Continued from WORLD WIDE HOCKEY TOUR –
This faster paced keep control of the puck as much as you
can style of ice hockey was based on the Soviet five-man unit and Nordic models
that are ingrained through the youth ranks there. It is a free flowing game in
the words of former Edmonton Oilers coach and general manager Glen Sather who
was part of the last National Hockey League dynasty in the nineteen eighties
and nineteen ninety. Sather said that he borrowed and modified a system of
hockey, to his roster of players that he learned through direct observation. It
was rarely used during Sather’s playing career except when his squads faced off
against opponents such as the WHA Winnipeg Jets. Also trips with his WHA Oilers
overseas gave him much material for him to install and help insure Sather’s own
team’s success. Of course, it is a boost to gather all the proper talent to execute
the plan.
Some of the strategies used in Europe
and other places were that young goalies and position players played multiple
positions. They went through the skills, development, and training for
everywhere on the ice, plus a lot to improve skating growing up. This meant, in
some cases, filling in at other positions to help their squad in other areas -
if needed due to a rash of injuries, etc. Understanding and appreciation was
gained and respect was earned because each player could relate to all of the
others on the club. Learning to speak english was huge during this time if an
individual wanted to expand their horizons internationally and play in other
circuits. For a long time goaltenders were just an afterthought in youth
leagues because most kids wanted to be the main goal scorers and almost none
would volunteer to be the netminder. This early version of hockey related cross
position training put all through the same stuff and a minimum standard had to
be met when they reached a certain age and level. There was no favoritism
either, if you couldn’t cut it, there were limits at the next stage in the
chain.
Sather instituted his fun and gun offense which was
perfectly suited to the up-temp World Hockey Association. [Playing Hockey The
World Over…wha.htm; whahockey.com; hockeyfights.com; Wikipedia; billsportsmaps.com;
The Hockey News] Mekkar compares Sather’s approach to a few clubs and the wide
open American Basketball Association. More specifically to the late nineteen
eighties Loyola-Maramount Lions basketball team philosophy under coach Paul
Westhead. There are other later examples of similar offense-first schemes such
as Doug Moe’s Denver Nuggets and Phoenix Suns under Mike D’Antoni of the NBA.
No matter what system is instituted it always takes awhile to put all of the
right pieces in place. Glen also made maximum use of what hockey insiders
consider as the fastest, as well as, best ice surface for hockey in the world
at the Northlands Coliseum in Edmonton ,
Alberta
The arena has a different corporate sponsor and a thus is
known by another name nowadays because that is the current trend in the
professional sports realm. A sense of tradition and history is no longer
considered as important when there is money to be made. Mekkar is of the
opinion it is one more indicator of the increased decline in society that has
sold out to greed.
This hybrid style took off and took over the National Hockey
League after the addition of four WHA teams to start the 1979-80 season. In
truth, it was a mini-merger but the WHA clubs got the shaft and basically
buildup their rosters from scratch. This afforded Sather with the opportunity
to shape the Oilers in his image. Edmonton
ended up obliterating the offensive record book with much success and
championships. The next decade helped, along with the Eskimos, Drillers, etc. to
turn the northern Alberta metropolis into the
City of Champions .
There were clubs awarded in locations by the WHA that the
NHL never even considered before and probably never would have. Some of these
places included cities in the hotbed of hockey (Canada ). Mekkar loves to read about
history, especially sports history because he feels it is a partial reflection
of society at large. He knows that a person can learn from study of the past
and has heard the mantra many times, one who doesn’t learn from past history tend
to repeat its mistakes over and over again. [Reason in Common Sense, volume 1
of The Life of Reason by George Santayana,
1905]
One of Mekkar’s favorite aspects regarding the upstart pro
league (WHA) was the addition of sudden death overtime to determine victory in
outcomes during the regular season. This greatly reduced the stranglehold in
the amount of tie game results. Mekkar hated no clear winner and regarded them
as worse than kissing your ugly sister. Who wants to do that?
Another trend and impetus happened during this period of
time due to the rebel league’s influence. Individual players broke the mold and
began to wear higher uniform numbers. In the past, especially if one was a
rookie or young player trying to establish themselves in pre-season training
camp. You didn’t want high jersey numbers unlike today. Otherwise it usually
meant that player probably would not make the big club and would either be cut
outright or demoted to the minors for seasoning. Thus, Mekkar donned low
uniform numbers his whole hockey career depending on availability. Phil
Esposito changed his uniform number to seventy-seven after his trade to the New
York Rangers around this time. Even Wayne Gretzky didn’t always sport his now
famous ninety-nine sweater. There are videos, photographs, roster lists, etc.
of Gretzky wearing pro jerseys with the numbers nine, fifteen, seventeen,
twenty before his well known standard ninety-nine. [whahockey.com;
jerseydatabase.com; thirdstringgoalie.blogspot.com; youtube.com; wharacers.com;
whahof.com]
Mekkar examines these factors as part of a cultural shift
and people’s desire to get noticed. Everyone is aware of how an individual seeks
to transcend all in many aspects of society today. He believes that if
something gets mentioned frequently, it is because that concept or commodity
stands out from the norm during its time. For example, Ground Chuck (Knox)
football offense scheme was primarily run oriented. While at the same time, the
National Football League was beginning its transition to a more pass-happy
circuit with rule changes, etc. in that new direction. [Wikipedia]
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