Like with the slapshot movies. But 90s 00s with all the great movies like mighty ducks. Mystery Alaska. Youngblood ECT... Drawn a lot of people too hockey.
I wish that I could've been old enough to experience this era of hockey! I was six years old when I was just getting into hockey during the 05-06 season, so I just barely missed out on this great era of hockey! The Red Wings at the peak of their dynasty! Fights that were epic!
My favourite era of hockey; back when guys actually had to fight through contact. The NHL has gone too far the other way with soft hooking and slashing calls and teams routinely scoring 5,6,7 goals in a game. Forwards are barely touched on their way to the net now and they've completely neutered defense to the point where it is EXPECTED that an early 3 goal lead won't be enough to win the game.
Games are scripted/rigged today in so many ways. Bettman destroyed the league little by little.
I loved the 90's hockey but love it more today, the "softness" of it results in less injuries and more skill based hockey, you can't grab, slash or elbow your way out anymore, you have to use brain and follow the rules.
@@karlkarlsson9126 the “less physicality = more skilled play” is a dumb argument in every sport. The other guy being able to muscle you makes you have get more creative, not less. As the video points out the whole European style rose in the late 90s which was all about high skill play.
@@ottovonbearsmark8876 What would slower people do to McDavid back then? Hooking with a stick is more skills?
@@karlkarlsson9126 first of all hooking was a still a penalty then. Second, that’s my exact point, you can out skill a guy who’s all muscle. Even when they let guys play more physical, you couldn’t just build a team of meatheads, there was still tons of skill based hockey.
I love Bittersweet Symphony in the background. Perfect.
Great video. I became a hockey fan during this dead puck era. I was a kid and didn’t know any better. I thought this was “hockey.”
I was born in 88. I’m an oilers fan. I grew up watching hockey in the late 90s watching the oilers in the first two rounds of the playoffs against the Avalanche and Stars.
The dominator is the reason I became a goalie. Weird style but was amazing to watch.
I was just showing my coworker who doesn't know hockey much his highlights and how amazing it was to watch him
i used to play like hasek in road hockey
I have to laugh anytime I hear someone say that hockey would be better to watch if the broadcast made the puck easier to see. They tried it 20 years ago and most people hated it, and of course its so early 2000s FOX!
This era was awesome. If a Canadian team was winning cups theyd call it the golden age. A lot of it is bias against the Devils who were smaller market team that beat up and was more successful than big ones
The butterfly style is objectively the correct way to play goalie. Once that caught on, mixed with the advent of the trap, the offense was forced for the first time in league history to actually have strategic systems and a legitimate skillset. Offense in the 80s and earlier was run and gun, and forwards were so good they could just play high level shinny with no plan and get away with it.
I think of Scott Stevens murdering everyone
The Mid 2010s was very underratedly like a mini dead puck era lol.
Yeah I agree, but I think the turning point to the modern game we see today was the 2016 Pens adopting a real fast paced play. Their fast play dominated the slower Sharks in that years finals.
@ funny you say that cause I am actually a pens fan and you’re 100% right. Now currently the pens are that older slower team and we can’t keep up with a lot of other teams now lol.
@DavidsonGoalkeeping
Does it seem like that era was the last that had cool player nicknames? Selanne was The Finnish flash, Lindros was the E Train, Khabibulin was the Boolin Wall, Hasek was the Dominator etc
Yeah a lot of the nicknames for new guys are not that good. I can't think of any great nicknames these days of any younger player besides Kirill the Thrill
Russian Rocket
The boolin wall man I haven’t heard that in ages haha so good
Cujo
I've said it before and I'll say it again, I miss Gary Thorne & Bill Clement
Gary Thorne was the GOAT announcer. He could make any game exciting.
Add Mikka Kiprusoff to that amazing list. He was the last goalie of the dead puck era
Actually that’s Marc-Andre Fleury, as he first played in 2003-04
AS AN AVALANCHE FAN I MUST SAY THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE RED WINGS FEUD BEGAN WITH THE HIT ON FOOTE AS APPOSEDD TO THE HIT ON DRAPER. a COMMON MISCONCEPTION REGARDING THE FUED.
I was a kid and this era of hockey got me loving hockey!
I used to sit by the VCR ready to hit record on any Darren McCarty fights
This was hockey at its best. Physical, intense and insanely fun to watch.
1996 Game 4 Final is the epitome of the era, no scoring, neutral zone trap, brutal, physical play, and near immaculate goaltending.
As an Avs fan born in the late 90's, I remember my dad telling me how he stayed up till 1:00 in the morning waiting for a game winner and seeing it in 3OT. Final score 1-0. Crazy. The league is so much high scoring now, but back then, they played so physical that they also named it the Clutch & Grab era. My favorite player of all time is Forsberg. I grew up watching his highlights.
Subscribed, great content.
@@matthewpester6003 Thanks!
the neutral zone trap never left but the combination of trap, 2 line offside and goalies clearing the dumped pucks in the corners no longer exists
My favorite announcer of all time.
First video of yours I’ve seen, keep up the good work you will blow up eventually
Just found your channel. Great content keep it up!
Thanks!!
Down Goes Brown has said, and I agree, the Devils started it, but it was the Florida Panthers run in 1996 that got everyone to play defensive hockey.
Death, taxes, Arnotts OT goal in double ot to clinch the cup in 2000 not getting mentioned
The problem with the dead puck era wasn’t the trap it was goalies becoming the size of a house. If you increase pad size or goalies get bigger the net should’ve gotten bigger.
I would argue the 24 teams era was actually the most talented era of all time. The 6 new teams of this era actually fits the influx of europeen player after the cold war and you can add that finnaly, the scouting system was becoming efficient. In the 80's, the new teams, didn't really come with new talent pool and the scouting was a joke a the moment. So even with great talent, the scoring was low because most of the players were good enough to defend properly. Lately, the addition of teams didn't come with new talent pool or better scouting and even worse, some europeen leagues can now compete with the NHL for "some" 4th or even sometimes 3rd liner. So you have now Mcdavid, deking AHL level player almost every game (and playing with some AHL level player).
Damn, I am getting goosebumps watching this. Yeh, hockey is more skilled now. Back then, it was more exciting. Now, only play-offs are exciting. 😢
I grew up and played hockey during the dead puck era. Physicality and heavy hits were emphasized in minor hockey and so I never really excelled at the game, being blessed with a smaller frame. The Avs and Red Wings rivalry was memorable, and I hated Claude Lemieux as much as anyone.
Great content, I enjoyed that. Please consider applying a low cut to your voiceover track. It filters out the low end rumble, which is really apparent in this video when listening on a system with a subwoofer. Thanks from an audio engineer.
I agree with you 100% on another note that goal by the stars definitely should not have counted and the one for Calgary definitely crossed the line as I could see from the angles available.
I was born in 93 and for me, im biased due to that.
Because you know, when you are sitting there at 5, 6 and 7 years old, watching these games, getting to know the players, those are your foundational hockey years. My entire hockey life was built on this era and I knew no other style. I wanted to be Nicklas Lindstrom or Darius Kasparaitis. I played heavy defense as a kid and was absolutely crushing people in peewee and parents cheered me on.
In conversation it’s clear that overall, I have more “physical” and “defensive” opinions. I’ve noticed that the entire way I played as a kid is penalized in youth hockey these days, and it’s just interesting to see how fast things can change. People often tell me I have “goon” takes but conversely I think they have soft takes.
The game felt more exciting and the players had more emotion. I love hockey but the modern product has absolutely been watered down (for me). I miss the emotion and the grit, I hate hate HATE instigator rule, secondary altercation rules, and the modern fighting rules approach.
The NYR - NJD storyline last year was one of the most exciting things to happen to the sport in some time, and at the climax event, they toss 8 players out of the game a mere 2 seconds in. I was so disheartened that I felt an empty pit in my stomach, that the game I grew up loving to death and playing had truly become something I didn’t recognize.
For me, I love the goals and the talent, but what really made the stars great was how they had to work against talented defensive cores that made them work for it. Knowing they were up against equally passionate and motivated defenses made the goals feel sweeter and more rewarding. Watching dude dodge a hip check and going in for a clapper is way way more fun to watch than him avoiding a pylon fishing for pucks like it is today.
That was kinda a long post lol. But for anyone who read it thanks for coming to my Ted talk and if you ever talk to someone and think “wow this guy has a very physical approach to hockey” maybe they aren’t a goon, maybe they just grew up in this era and fell in love with the product this era produced.
I've never heard it called "dead puck" but I immediately knew you meant the Devils in the 90s
I loved the glowing puck when watching on a small CRT, although the light blue was a very dumb color for the puck when it wasnt moving fast. Should have started at navy and then moved to purple when slow, red fast up to red-orange on a hard shot.
Great content,
Thank you!
Thanks for watching!
Best era to me. Can barely sit through a full non playoff game now.
I try to watch some nhl games today and it is, kind of boring actually. It was much more intense back in the days
@@staffan144it’s not impressive to watch offense skate around pylons, that’s why Sid and Ovi and the other stars from that era are just on a completely different level than todays stars
I still get goose bumps from the Karyia goal lol
the 90s era was the best hockey there ever was and ever will be, there was tons of depth on most teams and there was a good balance of offense, defense, hitting and fighting. goal scoring averages don't make good hockey, the 1999 expansion killed it
I love the dead puck era. I am very biased because that’s when I fell in love with hockey. I remember being five or six watching the wings lose to the Devils in the Stanley Cup final. And I remember scoring seven on Patrick in game seven. Well, I think actually six on Patrick, but the point is the same.
I want this era back so bad
It was the era of my childhood that setted the standard about what hockey looks like. I’m totally biased to say was it better or worse than some other era. For me it is THE era.
The 90s were my favourite, likely due to having nostalgic glasses on, but I recall the late 90s and early 2000s being a lot less fun with the trap system.
It was also better when the major ads on hockey night were beer ads, boards didn't have changing ads, and had absolutely no sports betting ads.
"Off the floor On the board" and "Gretzky has it, Lost it" 2 of the greatest goals and commentaries in hockey history
Bad era of hockey. Not quite as bad as the systematic no goal wasteland of the 2010s when 50 goals outside of Ovechkin was rare, but the clutch and grab made for really slow, boring play, killed creativity. The original late 90s did have the bright spots you mentioned. Other than bad expansion teams, the early 90s had great balance and it still had fighting which was hardly ever booed. Clogged ice and michelin man goalies bad for the game.
So when was the best era? Please don't say the current league
Is fighting booed? If you look at the numbers, fighting has been trending up for the last few seasons since 2019. The media may say there's no place for it, but it wouldn't be trending upward if fans didn't like it. I think fighting has its role, and makes hockey unique. It may look kinda goofy at times, but it can definitely shift momentum. I think hockey is more skilled than ever, and there's no place for devoted goonery anymore, but I think the enforcer role is still very important, but you need to be able to contribute to the game. You can't just be good at punching faces to get by, you need to punch faces, and also either score goals, prevent them, or both. I think hockey today needs a mix of high scoring offense, which it has now, and more self-policing through fighting.
I also hate make-up/offsetting calls. If your team is playing undisciplined, they deserve to be called more than the other team, not have soft calls to make up for a previous call on the other team to appease fans. Sometimes, your team, or the opponent's, can't stay out of the box, and the team who plays clean shouldn't be penalized for it.
@Scoots_McGee Most are not "fights". You want to see fights, look back in the 80's and 90's. These days, most are players hugging and who can tackle whom
@jeffreycairns767 I agree. I started watching hockey in the 90s
@@jeffreycairns767 early 90s minus the expansion teams that weren't competitive. Today's game feels almost artificial.
I liked the dead puck era as a fan it got me thinking on how to defeat the trap.
I grew up on this era so like most of it. I want the fighting back instead of the cheap shots of now.
I remember there being only one team that was a throwback to the wide open 80's: The Pittsburgh Penguins!!!!!!
At least there were rivalries and revenge games with tons of fights
The worst part was when they decided to use instant replay to call instances of offensive players in the crease. There were so many goals called off because a skate was in the crease, even though it had absolutely no impact on the goalie. This didn’t last long, but it didn’t help the popularity of the game.
When hockey was a real battle, only for the best. The players actually had to do their very best. Much more intense
I thought it was a great era. Brutal and fascinating.
Leafs vs Islanders playoff series in 2002 was EPIC
Red wings owned this era!
The neutral zone trap (1-3-1) was invented by some Swedish coach in elitserien.
Goals may have gone down... But anticipation of every rush that could be a shot on net and a goal.... The goals that went in were all exciting.
That shorthanded goal by Lidström....! 😮😮
I grew up during this era. Patrick roy was fkn amazing
90s got the fighting and line brawling right. 70s and early 80s were over the top on the brawls.
Colorado avalanche era Patrick Roy had those insanely large pads and massive chest protector.
Sadly this was the end of the domis, proberts, mcsorleys, needed on every team if you wanted to protect your stars.
When guys were too small to have long injury free careers.
I miss the hits, fights and unfiltered don on hockey night in canada. ( were your damn poppies or go home ). Bless our soldiers , their families, and the players for giving us a distraction from the sad collapse of our countries.
I have been watching hockey for 50 years I don't miss this era.
I don't miss it either. During this time, it was hard to get into watching a game or even get excited about scoring chances because you already knew that the puck was not going to go in.
@@michaelvandeginste3497I can't watch a game in this era tbh. I find the fact that there are no hits, to many power plays and the fact that players can just go infront of the net without getting knocked down by the defender the worst.
More offens doesn't mean better games that logic is just stupid. If that's the case why not just take the goalies out of the equation?
@chrisd3969 just because you're arguing the opposite problem doesn't mean that I'm applying stupid logic. The game needs a balance of physicality and scoring, which it did have prior to the wave of expansion in the '90s.
Though the holding was annoying, the most unforgivable sin of this era were the hits to the head. People cheered for that stuff as if some low skilled goon destroying a talented player made for a better game. Sure the top tier teams were still fun to watch but average teams facing off were forgettable. I quit watching the NHL for a long time after I got a job as a Zam driver and was able to watch former college players, minor leaguers, and Olympians play the game up close in evenings. The fast passing and flow was such a night and day difference from the hooking and holding of the NHL. I’ve only gotten back into it the last few years. the reffing is still arbitrary, but at least we aren’t seeing 4th liners ending the careers of top forwards regularly.
"From 1993 to 2004, the number of European players in the NHL increased massively. Swedish players increased 117%, the Czechs increased 161%, the Finns & Slovaks both increased 280%, while the Americans & Russian players barely rose, and Canadian players declined by 3%."
WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT???
How are you excluding RUSSIANS from the rise of European players during that era?
NHL DRAFT PICKS BY YEAR
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
『RUSSIA』
▪︎2004 | 20 plrs
▪︎2003 | 29 plrs
▪︎2002 | 34 plrs
▪︎2001 | 38 plrs
▪︎2000 | 43 plrs
▪︎1999 | 30 plrs
▪︎1998 | 22 plrs
▪︎1997 | 19 plrs
▪︎1996 | 20 plrs
▪︎1995 | 24 plrs
▪︎1994 | 32 plrs
▪︎1993 | 33 plrs
▪︎1992 | 38 plrs
▪︎1991 | 21 plrs
▪︎1990 | 12 plrs
▪︎1989 | 14 plrs
▪︎1988 | 8 plrs
▪︎1987 | 2 plrs
▪︎1986 | 1 plr
▪︎1985 | 2 plrs
▪︎1984 | 1 plr
▪︎1983 | 5 plrs
▪︎1982 | 3 plrs
▪︎1978 | 2 plrs
_____________
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
『CZECHIA』
▪︎2004 | 20 plrs
▪︎2003 | 18 plrs
▪︎2002 | 27 plrs
▪︎2001 | 31 plrs
▪︎2000 | 24 plrs
▪︎1999 | 18 plrs
▪︎1998 | 21 plrs
▪︎1997 | 16 plrs
▪︎1996 | 11 plrs
▪︎1995 | 21 plrs
▪︎1994 | 16 plrs
▪︎1993 | 14 plrs
▪︎1992 | 17 plrs
▪︎1991 | 8 plrs
▪︎1990 | 16 plrs
▪︎1989 | 7 plrs
▪︎1988 | 4 plrs
▪︎1987 | 10 plrs
▪︎1986 | 4 plrs
▪︎1985 | 7 plrs
▪︎1984 | 11 plrs
▪︎1983 | 8 plrs
▪︎1982 | 7 plrs
▪︎1981 | 3 plrs
▪︎1978 | 1 plr
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
『FINLAND』
▪︎2004 | 15 plrs
▪︎2003 | 13 plrs
▪︎2002 | 26 plrs
▪︎2001 | 24 plrs
▪︎2000 | 19 plrs
▪︎1999 | 18 plrs
▪︎1998 | 12 plrs
▪︎1997 | 12 plrs
▪︎1996 | 8 plrs
▪︎1995 | 13 plrs
▪︎1994 | 7 plrs
▪︎1993 | 8 plrs
▪︎1992 | 10 plrs
▪︎1991 | 6 plrs
▪︎1990 | 11 plrs
▪︎1989 | 3 plrs
▪︎1988 | 7 plrs
▪︎1987 | 6 plrs
▪︎1986 | 10 plrs
▪︎1985 | 4 plrs
▪︎1984 | 11 plrs
▪︎1983 | 9 plrs
▪︎1982 | 5 plrs
▪︎1981 | 12 plrs
▪︎1980 | 4 plrs
▪︎1978 | 2 plrs
▪︎1977 | 3 plrs
▪︎1976 | 2 plrs
▪︎1975 | 3 plrs
▪︎1974 | 1 plr
▪︎1969 | 1 plr
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
『SLOVAKIA』
▪︎2004 | 10 plrs
▪︎2003 | 10 plrs
▪︎2002 | 3 plrs
▪︎2001 | 15 plrs
▪︎2000 | 16 plrs
▪︎1999 | 12 plrs
▪︎1998 | 6 plrs
▪︎1997 | 6 plrs
▪︎1996 | 7 plrs
▪︎1995 | 7 plrs
▪︎1994 | 4 plrs
▪︎1993 | 4 plrs
▪︎1992 | 3 plrs
▪︎1991 | 2 plrs
▪︎1990 | 6 plrs
▪︎1989 | 1 plr
▪︎1988 | 1 plr
▪︎1987 | 1 plr
▪︎1986 | 2 plrs
▪︎1985 | 1 plr
▪︎1984 | 3 plrs
▪︎1983 | 1 plr
▪︎1982 | 6 plrs
▪︎1981 | 1 plr
▪︎1979 | 1 plr
▪︎1978 | 1 plr
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
『SWEDEN』
▪︎2004 | 18 plrs
▪︎2003 | 18 plrs
▪︎2002 | 21 plrs
▪︎2001 | 16 plrs
▪︎2000 | 23 plrs
▪︎1999 | 23 plrs
▪︎1998 | 17 plrs
▪︎1997 | 15 plrs
▪︎1996 | 15 plrs
▪︎1995 | 8 plrs
▪︎1994 | 17 plrs
▪︎1993 | 18 plrs
▪︎1992 | 11 plrs
▪︎1991 | 11 plrs
▪︎1990 | 7 plrs
▪︎1989 | 9 plrs
▪︎1988 | 14 plrs
▪︎1987 | 15 plrs
▪︎1986 | 9 plrs
▪︎1985 | 16 plrs
▪︎1984 | 13 plrs
▪︎1983 | 10 plrs
▪︎1982 | 14 plrs
▪︎1981 | 14 plrs
▪︎1980 | 9 plrs
▪︎1979 | 5 plrs
▪︎1978 | 8 plrs
▪︎1977 | 2 plrs
▪︎1976 | 5 plrs
▪︎1975 | 2 plrs
▪︎1974 | 5 plrs
_____________
°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°
I'm sorry, but you cannot look at these numbers and tell me that there wasn't an increase of Russian players during the DEAD PUCK ERA!!!
*** NHL Draft Data Obtain From www.EliteProspects.com/ ***
Hockey at its best. The hits, the hits!!
great vid
Lets all just admit we're drinking a beer & watching this ....
For me it was the best era as the Red Wings dominated.
Kayria was seeing double on that goal so he's just like "HEAD HURTS CANT SEE. SLAPPY TIME!"
Brett Hull is my favorite sniper of all time.