12/21/24
August 12, 2006
"I don't know if anyone will ever break our record of five straight Stanley Cup championships: This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the start of the Montreal Canadians fabulous run of 5 straight cups. Jean Beliveau figures one of his records is going to stay in the book for a very long time. "I don't know if anyone will ever break our record of five straight Stanley Cup championships. I know it has been said that records are made to be broken, but with the NHL, the way it is set up today with free agency and all, it will be hard for one team to have a run at five straight Stanley Cups." Is this the hardest record in Major Professional North American Sports to break? Could be.......
posted by skydivedad to hockey at 06:16 PM - 22 comments
Considering that every sport has free agency now, I think it will be very difficult for any team to amass 5 straight titles.
posted by mjkredliner at 06:33 PM on August 12, 2006
Yea! The 76-79 Habs also won 4 straight so is as impressive as the Islanders streak. The arguement about diluted talent after expansion also rings true for me and 4 is still < 5. So the question remains can this record be broken? Doubtful, I see this record standing for quite along while, even tieing 5 straight let alone getting 6 in a row would seem nearly impossible.
posted by skydivedad at 06:36 PM on August 12, 2006
I have to side with Beliveau. Times now are much different than they were then. The Islanders 4 in row in the early 80s was certainly impressive, the Oilers doing 4 in 5 (or 5 in 7) years was similarly impressive. But times have changed even further (staring at expansion from 21 teams when the Oilers won their 5th in 1990 to 30 teams by 2000). I have to think that 5 in a row is now out of the question. You can't keep a solid team together for that long. But comparing two eras is like comparing wood sticks to composite sticks. With glow pucks.
posted by gspm at 06:37 PM on August 12, 2006
they are the supreme hockey team to this day the Montreal Canadiens but does anyone give a shit about it. Hockey has gone down the last couple of years so lets try to bring it back I don"t know how but let's work at it My beloved blackhawks suck so I don't know how but if we all get together for one cause maybe we can make hockey more popular for all the fans because as of right now I think it sucks
posted by luther70 at 08:07 PM on August 12, 2006
Times are different now. Look atbhow hard it is to repeat or even threepeat in any sport. The talent that is pulled now a days as well as the money up for grabs makes it as hard as hell to keep any team together for any length of time. But then again look at the Tour De France and anything can happen if Lance can do it SEVEN times in a row.
posted by TAZ29 at 08:09 PM on August 12, 2006
I would say it is the hardest team record but I think that history has proven that the NFL's undefeated season could be one for the ages as well. The undefeated NCAA season might be there too.
posted by jc at 08:09 PM on August 12, 2006
You want to make Hockey good? Stop protecting the damn goalies, if they come out of thier crease to make a play on the puck hit them. That area is blue and the rest of the rink white for a reason. So if they are standing in the white and makeing a play lay them out. Make this change and you will see more goals scored. As it is now they can come out to the blue line with the puck and you can't check them. We don't need a trapiziod behind the net. Lets play the game like it should be played.
posted by TAZ29 at 08:18 PM on August 12, 2006
NOPE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
posted by sirtt22 at 09:19 PM on August 12, 2006
You know, we say that, everything makes it harder, there's so many random issues that make fivepeats impossible now, but you just know someone's going to pull it off against any measurable odds. And when they do, everyone will look back at how they assembled and maintained their team, and everyone will think "Oh, of course!" That's just how it works. And with my luck, it'll be the friggin' Devils or Flyers or Panthers, some team that doesn't deserve it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, hit me with your worst. I'm a Leaf fan, you can't hurt me any more than I've already been hurt.
posted by chicobangs at 09:22 PM on August 12, 2006
I dont think it will be done again for a very looooong time. There are too many good teams out there. Back then teams were just developing and new teams were coming into the league. Now just too many players and teams are too good. Maybe it will happen! But not in our lifetime.
posted by forshizzle992 at 09:36 PM on August 12, 2006
And with my luck, it'll be the friggin' Devils or Flyers or Panthers, some team that doesn't deserve it. Come on chico, any team that wins five in a row deserves it, no matter where they're from. And there will be no whining. You hear me? Oh yes, you do. If you find yourself in a situation where a team is about to win three or more Cups in a row, and they're not from Toronto, go to your local pub and play darts (preferrably Cricket). It well help if you pretend to be from the UK because that somehow makes your game better. Or just sit at home and do bong hits while watching How It's Made.
posted by NoMich at 12:25 AM on August 13, 2006
Funny, those were my exact plans should such an event actually occur. (Geezus, you make it hard to be a whiny troll in this town. I'll get back to work on that.) Also, easy for you to say, Mister Cupholder.
posted by chicobangs at 12:38 AM on August 13, 2006
Never say never...but, WOW, what a feat six straight would be.
posted by ctal1999 at 12:38 AM on August 13, 2006
You tell him NoMich. The Devils can't even win two in a row. The only time they had a chance, they let some schmuck by the name of Ray Bourque win it instead. Yeah, like a guy like that deserved it, sheesh. sarcasm Being that the last team to even repeat was the Wings, and that was almost a decade ago, I think the magic number 5 will be pretty tough to match.
posted by MrFrisby at 03:10 AM on August 13, 2006
As long as the free agent system is in place, this record will never be broken. The loyalty factor is not there anymore, so you have a hard time keeping the right puzzle pieces in place to make a run for The Cup. I'd be shocked if a team accomplished this feat in my lifetime.
posted by wingnut4life at 07:56 AM on August 13, 2006
I don't think this will happen in hockey. I could possibly see it happening in the NBA, because one team with two superstars (as the Bulls had during their heyday and as the Lakers had before the Shaq trade) can win a lot of consecutive championships because the number of players in the rotation is smaller and depth is not as important as in the other sports.
posted by holden at 09:45 AM on August 13, 2006
I think one point that would make it possible for a team to make a run is referee consitancy. No two games are ruled the same, if they were then we would have a level playing field and the better teams would shine consitantly. And yes, stop protecting the gaolies.
posted by Psycho at 11:14 AM on August 13, 2006
Five straight? Big deal!!! Doesn't anyone recall the Boston Celtics won eight straight under Bill Russell- and 11 in 13 years? Guy has more rings than fingers, and in 13 seasons as player and then player-coach only didn't win the whole enchilada! The closest we've remotely come to that was Jordan winning 6 championships in 6 full seasons in a row- one wonders if he hadn't retired (or been forced to retire by Stern in a quiet gambling penalty cover up as some conspiracy theorists allege), if the Bulls would have had a six-peat, and possibly spent those two missing years of Jordan's prime winning another couple.
posted by hincandenza at 01:55 PM on August 13, 2006
How can you people continue to compare Hockey to any other sport? It is completely differant in dynamics, rules, officiating, etc. Does Basketball have a guy with pads gaurding the hoop. Does hockey have a Jordan who scores 40 points a night because he doesn't get called for traveling and can do anything he wants. You are comparing apples to oranges. Five straight these days with the calliber of men we have on the ice would be a feat of great proprtions.
posted by Psycho at 08:17 PM on August 13, 2006
As far as referee consistency goes, well, I'd like to think they're working on that. Certainly last year was better than the decade before that for such things. I never said it was likely. I'm just saying it's not beyond possibility. Every time I've heard talk about the end of a dynasty in any sport, it's always touted as the last dynasty we'll ever see, because of free agency/selfish players/different league rules/lower city allegiance/spoiled players/I need my diaper changed/etc, and yet another one always seems to step forward, against longer and longer odds. What are the chances we'll see another fivepeat? Exceedingly low, for all the reasons mentioned in this thread (the vast majority of which are quite valid). But you know, someone always seems to figure out a way to keep a good team together, and someone pulling a Habs or an Islanders and going four or five (or six) cups deep? Well, I wouldn't bet against it happening again in my lifetime.
posted by chicobangs at 08:41 PM on August 13, 2006
Or just sit at home and do bong hits while watching How It's Made. Get out of my HEAD.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 09:56 AM on August 14, 2006
Quite a feat, but there were only 5 other teams to beat...I personally think that the Islanders streak of 4 straight was more impressive. But, although I consider myself a fan, I know there are members who have considerably more knowledge than myself about this sport, this should be an interesting thread.