It’s not that Canada has fallen off apart from goaltending that is creating this paranoia in some Canadians, but it’s the fact that other countries, particularly the USA, have gotten so much better. There is some slight Canadian regression with respect to the 2016-2019 Draft classes, but apart from this Canada is fine as a hockey nation
Canada has relied on Quebec for decades to keep us up for goaltending.
Since 1950 when Billy Smith was born, Anglo-Canada has produced only four HHOF goaltenders.
Grant Fuhr (1962)
Mike Vernon (1963)
Ed Belfour (1965)
Carey Price (1987)
The last HHOF goalie produced in Ontario was born 74 years ago. The best since then is what, Curtis Joseph and Mike Smith?
Since that time, Quebec produced Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Marc Andre-Fleury, and Jose Theodore.
When Quebec fell off, it illuminated how weak Anglo-Canada has been for 50% of hockey's history.