Another sign that hockey is declining in Canada, the Hlinka-Gretzky cup did not sellout..

[tarheelhockey]

I post on a hockey forum just about every single day and will likely continue doing so for the foreseeable future. Couldn’t care less about this tournament. I don’t know what’s significant about it or why I should bother watching.

I was trying to articulate this thought but you did it well.

If this tournament was in my city I’d say there’s a <50% chance I would attend. It’s not a marquee event at all, despite having been held for a few decades.

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

This is why nobody goes to hockey games in August in Edmonton.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

Hockey isn't declining in Canada. The rest of the world is catching up.

 

[Canadiens Ghost]

Oh no! Anyways....

 

[End on a Hinote]

It's too damn hot for any of that. And in the GTA it rains every day.

We lucked out with a slightly cooler summer this year, less wildfire smoke too!

 

[Zenos]

Hockey isn't declining in Canada. The rest of the world is catching up.

It kind of is though, too.

Hockey will probably never mean quite as much to the country as it did 20, 30, 40 years ago. There are simply too many other things that people (especially kids) can spend their time, attention, and money on nowadays.

But who cares, I say?
Besides, even if less people as a percentage are playing or watching hockey today, it's not like the actual pool of viewers or players is dropping significantly. It's worth remembering that Canada's population is nearly double what it was back in 1972.

 

[Golden_Jet]

How many of these thread do we have to see EVERY year?

Every couple of months OP @sawchuk1971 creates a new thread about it.

 

[End on a Hinote]

It kind of is though, too.

Hockey will probably never mean quite as much to the country as it did 20, 30, 40 years ago. There are simply too many other things that people (especially kids) can spend their time, attention, and money on nowadays.

But who cares, I say?
Besides, even if less people as a percentage are playing or watching hockey today, it's not like the actual pool of viewers or players is dropping significantly. It's worth remembering that Canada's population is nearly double what it was back in 1972.

That still doesn't mean it's "dying", which is a very bold term.

If a person whose networth is $1 billion, then it drops to $800 million, does that mean he's going broke? Some people are far too black and white when it comes to hockey's fate in Canada. It's either flourish or dying.

Getting less popular, sure. Dying? Hardly.

If anything this is a good thing, we are getting better at other sports as the years progress while still being great at hockey.

 

[nucks88]

Never have paid attention to it and never will….I guess that makes me a bad Canadian…..

 

[ORRFForever]

Every couple of months OP @sawchuk1971 creates a new thread about it.

LOL! Why?

 

[wetcoast]

Its a pretty irrelevant tournament

Probably but I'm a hockey junkie so I always want to see how top players from different countries match up, especially before their draft years.

 

[Zenos]

That still doesn't mean it's "dying", which is a very bold term.

If a person whose networth is $1 billion, then it drops to $800 million, does that mean he's going broke? Some people are far too black and white when it comes to hockey's fate in Canada. It's either flourish or dying.

Getting less popular, sure. Dying? Hardly.

If anything this is a good thing, we are getting better at other sports as the years progress while still being great at hockey.

Absolutely. I agree with everything you wrote.
The post I replied to (and the thread title) both say declining and not dying though.

 

[pekka55]

Hockey in general has a problem with marketing.

Coca Cola is one of the best known brands on Earth and they still market everywhere.

No shit you're not going to sell as many tickets as you did 20 years ago. The world has changed a lot in that time.

 

[Oddbob]

made a big deal in social media..

Terrible crowd size at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup final

This is a minor and very nothing tournament played during the summer with less than lacklustre rosters. Why would anyone care? This is not a gauge on hockey interest at all in Canada.

 

[daver]

A bit too early to close the books on hockey in Canada. I remember all the talk about midget tossing being on the decline and look how that has bounced back.

 

[Based Anime Fan]

Is it more sad that I don't know what this tournament is, or that I just can't GAF about some tournament in mid-August?

 

[Cup or Bust]

When has anyone in Canada ever cared about this tournament? With the amount of entertainment options available why would anyone want to watch this tournament? Just because it's hockey?

 

[Eyeseeing]

Its a pretty irrelevant tournament

This so much this

 

[Honour Over Glory]

made a big deal in social media..

Terrible crowd size at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup final

Less about a decline and more about bad promotion.

 

[Antiillafire]

Just keep the tournament in Czechia and Slovakia and keep Canada and USA out of the whole thing. Rather have a European only tournament, slapping gretzky’s name on it with Hlinka was already dumb.

 

[snag]

Just keep the tournament in Czechia and Slovakia and keep Canada and USA out of the whole thing. Rather have a European only tournament, slapping gretzky’s name on it with Hlinka was already dumb.

Considering this is the love child of Hockey Canada, the Czech Ice Hockey Federation and the Slovak Ice Hockey Federation....you might have better luck just lobbying for a separate tournament.

When has anyone in Canada ever cared about this tournament? With the amount of entertainment options available why would anyone want to watch this tournament? Just because it's hockey?

Yeah....never been interested.

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Never watched this.

Sounds like I’ve never missed much

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

I don't think It's a sign hockey is declining in Canada, I think It's a sign nobody gives a f*** about that particular tournament

 

[WayTooCold]

Never even heard about this tournament.

 

[Hamilton Bulldogs]

Most Canadian's are NHL fans not hockey fans.

Always been that way, I imagine. Any international event thats in Canada and two teams are playing that isn't Canada, tickets will be like 10-12 bucks at most. I remember going to Russia / Sweden at the world cup in toronto a few years ago and the tickets were less than a CFL game lol.