The biggest things that have changed NHL
The Atlanta Thrashers moved to Winnipeg. The NHL introduced the Department of Player Safety.
Steve Yzerman returned to the Detroit Red Wings. John Tavares left the New York Islanders for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Mike Babcock received a $50 million coaching contract for the Leafs, then was fired in his fifth season. The NHL agreed to expand to 32 teams.
The NHL opted not to go to the 2018 Olympics after embracing the Winter Games since 1998. League revenues grew to almost $5 billion. The league locked out players in 2012-13, then both sides agreed last fall not to reopen the collective bargaining agreement early.
The NHL has had seven different Norris Trophy winners over the past seven seasons. Fighting has all but evaporated.
Clearly, plenty has happened in the NHL over the past decade. But here are 10 people, places and things that have altered the game in that time:
Concussion protocol
On March 16, 2011, the NHL revamped its concussion protocol to include a trip to “the quiet room” for any player suspected of having a concussion. In 2016, the NHL started using spotters to identify potential concussion victims and pull them from the game for evaluation. Awareness of the concussion problem has grown considerably in the last decade, but the NHL has still often been criticized for not doing more to reduce the number. The NHL continues to deny there’s a link between concussions and the brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and it is dealing with a lawsuit from former players.
Alex Ovechkin
With 450 goals since 2009-10 and on pace for 55 goals this season, the Washington Capitals star has put himself in position to challenge Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. No one believed anyone could do that. Ovechkin, 34, has 679 as of Dec. 19.
3-on-3 overtime
Ken Holland, currently the general manager of the Edmonton Oilers, is credited with championing the cause to switch from 4-on-4 to 3-on-3 overtime in 2015. That change has added a high degree of excitement to NHL overtimes. The format lends itself to 2-on-1 breaks and spectacular saves. Simply put, 3on-3 hockey is often wild and unpredictable.
Chicago Blackhawks
With Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015, the Blackhawks are the closest we have to a dynasty in this decade. Canadian Jonathan Toews and American Patrick Kane have established themselves among the greatest players in franchise history.
Pittsburgh Penguins
Every team in the NHL is trying to emulate the winning culture that the Penguins have established in the Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin era. The Penguins made the playoffs every season this decade and have the NHL’s longest active streak at 13 appearances. When the Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2016 and 2017, they became the first NHL franchise with back-to-back titles since the Red Wings did it in 1997 and 1998.
Vegas Golden Knights
By reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their first season in 2017-18, the Golden Knights changed the way we view expansion teams. They validated the fresh NHL idea that expansion teams should be given the talent necessary to be competitive immediately. The Golden Knights benefited from the most team-friendly expansion draft rules the sports world had ever seen.
Connor McDavid
Amazingly fast and highly skilled, the Edmonton Oilers center is the prototype for the next generation of NHL stars. Not only does McDavid skate faster than the vast majority of NHL players, he can make incredible plays at top speed. He’s 23, playing his fifth NHL season and has already won the Hart Trophy, the Art Ross Trophy and two Lester Pearson trophies. He looks like he’s on his way to a fourth season of 100 or more points.
Auston Matthews comes from Arizona
The Maple Leafs star could be viewed as the symbol of how NHL expansion has grown the player pool. His mother was born in Mexico, and he grew up in Arizona as a fan of the Coyotes. Since arriving in 2016-17, the No. 1 overall pick has established himself as one of America’s top players.