When Wayne Gretzky talks about hockey, people stop and listen.
"The Great One" spoke in a wide-ranging interview with Lucas Aykroyd of The New York Times, one in which he talked about his monumental 215-point season 30 years ago and this season's eventual Art Ross Trophy winner, Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane.
Gretzky also shared his belief that the game has lost part of what made it great, and it all starts with the youth.
"When I was 10 years old, they'd throw a puck on the ice and say, 'Go score.' Now, at 10 years old, the kids are taught to play in their lanes," Gretzky said. "Defensemen stay back. Everybody blocks shots. I mean, my goodness, I don't think I ever blocked a shot, and I killed penalties every single game. I thought goaltenders were paid to block shots, not forwards. It's changed completely. I think the biggest thing we've lost is a little bit of our creativity and imagination in general."
This season in the NHL, 2.71 goals are scored per game. That's down from 2.73 in 2014-15, and 2.74 in 2013-14. We're back at dead-puck era (1995-2004) levels. It was back in 2005-06, coming out of a lockout that cost the league a season, when more than three goals were averaged a game (3.08).
When Gretzky averaged 200 points a season from 1981 to 1986, league averages for goals were between 3.86 and 4.01. The game's certainly changed.
"All in all, it's sort of a grinding game now. You're taught from Day 1 that your role and responsibility is to keep the puck out of your net," Gretzky said.
The NHL's discussed ideas to increase scoring, including talk of making nets bigger. Beginning next season, goaltender equipment will be smaller. But in order for scoring and the game to change, coaching will have to change as well.
The game is played at an ultra-high level by tremendous athletes. Goalies have all but perfected their position. Hockey players train all-year round. Players are bigger, faster, stronger. Teams are using more statistical analysis, employing data wizards in order to gain an advantage over opponents.
The days of saying, "Go score," it seems, are unfortunately done.
