Growth of hockey around the world

[Yukon Joe]

Maybe they simply don't follow ice hockey or sports in general. But I do agree that NHL stars of today are not as popular(known) to general public as they were in mid-late 90-s. Which is shame given the digital age we are living in with all kind of social networks. During my elementary school (and I live in country which got promoted to D1B after six years) even average sport fans knew who Gretzky, Lemieux and Jagr are.

Well obviously they weren't hockey fans. The one kid - he was really into table tennis of all things, the other was a soccer/football fan.

But like I said - sample size of two.

 

[Voight]

So this is a sample size of two, but in 2022-2023 my family in Edmonton hosted two teen-age boys from Germany over the course of the school year. Neither had any idea who Leon Draisaitl was.



Without going too political Ukraine ahs been at war since 2014 (Crimea and Donbass). It just got worse in 2022.

I'm aware, but it wasn't a full scale war/mobilization until 2022. So for those 8 years things were somewhat normal for the majority of people.

 

[joelef]

It’s a couple things. One the nhl Dosent market it sport and hockey as a whole thinks that self promotion is a war crime. Two iihf needs to loosen it eligibility laws so more countries can have to higher caliber players .

 

[aquaregia]

If the IIHF relaxed their draconian representation rules I think smaller countries could benefit. It's helped a little bit in baseball, with countries like Italy getting to use MLB players.

Lol thinking that NHL players would be willing to turn out in droves for teams in D1A and 1B or below when even Elite tier teams struggle to regularly field their big stars is just utter nonsense.

Even aside from the fact that the representation laws are hardly draconian in the first place.

 

[joelef]

Lol thinking that NHL players would be willing to turn out in droves for teams in D1A and 1B or below when even Elite tier teams struggle to regularly field their big stars is just utter nonsense.

Even aside from the fact that the representation laws are hardly draconian in the first place.

It Dosent have to be nhl it should be places that are higher caliber regardless of league.

 

[Kshahdoo]

People whine that hockey is getting too expensive for Canadian kids and then expect it getting bigger in countries 5 times poorer than Canada. Nice human logic for you...

 

[DingerMcSlapshot]

Hockey isn't really growing imho.

 

[S E P H]

I do think there are nations that have all the potential in place to take the next step, but just need the execution to make it happen (much easier said than done). Some of the nations that I am thinking about are Norway, Hungary, and Croatia. If there is one already well-established nation that has immense potential to rise in the ranks, it is Latvia.

However, the region I am looking at is Asia, but uniquely the SE Asian area. It is an area that is not dominated by any sports, football probably is the mainstay but is far from being popular enough to do any damage. That is why hockey seems like it could work, it is so unique to the region considering they don't get any snow whatsoever, that it could attract many people to its originality. I am not saying they will produce NHLers any time soon, but I could easily see some nations eventually surpassing the likes of Armenia, Bulgaria, Turkey, and others in the Black Sea region of Europe...which is pretty mindblowing to think about (plus the region has a ton of ex-pats living there that can help evolve its development). I think nations like Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, and Taiwan can really grasp hold of it. I could also see one or two South American nations eventually finding some footing, places like Argentina and Chile get snow during winter and have the funds along with the infrastructure to make it happen.

Hockey isn't really growing imho.

From the info I read last, it is globally. However, it depends on the nation, like it is growing absurdly in China, but dropping in Japan as one example.

 

[weklof]

I hope that hockey can grow and become lager sports in Germany, France and Great Britain. There certainly is potential there: rich, sport living, colder climate (at least in regions) and decent size population. They are also culturally influencial so if popularity rises there it will spread to other countries. If course the challenge there is that there are a lot of competiton from other sports.

 

[bv29]

Some of the nations that I am thinking about are Croatia.

I agree with Hungary and Norway, but can you elaborate Croatia please ?

 

[Albatros]

From the info I read last, it is globally. However, it depends on the nation, like it is growing absurdly in China, but dropping in Japan as one example.

Yet the best team in China joined a makeshift Japanese summer league instead of establishing their own competition. I'll take growth of hockey in China seriously when they at least have a hockey league.

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

People whine that hockey is getting too expensive for Canadian kids and then expect it getting bigger in countries 5 times poorer than Canada. Nice human logic for you...

Yeah I don't get what people are talking about in here. One of the richest countries in the world and the large majority of kids in the country will never play the sport in a an organised setting in their entire lives.

We play soccer here , and we expect kids from india or mexico to play hockey? ok

 

[Andy Dufresne]

No, climate isn't overplayed at all.

The only reason ice hockey exists in places like Arizona or Florida is due to continuous, massive investment of resources by a large corporation and/or billionaires trying to eventually turn a profit.

The first attempts at playing organized ice hockey in Florida were actually trying to lure in Canadian retirees. Most of the attempts failed. And that's in a country where NHL is based. Which obviously includes national exposure to the sport of ice hockey every single year.

Which other country on the planet fulfils these criteria? Name a country where NHL is willing to expand to and where billionaires would gladly throw their money at building a major pro hockey franchise from scratch. And note that this country has to be already exposed to ice hockey in a major and meaningful way. That's assuming a top-down development of the sport.

In what league would the Nairobi Zebras play in?

If it happens more at the grassroots level, which is the only natural way, you do realize someone has to build an ice rink first? And you do realize these things cost millions, not to mention the cost of upkeep?

By what divine providence would ice rinks suddenly appear in the tropics? Why? How would a fan base suddenly pop up out of thin air?

Think before you post.

Also, US and Canada are culturally European. Ice and snow, wintertime and Christmas trees are not an alien concept.

Who said anything about hockey in the tropics or Nairobi lol.
Just about nobody learns the game on outdoor rinks anymore, yeah even in Canada.
I have no idea which countries might invest in indoor rinks, which is why i didn't mention any countries. Possibly none, if i had to guess one non traditional country i'd probably guess China.
Culturally European eh? What f***ing year are you living in?
Been to Vancouver, LA or Phoenix lately? How about Dallas or Miami?
Wintertime, ice and snow are mostly alien events, and wtf do Christmas trees have to do with hockey?
So yeah climate is overplayed, considering all elite level hockey, worldwide, is played inside climate controlled buildings on artificial ice.
\Maybe some little frozen country somewhere can develop an elite hockey program playing on the local pond lol...I won't hold my breath waiting that's for sure.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Yeah I don't get what people are talking about in here. One of the richest countries in the world and the large majority of kids in the country will never play the sport in a an organised setting in their entire lives.

We play soccer here , and we expect kids from india or mexico to play hockey? ok

Where was anybody expecting anything? Why are people getting their f***ing panties in a bunch because somebody is discussing hockey in non traditional countries?
Money and interest is what it would take. That's why they have a ski hill in Dubai right.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Apparently they have at least 1 rink and 1 tournament in UAE and Hong Kong. Who knew:

Tropic of Hockey: My Search for the Game in Unlikely Pl…

From Toronto to China, Dubai to Transylvania and back, …

www.goodreads.com

 

[Fjorden]

Who said anything about hockey in the tropics or Nairobi lol.
Just about nobody learns the game on outdoor rinks anymore, yeah even in Canada.
I have no idea which countries might invest in indoor rinks, which is why i didn't mention any countries. Possibly none, if i had to guess one non traditional country i'd probably guess China.
Culturally European eh? What f***ing year are you living in?
Been to Vancouver, LA or Phoenix lately? How about Dallas or Miami?
Wintertime, ice and snow are mostly alien events, and wtf do Christmas trees have to do with hockey?
So yeah climate is overplayed, considering all elite level hockey, worldwide, is played inside climate controlled buildings on artificial ice.
\Maybe some little frozen country somewhere can develop an elite hockey program playing on the local pond lol...I won't hold my breath waiting that's for sure.

Very good post. We have seen that in USA that investing in untraditional markets like Miami, Las Vegas, California have been a success. The technology for indoor rinks are much better than it were in the 1960's, now. But it is harder to ignite rink building in markets with little hockey tradition, you need ice to build hockey culture or indoor icerinks. If you have frozen oceans like the baltic sea between Sweden/Finland/Russia/Latvia it is easier to create hockey tradition The north sea in Norway never freezes to ice due to the gulf stream.

Under is a graph that shows what happened when they invested in a double practice rink and a new arena in Stavanger in Norway. Stavanger have been the most successful club in Norway since the arena was built.

Before 2010 the club had never won anything and the club was in a non-traditional market for hockey. The weather in that part of Norway is typically ocean climate with very little snow and ice, as it lays close to the west coast of Norway with the gulf stream giving warmer weather.

The city Stavanger do have some advantages though like by norwegian standard a high population being the third largest metro area in Norway. Oil capital in Norway with many oil and gas firms as potential sponsors. No competing icehockey teams nearby.

So investing in hockey rinks in markets with a high population and with a good business climate can be a good way to build new hockey teams and culture, where the winter is mild.

 

[Namejs]

Who said anything about hockey in the tropics or Nairobi lol.
Just about nobody learns the game on outdoor rinks anymore, yeah even in Canada.
I have no idea which countries might invest in indoor rinks, which is why i didn't mention any countries. Possibly none, if i had to guess one non traditional country i'd probably guess China.
Culturally European eh? What f***ing year are you living in?
Been to Vancouver, LA or Phoenix lately? How about Dallas or Miami?
Wintertime, ice and snow are mostly alien events, and wtf do Christmas trees have to do with hockey?
So yeah climate is overplayed, considering all elite level hockey, worldwide, is played inside climate controlled buildings on artificial ice.
\Maybe some little frozen country somewhere can develop an elite hockey program playing on the local pond lol...I won't hold my breath waiting that's for sure.

Tell me you're a sheltered narrow-minded North American without telling me you're a sheltered narrow-minded North American.

 

[Namejs]

Very good post. We have seen that in USA that investing in untraditional markets like Miami, Las Vegas, California have been a success. The technology for indoor rinks are much better than it were in the 1960's, now. But it is harder to ignite rink building in markets with little hockey tradition, you need ice to build hockey culture or indoor icerinks. If you have frozen oceans like the baltic sea between Sweden/Finland/Russia/Latvia it is easier to create hockey tradition The north sea in Norway never freezes to ice due to the gulf stream.

Under is a graph that shows what happened when they invested in a double practice rink and a new arena in Stavanger in Norway. Stavanger have been the most successful club in Norway since the arena was built.

Before 2010 the club had never won anything and the club was in a non-traditional market for hockey. The weather in that part of Norway is typically ocean climate with very little snow and ice, as it lays close to the west coast of Norway with the gulf stream giving warmer weather.

The city Stavanger do have some advantages though like by norwegian standard a high population being the third largest metro area in Norway. Oil capital in Norway with many oil and gas firms as potential sponsors. No competing icehockey teams nearby.

So investing in hockey rinks in markets with a high population and with a good business climate can be a good way to build new hockey teams and culture, where the winter is mild.

View attachment 906635

Is this satire?

Have you been outside of Norway? Sweden does NOT count.

Who the f*** calls the climate in Stavanger mild? It gets 360 mm of snowfall each year. You go outside and you die of cold exposure and hypothermia. The closest town in terms of climate is Ketchikan, Alaska.

It does not get *mild* even at the hottest months and at the peak of the summer. It gets to 19C in the hottest day of the year.

This literally proves my point about ice hockey being the whitest sport on Earth that is bound to be restricted to the coldest regions on Earth.

 

[joelef]

Is this satire?

Have you been outside of Norway? Sweden does NOT count.

Who the f*** calls the climate in Stavanger mild? It gets 360 mm of snowfall each year. You go outside and you die of cold exposure and hypothermia. The closest town in terms of climate is Ketchikan, Alaska.

It does not get *mild* even at the hottest months and at the peak of the summer. It gets to 19C in the hottest day of the year.

This literally proves my point about ice hockey being the whitest sport on Earth that is bound to be restricted to the coldest regions on Earth.

Many of the cold regions now have large numbers of nonwhite people and in many areas white are the minority.

 

[WayTooCold]

Hockey is Canada's game. Who cares if other countries play it or not. Canada must win every gold medal in every level.

When Finland won a few golds we Canadians were very angry at them. For winning gold in our game. Now they suck again so now we are cool with them,

 

[Albatros]

Many of the cold regions now have large numbers of nonwhite people and in many areas white are the minority.

Some parts of South Africa kinda, sorta? But even they ran a whites-only hockey league when they still attracted pros there. Others weren't allowed in even as spectators.

 

[S E P H]

There is an Instagram/Tiktok clip about Kenya being accepted into the IIHF.

 

[FrHockeyFan]

There is an Instagram/Tiktok clip about Kenya being accepted into the IIHF.

Yes, they were last week at the IIHF semi-annual congress in Rhodes, Greece. Bahrain also became a member.

PS: I do love Kenya's jersey

 

[ViD]

Absolutely shocking that hockey is not more developed in Norway and Iceland

Heck, Iceland soccer team is much better than their hockey, makes no sense

 

[WarriorofTime]

I don't really expect Hockey to grow. Too expensive, too climate dependent, too much infrastructure required. As far as shuffling around of current places, I think Norway and Belarus could rise a bit. Switzerland and Denmark could fall.