Hockey Around the World. A Look at 4 Nations Rising the Ranks

[LastWordArmy]

The landscape of hockey around the world is rapidly changing. With the reemergence of the World Cup of Hockey, the NHL’s decision not to attend the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, and growing countries all around the world, international hockey has never been more interesting.

Although we pay the most attention to the Elite Division of the World Championships, there are some intriguing nations on the rise in the lower divisions.


http://lastwordonhockey.com/2017/05/05/hockey-around-world-rising-iihf-nations/

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[tony d]

Thanks for this. Always great to see all these countries who are emerging in hockey. Best of luck to them all going forward.

 

[Black Label]

The Mighty Roos might be my favorite team name of all time now.

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Hungary is becoming amazing as a hockey country. Incredible fans and a pretty likable team.

 

[ViD]

South Korea is hardly on the rise, this is only due to naturalization of some Canadian players

 

[Fork]

its incredible south korea made it to the top divison

 

[Ezekial]

That article was written by a 16 year old? I'm a failure in life.

 

[Urbanskog]

South Korea is hardly on the rise, this is only due to naturalization of some Canadian players

Well not exactly, the home-grown players are contributing as well.

 

[Marky1999]

I would say that China's hockey is also growing, as they have a KHL team. I know that Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) have only two Chinese players but it's a start, as they are preparing for the 2022 Olympics. Could be another South Korea story

 

[albator71]

South Korea has the population (over 50 millions) to become a hockey nation depending how much money the government is will to fund the hockey program there. That's why its such a shame that the NHL doesn't see the amazing potential South Korea represent for the game of hockey. Right now hockey is an unknown in South Korea, the population needs more exposure to the game, so that the kids wants to play hockey as a sports.

 

[TheBigThree]

Poland missing, they are rising in the iihf rankings each year

 

[kaiser matias]

Poland missing, they are rising in the iihf rankings each year

They are actually fairly consistently ranked around 20th, and haven't been able to really move up past that. They have been a mainstay at Division IA for years, and while they nearly won promotion in 2016, that was a fluke. The sport isn't really growing in Poland either, unfortunately, which is a shame as they definitely fit the description for a hockey-playing country.

 

[IDiO]

I would say that China's hockey is also growing, as they have a KHL team. I know that Kunlun Red Star (Beijing) have only two Chinese players but it's a start, as they are preparing for the 2022 Olympics. Could be another South Korea story

Their KHL team has empty stands and no Chinese players whatsoever above the fourth line. It's a joke project, which will probably fold in a few years. I have no idea whatsoever why KHL would think adding a team in Beijing would be a good idea. What's next, Johannesburg?..

 

[Marky1999]

Their KHL team has empty stands and no Chinese players whatsoever above the fourth line. It's a joke project, which will probably fold in a few years. I have no idea whatsoever why KHL would think adding a team in Beijing would be a good idea. What's next, Johannesburg?..

It's sad that the attendance was bad, but they joined the KHL in the last minute, and made the playoffs. Hopefully it will work out next year.

 

[IDiO]

It's sad that the attendance was bad, but they joined the KHL in the last minute, and made the playoffs. Hopefully it will work out next year.

All this proves is that they had a budget high enough to get decent enough free agents from Europe and North America. I'll start agreeing with you when either their rink will start filling up, or some Chinese players will start appearing in the top two lines. Right now - it's a stupid project, similar to adding an NHL team to Mexico City.

 

[Past Considerations]

Their KHL team has empty stands and no Chinese players whatsoever above the fourth line. It's a joke project, which will probably fold in a few years. I have no idea whatsoever why KHL would think adding a team in Beijing would be a good idea. What's next, Johannesburg?..

Geographically Beijing is not that far from Khabarovsk and Vladivostok... which both have KHL teams. Must be fun travel times since the other closest teams are in Central Russia.

 

[Urbanskog]

It's sad that the attendance was bad, but they joined the KHL in the last minute, and made the playoffs. Hopefully it will work out next year.

The attendance wasn't all that bad in Beijing, the Shanghai games marred the numbers.

 

[kaiser matias]

All this proves is that they had a budget high enough to get decent enough free agents from Europe and North America. I'll start agreeing with you when either their rink will start filling up, or some Chinese players will start appearing in the top two lines. Right now - it's a stupid project, similar to adding an NHL team to Mexico City.

As noted their games in Beijing did fairly well, with just over 5100 per game, which would put them roughly 50th in Europe. It was the games in Shanghai that dropped the overall numbers; they only averaged 1280 there.

And with Keenan signed on next year, and with a mandate to help improve the national team, I'd expect a few more Chinese players to have a more prominent role.

 

[xxxx]

South Korea has the population (over 50 millions) to become a hockey nation depending how much money the government is will to fund the hockey program there. That's why its such a shame that the NHL doesn't see the amazing potential South Korea represent for the game of hockey. Right now hockey is an unknown in South Korea, the population needs more exposure to the game, so that the kids wants to play hockey as a sports.

I find it amusing how people think that all there is to it is for government to pump money into a sport. It might help, but it's people who have to genuinely like the sport and be inspired somehow to play that sport. You can't force it in any way. Some things are simply culutral and will probably never change just like that. For example, Germany and France could become great hockey countries. They have the economics, the nature also provides a solid environment for it. But people simply don't care. The idea that they would if it was affordable is just plain wrong. First of all, you can't really make hockey "affordable". Certain sports simply cost more money because they require more expensive tools. That's simply the way it is. Second, even if it was affordable, or the people were rich enough, it's people who have to like it, you can't force it. Of course, there's millions of people, and someone surely can be inspired by hockey, good. But I really doubt there would become some cultural change in countries like France, Korea, or China. Maybe in 100 years and I'm serious. Just look at the recent history. Even the United States, a country where sports mean a lot, a country with one of if not the best economics in the world, a country where people could really afford certain sports, a country that is very progressive in many areas of life, is there a sport that wasn't there 50 years ago, but is now? The only sport I can think of is soccer, and yet still it's nowhere near the top sport in the country - not yet.

Maybe I am wrong, and perhaps someone else can provide something that will change my opinion on this. And very well, I can very well be wrong, as I don't pretend I am an expert on anything I just talked about, but this is my personal view. I simply think that pumping money into certain sports (if that's even necessarily the right thing to do in society) is not gonna make people suddenly buying into the sport.

 

[QnebO]

It's great to read about these things, and I have very feeling that hockey level is now raising more rapidly. Swiss took the silver, the games against so called smaller hockey nations aint that easy anymore. I remember, when we blow these countries out of water like 7-0 with SM-Liiga roster, with maybe 1 NHL player. These days those games are "real games" at least, and yesterday France beat us 5-1 when we had offnight.. That was just horrible performance from us, but also tells how the hockey is evolving.

NHL not taking part of the Olympics is a set back. Just as we start to see real evolution in the game, partly because NHL attented the olympics and draw the interest, they decline to join in anymore. But in the other hand, the movement has already started in many countries.

 

[Tuoppi]

Would be interesting to see KHL teams in Japan and Korea. NHL not taking part in the olympics could be good for the small teams. Still hoping for best possible players for olympics and world championships.