We played a normal game. Poile doesn't even try to draw a comparison because times were different. Back then, you faced every team at least once every few weeks, so rivalries were more intense. Smythe would be throwing hammers and there would be fights in the hallways. Poile, a retired International Hockey League commissioner, says today's All-Star Games are what everyone wants them to be.
Players certainly get more rewards today.
We barely got paid for playing.