Denmark doesn't like hockey?

[Eye of Ra]

Aren't there everal professional handball leagues throughout Europe? Including Deutschland?

When I learned of this I was quite surprised given handball is more or less a grade school kids' game here in NA.

Yes there is. And Champions League handboll is very popular.

Sweden is good at this sport. I would say we are 5-8 th in the world. But in the 90s and early 00s we where the best. But France and Denmark have been dominating last 20 years.

 

[Eye of Ra]

Isnt Handball just a kids game you play in elementary school and then move onto real sports like Hockey/Football/Basketball/Soccer ?
Even Tennis and Lacrosse >>>>>>> Handball.

Not in Europe

 

[Bradely]

Handball is fantastic.
Handball is extremely popular in France, Germany, Spain, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe.
In North America we must learn that we are not the center of the earth.

 

[QuietContrarian]

Handball is very popular in Europe. And it is a fantastic sport.
Give it a look - Posted full game from the 2025 WC final between Denmark and Croatia.

 

[alko]

Isnt Handball just a kids game you play in elementary school and then move onto real sports like Hockey/Football/Basketball/Soccer ?
Even Tennis and Lacrosse >>>>>>> Handball.

Did you try to play handball? Especially as a goalie? Without any suspensor?

 

[Urbanskog]

Canada should be deeply embarrassed to have been upset by the Danes this week. At least when Canada was upset by Latvia at the WC in 2021, someone in Latvia cared.

It was the top news story in Denmark as it happened, but carry on.

 

[BHawks77]

I saw A LOT of empty seats at a semi-final game. Quite surprising.

Hockey really not that popular in Denmark?

Ticket prizes were very high so that also impacts how many are willing pay those.

Same thing here in Finland. Didnt want to throw money away so watched on TV. Used to go to games but last few years prizes have sky rocketed.

 

[Urbanskog]

With a small population and an instant rivalry with Sweden I would have to think making inroads into Denmark wouldn't be too difficult if the NHL made it a focus.

The NHL? The NHL is a complete non-factor in the international growth of the game

 

[Seiza]

Isnt Handball just a kids game you play in elementary school and then move onto real sports like Hockey/Football/Basketball/Soccer ?
Even Tennis and Lacrosse >>>>>>> Handball.

I would argue that handball is a lot tougher than hockey. It's a very physical game but without the protective gear; the difference between handball and other sports is that it's tough but fair. No fighting, very seldom any quarrels, and it's fairly free from flopping (even though some countries are starting to implement it), and you don't argue with the ref. It's a real gentleman's sport; you hit and get hit, shrug it off, help your opponent up, and get into it again.

If I had to choose between hockey and handball when the national teams were playing, I would choose handball 10 out of 10 times. The same applies if the women's handball team is playing at the same time as the men's hockey team.

 

[Zenos]

that’s a shockingly low number.

Wonder if this win will give rise to a “miracle generation” like the 1980 US team that upset the Soviets (and Swedes)

edit: gold medal game was actually against Finland

There was no “gold medal game” in those days. It’s hard for us to imagine today, but they didn’t introduce a playoff format with semifinals and medal games until the 1992 Olympics in France. Before that a stupid round-robin format and points-totals determined the medalists.

 

[KAWAIlllI]

sv

Sveriges herrlandslag i ishockey

645,111

sv

Sveriges herrlandslag i fotboll

1,618,803

Sweden

sv

Sveriges herrlandslag i handboll

546,001

What does these numbers represent?....

 

[Albatros]

The NHL? The NHL is a complete non-factor in the international growth of the game

Anže Kopitar's NHL stardom has been at least a minor boost to hockey in Slovenia, not that there are many other examples.

 

[PistolPete]

The NHL? The NHL is a complete non-factor in the international growth of the game

That's what I was getting at in an indirect manner.

My point was that if the NHL made a targeted effort, it could help speed along a country's hockey program by providing resources in order to develop another pool of talent to stock the NHL with. But they don't and have never done this.

 

[Eye of Ra]

What does these numbers represent?....

My jinxs

 

[Eye of Ra]

There was no “gold medal game” in those days. It’s hard for us to imagine today, but they didn’t introduce a playoff format with semifinals and medal games until the 1992 Olympics in France. Before that a stupid round-robin format and points-totals determined the medalists.

Actually thats more fair than 1 game playoffs

 

[Greatzsky 99]

I saw A LOT of empty seats at a semi-final game. Quite surprising.

Hockey really not that popular in Denmark?

it was played in Sthlm, and probably NO one belived they would be there.

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Denmark is more likely to win an Olympic gold in Ice Hockey than they are at winning a World Cup in Soccer.
So why don't they support Ice Hockey more if they are better at it than Soccer ?

Denmark was in SF in world cup 86 and has WON euro championship

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Denmark is not like other Nordic countries. it is more like central european country with no winter sport culture. The only sport they are good at are cycling and badminton. They like football but they suck at it like most of european countries.

they have won Euro in football, they were good back in those days, now i have
no clue, havent followed football in 25 years

 

[Greatzsky 99]

Handball is fantastic.
Handball is extremely popular in France, Germany, Spain, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe.
In North America we must learn that we are not the center of the earth.

Not extremly popular here in sweden, maybe top 5-6, bigger in Norway and Denmark, in Finland(not Scandinavia but Norden) i dont think its that popular.

 

[Hoek]

Denmark is more likely to win an Olympic gold in Ice Hockey than they are at winning a World Cup in Soccer.
So why don't they support Ice Hockey more if they are better at it than Soccer ?

They won a Euro championship in soccer and have punched above their weight at times in the World Cup, narrowly losing to Brazil in a quarterfinal after scoring first against them once. They aren't that hopeless at it.

 

[BB79]

People from Denmark are Danish. The question is, cheese or raspberry?

 

[PistolPete]

Denmark was in SF in world cup 86 and has WON euro championship

But if they had a program like Finland or Sweden they'd be perennial possibilities in international hockey tournaments, which fuels fan interest and player participation

The best athletes go to the most successful and popular sports programs mediated by their own likelihood of success in any given one.

The U.S. has gone from a fringe pool of talent for the NHL to a primary source in the span of 30 years - all the while hockey is at best only top 10 for most popular sport there.

 

[vorky]

That's what I was getting at in an indirect manner.

My point was that if the NHL made a targeted effort, it could help speed along a country's hockey program by providing resources in order to develop another pool of talent to stock the NHL with. But they don't and have never done this.

NHL clubs just take the prospects from Europe, for peanuts. Swedes got what they wanted. Now Europe has to suffer for Swedish decisions.

 

[PistolPete]

NHL clubs just take the prospects from Europe, for peanuts. Swedes got what they wanted. Now Europe has to suffer for Swedish decisions.

Pretty much

Typical short term thinking of the NHL

 

[Bondurant]

Denmark is more likely to win an Olympic gold in Ice Hockey than they are at winning a World Cup in Soccer.
So why don't they support Ice Hockey more if they are better at it than Soccer ?

Denmark won Euro '92. Danes would win hockey gold at the Olympics and it won't compare to winning Euro.