Charles Darwin never theorized about sports and how it evolves, just things within nature. But it doesn’t take a scientist to notice the ever-evolving changes that the sports world undergoes. The style of play in the NHL has mutated multiple times throughout the past few decades.
Ten years ago, hockey was a physical smash-mouth sport. The Rangers had guys like Colton Orr and Ryan Hollweg hunkering down in their own zone and throwing fisticuffs as much as possible. The game was dominated by a “wear down the opponent” ideology. But times have changed, are still changing, and will continue to change.