Columbus Blue Jackets GM Scott Howson was a high-scoring forward with the old Kingston Canadians once upon a time.
Here's how much major junior hockey has changed in 25 years: London Knights phenom Patrick Kane led the OHL last winter with 145 points. In his final junior season, 1980-81, Howson's 140 points didn't even top his own team. Some guy named Bernie Nicholls had 152 for Kingston that season.
(Bless you, Internet Hockey Database.)
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No one played team defence back in those days. The sum total of team defence was the coach yelling at guys to "backcheck", and "pick up your check in our zone". That was it. Beyond that, it was just swapping odd man rushes all night. Now, of course, coaches have figured out that the fastest way to be competitive isn't to recruit and train skill, which is hard, but to teach a total commitment to a defensive system, which is much easier. That, and the goaltending is so much better now than back in the day it's hard to put into words.
Yeah, the goaltending today is the big difference... 30 years ago, there were no "goalie schools."
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