Because with a population of 80,000,000 people, it is a great chance to promote the game to many different people who normally wouldn't watch hockey. This is great for hockey in general. Germany has the potential to be a hockey power because of their population and location. The IIHF is in charge of promoting hockey to the world, so why wouldn't they take advantage of this opportunity? Why have the WC in a country like Finland for example, when you could bring it to a relatively untapped market that has over 80 million people?
Рopularity of hockey in Germany
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Because with a population of 80,000,000 people, it is a great chance to promote the game to many different people who normally wouldn't watch hockey. This is great for hockey in general. Germany has the potential to be a hockey power because of their population and location. The IIHF is in charge of promoting hockey to the world, so why wouldn't they take advantage of this opportunity? Why have the WC in a country like Finland for example, when you could bring it to a relatively untapped market that has over 80 million people?
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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I know this thread is old but after seeing the U.S./Germany world cup game yesterday I was wondering how big is ice hockey in Germany?
I have read in several links that it is the 2nd biggest sport but far behind soccer. Is that what you guys think?
Any major hockey events coming either in Germany or for the German national team?
I have read in several links that it is the 2nd biggest sport but far behind soccer. Is that what you guys think?
Any major hockey events coming either in Germany or for the German national team?
cutchemist42
Registered User
I know as a whole, baseball is far behind in support but MLB is really starting to scout the area. Heard a radio interview a few months ago with Paul Beeston of the Blue Jays who thinks scouting In Germany for baseball players will become big,
From the outside looking in, and having talked to German exchange students back in high school, it feels like hockey gets lumped in with basketball and handball, and all those sports are well behind football.
From the outside looking in, and having talked to German exchange students back in high school, it feels like hockey gets lumped in with basketball and handball, and all those sports are well behind football.
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BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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Depends on the region, in Bavaria you may have towns where hockey is "the thing". And who knows... maybe Draisatl will create a hockey boom in Germany.
Ryker
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How did baseball even make it into the discussion here? It's a niche sport and not even close to generating the same amount of general interest as basketball, handball and hockey in Germany.
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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jekoh
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A Draisaitl is this thing : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Draisaitl
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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LOL..don't think so. He was drafted by Edmonton so he's stuck in a wasteland!
cutchemist42
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It was about sports and differing popularities in Germany, any sport where even a couple of Germans have earned a good 6figure amount from a sport should be in the discussion. I didn't say it was comparable though, only about 30,000 registered players in Germany.
HockeyNightInBelfast
HockeyNightInBelfast
I'm Toronto raised but have lived in Belfast for a decade & recently attended a game in Berlin.
Have to say was very impress by the crowd who turned out for the match I saw against Mannheim.
Fans were well into it & there was close to 20,000 in their new O2 arena there & it was LOUD!
Pretty sure Simmonds & Giroux played there in the lockout too!
Impressive.
Have to say was very impress by the crowd who turned out for the match I saw against Mannheim.
Fans were well into it & there was close to 20,000 in their new O2 arena there & it was LOUD!
Pretty sure Simmonds & Giroux played there in the lockout too!
Impressive.
BladesofSTEELwFIRE
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Nice story about Berlin hockey Belfast!
I heard a hockey analyst recently say hockey has a come a long way in Germany and that's one of the reasons I started this thread.
I heard a hockey analyst recently say hockey has a come a long way in Germany and that's one of the reasons I started this thread.
stastny12
Registered User
As you can see, the very last post is from 2014. I am wondering if something has changed since then and hockey is getting bigger in Germany?
A question of numbers really. In a big country like Germany even a sport which doesn't have a nationwide following there are still hundreds of thousands watching.
Similarly in the USA soccer will never make it to the top 3 sports but yet it has tens of millions of people watching.
In a country like Finland if you take a sport which is not that much followed you may have matches where there are more players than spectators.
Similarly in the USA soccer will never make it to the top 3 sports but yet it has tens of millions of people watching.
In a country like Finland if you take a sport which is not that much followed you may have matches where there are more players than spectators.
It's a football stadium. Now look back at your list. Probably a lot of fottball fans just interested in a different show in their stadium.
It is pushed by the media real hard lately. As a casual fan, I would stay away from it just for the fact that it being shoved down my throat too much. Visiting Germany recently I was surprised how it is promoted by the media. Nothing against it, but it's not even a european sport and rugby is much more true and appealing.
Anaheim4ever
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I'm surprised Basketball is more popular in Germany than Hockey. The only good german that played the game in the NBA is Dirk and the rest have been D-league & G-league players or bench role players.
While the in NHL there has been Draisaitl, Grubauer, Greiss, Seidenberg, Kolzig, Sturm, Erhoff, Goc, Rieder, Schubert, Holzer.
While the in NHL there has been Draisaitl, Grubauer, Greiss, Seidenberg, Kolzig, Sturm, Erhoff, Goc, Rieder, Schubert, Holzer.
Anaheim4ever
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and among Latinos most would watch Mexican Leagues or UK's Premier League before watching American MLS league.
MLS is just a league for players who 95% of them aren't good enough to play in europe/brazil or where old washed up players go to retire & collect paychecks playing in usa.
A number of the best MLS players are loaned to play in the big leagues in Europe, Landon Donovan was an example of this.
The other problem is MLS often has teams folding and being erased.......Chivas USA for example.
If you include guys like Rieder, Schubert and Holzer, you also should include Schröder, Kleber and Theis on the Basketball side. And of course going back in history you forgot about Detlef Schrempf. You may even look at Chris Welp and Uwe Blab, although they were not that successful in the NBA.
And the impact of quality players, even star or superstar players in a league abroad that gets even less coverage than our domestic leagues, is severly overestimated.
Okay Germany had Nowitzki and Schrempf and now Schröder. Okay this is not much but Basektball has in Europe more widepread. Euroleague, Eurocup and EC for national teams.This kind of tournaments are not exist in hockey.
Basketball is not only NBA.
Kleefeld
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- Feb 21, 2018
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Hockey is kind of a niche sport here, those who are fans are very passionate and the big teams have a bigger attendance than all the other sports like handball and basketball but apart from these very passionate fans it doesn't even register unlike other sports.
