Do you belive that measuring Wayne Gretzky to this generation he would be another useless player?

Question

Not that I think he is bad but compared to our generation he is nothing. Do you share the same input?

Answer 1

No , because He would have every advantage today's players have.Nutrition,equipment,training ,etc.When Gretzky played He was playing against the best players at the time.Talent shines at any level.He was one move ahead of the next play.You cannot coach that,its a sixth sense.

Its unfair to judge players against different eras.

Imagine saying Lidstrom was an OK defense man,back in the early 2000's,but He wouldn't be any good today.Or Zetterburg and Datsyuk were good but cannot play in this era,(inset future year)....They are pro's,because they are the best.

Answer 2

How can you say he's "nothing" compared to today? No, apparently I do not share the same input because I have no idea what you are saying....

Wayne was and still is "the great one". Maybe he wouldn't put up the same numbers as he did before because of new rules and changes, but he'd still be one helluva player.

Answer 3

No he is too old.

Answer 4

Why would he be . . . . I think he would be looked at even higher because there would be so many more people seeing what he can do!

Answer 5

It's always difficult to compare players from different eras, but that's part of the fun of being a fan.

I certainly think Gretzky could up big numbers in today's NHL, for many of the reasons others have mentioned. Keep in mind that he managed to put up 97 and 90 point seasons with the Rangers (just 11 years ago) when he was 36+ and at the end of his career.

To be honest, I've been watching hockey since well before Gretzky and I find today's game kind of boring and the players to be talented but nothing special. If you watch video of the top teams from the past (Oilers, Canadiens, Islanders, Flyers, Bruins, etc...) there is a stark contrast with today's games. Today's players are certainly bigger and faster on average, but they are also less controlled, make tons of sloppy/stupid plays that would have gotten you benched in earlier days and as often as not seem to go for a highlight reel hit instead of just knocking the guy off the puck.

Watch defensemen like Orr, Robinson, Potvin or Bourque. Those guys could knock anybody on their *** without leaving their skates and taking themselves out of the play...unlike so many of the heavy hitters of today.

Answer 6

No, not at all.

Actually, he'd put up the same numbers he did back then and be just as dominate....but I guess we all have our opinions.

Answer 7

You compare athletes to there time, High school track runners beat Jessee Owens time, that does not mean they are better runners than he was.

Gretsky was is and always will be one of the greats!!!

Answer 8

You obviously are not a follower over the last few decades of hockey. #99 was simply THE GREATEST!

Answer 9

A player whose best atribute was as a setup man that could score 90 goals in a season. 200+ point seasons. 49 NHL records. In Gretzky's era penalties were not called every time your stick looked like it might have touched another player's.

If you could handicap Gretzky's point total what would deduct for playing then as compared to now? 20 - 25 points? That's a lot but say 25. That leaves his best year at 190 points. How many guys scored 190 points this year? Hint - Ovechkin had 112.

I guess you can put me in the 'no' column. I don't share your input.

Answer 10

Lemieux and Gretzky would have been just as dominant or moreso in today's game as/than they were in their own. Give them some cheater sticks and battery powered skates... while we're at it, give Orr some of today's equipment and medical advances and you'd see all 3 of them make the current batch of stars look about the same as they made the previous batch of stars like Savard, Stastny, & Yzerman look.

Answer 11

Wayne Gretzky....nothing?

Have you ever seen this man play?

Gretzky would dominate in any era, maybe not as much, maybe more than his time, but no way would he ever be "nothing"

Answer 12

I think that Gretzky could play well in the new NHL but he wouldn't put up the numbers he did in the NHL's offensive hayday.  He definitely wouldn't have put up those number in the Original 6 Era.  He probably would be there with Rocket Richard (which is great company to be with) but he wouldn't be close to Gordie Howe.

Answer 13

No, and no offense, but it shows that you are not old enough to have seen him play with statements like this.  What made Gretzky great was not his exceptional speed, hands, passing ability, toughness or anything else aside from one thing: his vision.  There were people on the ice with him almost every night who excelled in one category or the other every night he played and plenty of people in todays game who surpass him in a particular skill, he will tell you that himself.  Howe was far tougher, Lemieux was a better puck handler and more accurate shooter and Orr was a better skater than he was.  When Gretzky was in his prime, it was like he knew what was going to happen before it happened.  No-one before him and no-one currently playing the game has that type of vision.  That is the thing that separates him from anyone else who has ever laced up skates and grabbed a stick.

EDIT: CME makes a great point.  With the amount of power play time he would be looking at, he might have been even better.

Answer 14

I think I would like some of whatever you've been smoking...

Answer 15

Um no, if he played in modern day NHL he would be just as good.

Answer 16

I think you are wrong

. . . but if i humor you . . .

You are judged in my mind against your generation/ERA of players. Its hard to do anything but speculate otherwise. He was great in his time and thats that. even if you were right and players are better now, that does not mean a thing. Because you would have to say then also that wayne grew up in modern time and had access to modern technique strategy theory equipment etc in which case he would be a better player too and maybe just the same great player.