Wayne Gretzky didn’t become the all-time leading scorer in NHL history because he skated faster than anyone else or shot harder than any other player. Instead, he dominated thanks in large part due to his incredible hockey IQ.
So it’s important to take semantics into account when you consider Jeremy Roenick’s comments. Roenick said that Sidney Crosby is “way more talented” than Gretzky was when Roenick spoke on a recent radio show. Of course, Roenick also points to that hockey IQ when discussing Gretzky’s success, so it’s not as if he’s disparaging “The Great One.”
Of course, this gets to a deeper discussion about how difficult it is to compare players of different eras. For instance: can anyone say if Patrick Roy was better than Terry Sawchuk, considering how different equipment and style of play was in their generations? The same law applies to discussing Bob Pettit versus Shaq O’Neal; it’s almost as if they are playing two different games.
So in other words, take these words with a grain of salt. Still, it’s an interesting thought to consider: is Sidney Crosby “way more talented” right now than Wayne Gretzky was in his prime?
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