Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Why does he think it is moving away from speed? The league seems to get faster every year.
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I didn't interpret his comments as "moving away from speed," more like slowing down just a fraction from the extreme end break-neck speed that has characterised the League for a few years.
His direct quote: "I think increasingly the games is slowing down for the best players in the game, rather than speeding up; we talk so much about the track-[m]eet in today's NHL, and it's no as much of a track-meet as I think people realise—once you enter the offensive zone things really do start to slow down and then it's about
: 'with the puck on my stick, can I drive plays? Can I make things happen? And when the play collapses in on me and when pressure comes, can I handle that? And do I have this sort of calm presence to be able to make plays through layers and navigate under that pressure?' ...
"It's increasingly about the ability to dictate play; the ability to manage what's in front of you, rather than just seeing the first play and advancing the puck. I think coaches of ten years ago were often preaching: 'You make the quick play; it's get-up-and-go; it's pivot, crossover, pass, pivot, crossover pass,' and that's how the game was played in many ways. Now it's changing. You need to be able to sort of control play when you're out there and have possession of the puck."
I get the sense not that skating and speed aren't important, but rather that they are not quite as heavily weighted as they were a few years ago, and now not nearly as important as possession instincts and a very high on-ice IQ.