Re: Fastest skater in NHL history?
I have some serious doubts that McDavid is the fastest the NHL has ever seen. Pavel Bure was insanely fast and Paul Coffey skating style made it look like he wasn't going 100 mph (wicked stride, no wasted effort). There were likely fringe guys who had wheels, but not the hands or head to play much.
In hockey, quickness is better than being fast, which is why I don't think the one lap of America tells us anything. I want to see how quick a player is from blue line to blue line (acceleration). I would also have them start skating parallel to but behind (within 5 feet) one blue line, then the whistle blows and they take off for the other blue line with the clock starting when they cross the first blue line. I'm sure they could give us how quickly they crossed the center red line and then the opposite blue line. That would be a more usable indication of a player's speed. How often do players get a chance to wind up and skate one lap around the ice during a game...I mean outside of the very frustrating Paul Coffey. He would start behind his net and skate through the entire team, realize he didn't have a good angle to shoot the puck and then he would skate back outside the offensive zone. Seriously frustrating for Oiler fans. He did put up some points though...
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I have some serious doubts that McDavid is the fastest the NHL has ever seen. Pavel Bure was insanely fast and Paul Coffey skating style made it look like he wasn't going 100 mph (wicked stride, no wasted effort). There were likely fringe guys who had wheels, but not the hands or head to play much.
In hockey, quickness is better than being fast, which is why I don't think the one lap of America tells us anything. I want to see how quick a player is from blue line to blue line (acceleration). I would also have them start skating parallel to but behind (within 5 feet) one blue line, then the whistle blows and they take off for the other blue line with the clock starting when they cross the first blue line. I'm sure they could give us how quickly they crossed the center red line and then the opposite blue line. That would be a more usable indication of a player's speed. How often do players get a chance to wind up and skate one lap around the ice during a game...I mean outside of the very frustrating Paul Coffey. He would start behind his net and skate through the entire team, realize he didn't have a good angle to shoot the puck and then he would skate back outside the offensive zone. Seriously frustrating for Oiler fans. He did put up some points though...
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