lol...and quality of play is down....heh
The quality of play in professional hockey has improved over the last 25 years — roughly the period time that has elapsed since Wayne Gretzky retired — in every way that you can measure objectively. Gretzky himself even said recently (only half-jokingly) that he would have had a hard time making it to the NHL in 1979 if he had to compete against today’s players.
What HAS changed is that the game has lost a lot of its character as it has become more refined and “over-coached” the way it is — and also because its storied history has been downplayed in an attempt to market the game to casual fans.
No, it isn’t.