Quote:
Originally Posted by 868904
I don't think size is even an issue. Is Pettersson any more fragile or smaller than Gretzky when he came up? Have you seen how skinny Gretzky was when he first started with the Oilers?
This never happened to Gretzky because you knew you were going to have to answer for it. It was black and white. You give Gretzky an extra push after a check, well here's McSorley or Brown or Semenko to welcome Kent Nilson or Hakan Loob or even Tim Hunter.
Now it's grey because of the instigator, because of the elimination of enforcers. Guys will give the extra shot, the extra unnecessary shot because they think "nothing will probably come of it, i'm protected by the rules".
I'm not saying Gretzky never got targeted, of course he did, but it was all just face washes and whacks and slashes and mean words, it was never over the line, because you knew what happened if crossed it. The line is crossed regularly now in today's NHL because the grey has replaced the black and white.
|
It didn't happen to Gretzky because he wasn't usually in that position (and I don't think he was ever as small as Petterson). If you think there wasn't dirty play or cheap shots, you are wrong.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hodb0LUALjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsc41szSwLM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBncDgAAfbk
Oh, and Gretzky did get targeted once in a while - this one is illegal today:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=72oxwUo1T9E