How can Hockey grow in Asia

[uncleben]

Having a KHL team in Tokyo or Seoul would help. It would be similar to the NHL expanding into Florida and Texas.

I disagree with that entirely.

The ALH currently plays in Seoul, and while they don't play in Tokyo, there are four teams in Japan. These teams are nowhere near the level of the worst KHL team.

The NHL expanding into Florida and Texas is tricky because they may not have had the same hockey culture as the other competing teams in the NHL, but they were able to put together an equally competitive NHL roster and win over fans.

I cannot comment on "Popularity ratios of hockey in Texas/Florida and North America VS Popularity ratios of hockey in Seoul/Tokyo and Russia" - I feel like there is a larger discrepancy with the Seoul/Tokyo markets but maybe I'm wrong - BUT KHL rules regulate that non-Russian teams must have a minimum of 5 players from their country and are often encouraged to have more.

They are given less of a chance at parity, and less of a chance at being successful and growing a fan base.

Their best option is to do what Croatian KHL team Medvescak Zagreb has done and sign players who previously held or miraculously came up with dual citizenships that year to make the team eligible (this year their team iced 6 Canadian born players, and 1 American who now have dual citizenship as Croatians. Several of them have Croatian ancestry, and only of them has been playing there long enough to be naturalized).

 

[babylonzoo]

Tough to grow the sport in asia. I've been living in hog kong 8 years and play inline here. There is also a well developed ice program, run by former NHLer Bary Beck. There is a huge participation turnout for ice and they even have a south china pro league with teams from HK, south china and Macau playing. There are quite a few expats in the league and also a lot of local talents playing div 1-4. However, the Asian society sees this sport more as a hobby in my opinion.

The best program in asia is probably in Taiwan. They have a good local program and their Uni an colleges have good programs as we'll.

Parents who grew up in North America will put their kids in such a program, but in most of asia, school education trumps everything here and most schools don't put the same emphasis on sports culture as we do back home in North America. If your are good a sports, you do individual sports and have a very short shelf life (look at the mainland athletes, very young and make very little and by their 20s if they can't market themselves, are kind of screwed)

Also, if you look at Asian pro athletes, contrary to the misconception that Asian work well in a collective environment, if kids are talented, they get sent to sports schools (mainland china) where they are trained to excel at and individual sport, eg diving, track and field etc.

So in short, it'll be a very long time until this could take off at a serious level in Asia.

 

[saskganesh]

The simplest answer is more money for more rinks and more equipment for kids.

Bingo. For the cost of building a pro-size facility, one can instead erect a number of indoor rinks and fully fund a recreational program with a development tier

 

[cutchemist42]

Spend large amounts of money buying skates, sticks, goalie masks, ice rinks, etc. for kids in Japan and Korea. The main barrier to entry in hockey is equipment cost and the need for ice.

Financial support to give kids/teens/adults the chance to try. I skate with a group of guys (some of them 2nd generation Chinese/Filipino) who could only decide to play hockey as an adult once they could spend their own money. They wish they had the chance to try sooner.

 

[Scotty B]

Japan used to be midly competitive at world events so there's that. Also having the NHL at the 2018 Olympics would be a help.

Didn't Japan avoid relegation, year after year, strictly via an IIHF Asian exemption? Didn't they lose EVERY Game they played?

And when they ( Japan ) were in danger of actually winning a game, didn't they score the MOST laughable OWN GOAL in WC history?:

On second thought, think Japan tied Czechs once, which is commendable...Still, other than that, factoring in all their free passes, Japan's Gotta B the most sorry national squad in WC history...

 

[JoeCool16]

Yao Ming?!

That's the one I was talking about! I thought it was obvious haha. He IS the only Chinese player ever, isn't he? Like, actually FROM China?

Financial support to give kids/teens/adults the chance to try. I skate with a group of guys (some of them 2nd generation Chinese/Filipino) who could only decide to play hockey as an adult once they could spend their own money. They wish they had the chance to try sooner.

Something that would be cool to see (everywhere, actually) would be providing equipment for that season only. I played baseball growing up, and the rich or vastly talented kids had their own helmets, bats and gloves, but the majority of the team would use the team helmets, bats and gloves. Catcher's gear was all provided, as were jerseys, pants, socks etc. All you NEEDED to buy were kleats and jock. And Spitz.

In Hockey, I think something similar would work. Could they not have the league provide the majority of the gear? Give the kids all wooden sticks. They don't break as easy. Ice rinks already rent out skates and helmets... that'd be fine here too. The only thing you're REALLY want to own would be a jock strap... everything else could travel from one team one season, to the next.

At the end of the season sanitize all of it, and carry on. It'd be a big investment for the league, but that's where sponsorship and charity would come in. It'd take a lot off the families, and the kids that WANTED the cool $150 composite stick or top-end skates could go buy them.

Thoughts? There's still icetime to overcome, especially in Asia where there are less rinks, but perhaps this would allow for more kids to take a chance on hockey that would go for a season, rather than a pick-up game with no gear.

 

[Xokkeu]

That's the one I was talking about! I thought it was obvious haha. He IS the only Chinese player ever, isn't he? Like, actually FROM China?


.

Sarcasm?

 

[JoeCool16]

Sarcasm?

Only Chinese NBA player. I looked it up, and apparently there have been 5 Chinese NBA players. Don't follow the sport, so I wouldn't have known.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

A significant barrier is education. Kids spend a huge amount of their lives in education. The average Korean child wakes up at 7.30 and isn't truly home until 8 onwards (sometimes 10.30 +) and from there has an significant amount of homework. So sports participation outside of recreational popular sports (Badminton, baseball, soccer and maybe basketball) is really tough to develop. I've heard this is very similar in Japan.

 

[Ohashi_Jouzu*]

A significant barrier is education. Kids spend a huge amount of their lives in education. The average Korean child wakes up at 7.30 and isn't truly home until 8 onwards (sometimes 10.30 +) and from there has an significant amount of homework. So sports participation outside of recreational popular sports (Badminton, baseball, soccer and maybe basketball) is really tough to develop. I've heard this is very similar in Japan.

Pretty much. Juku (after school study/tutoring classes) take up a similarly significant portion of a 12-18 year old Japanese kid's after school life.

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

Pretty much. Juku (after school study/tutoring classes) take up a similarly significant portion of a 12-18 year old Japanese kid's after school life.

Yes. Most kids here go to an academy after school every day. I know some kids who have public school, music lessons, English academy, Math academy all in the same day. Some kids have academy on Saturday too. If kids fail their daily test in English they have to stay in the academy an extra hour, notwithstanding the homework afterwards. It is strange seeing so many barely teenagers walking around at 10/11PM from school.

Not just with hockey, but the emphasis on Education in Korea/Japan means sport just doesn't have the same importance or centric development compared with our culture.

 

[babylonzoo]

Yes. Most kids here go to an academy after school every day. I know some kids who have public school, music lessons, English academy, Math academy all in the same day. Some kids have academy on Saturday too. If kids fail their daily test in English they have to stay in the academy an extra hour, notwithstanding the homework afterwards. It is strange seeing so many barely teenagers walking around at 10/11PM from school.

Not just with hockey, but the emphasis on Education in Korea/Japan means sport just doesn't have the same importance or centric development compared with our culture.

Yup, same in hk and china, parents don't put emphasis on sports as this is perceived to be less successful career-wise.

 

[babylonzoo]

That's the one I was talking about! I thought it was obvious haha. He IS the only Chinese player ever, isn't he? Like, actually FROM China?



Something that would be cool to see (everywhere, actually) would be providing equipment for that season only. I played baseball growing up, and the rich or vastly talented kids had their own helmets, bats and gloves, but the majority of the team would use the team helmets, bats and gloves. Catcher's gear was all provided, as were jerseys, pants, socks etc. All you NEEDED to buy were kleats and jock. And Spitz.

In Hockey, I think something similar would work. Could they not have the league provide the majority of the gear? Give the kids all wooden sticks. They don't break as easy. Ice rinks already rent out skates and helmets... that'd be fine here too. The only thing you're REALLY want to own would be a jock strap... everything else could travel from one team one season, to the next.

At the end of the season sanitize all of it, and carry on. It'd be a big investment for the league, but that's where sponsorship and charity would come in. It'd take a lot off the families, and the kids that WANTED the cool $150 composite stick or top-end skates could go buy them.

Thoughts? There's still icetime to overcome, especially in Asia where there are less rinks, but perhaps this would allow for more kids to take a chance on hockey that would go for a season, rather than a pick-up game with no gear.

This is what they do in hk, one of the billionaires here is a big fan of hockey and has set up the international sized rink at Megabox mall where they run the south china league.
He also provides equipment for kids who don't have their own, but again, the sport of hockey or sport in general will always only be seen as secondary to education here.

 

[DethOfDragnz]

I always thought a Asian only hockey tournament would help. Every year have a championship in hockey that was made up of only Asian countries excluding any of the big nations in hockey. It would have to be promoted well and be played on local television of the countries involved. I think if it is promoted well and it's against nations they have a chance of beating or doing well against I think this could give a boost in popularity over time. Also hockey is real expensive so maybe the IIHF or the big time nations in hockey could start a pool of money every year to help bring equipment to poorer nations or just nations that the popularity is not there and the cost of playing is one of the major detriments to interest. I also think a European only tournament without the top nations could help popularity in Europe too. I know they use to have a Ice Hockey European Championships a long time ago. Maybe they should bring it back exclude the top nations and try to grow the game in Europe.

 

[IIHFjerseycollector]

I always thought a Asian only hockey tournament would help. Every year have a championship in hockey that was made up of only Asian countries excluding any of the big nations in hockey. It would have to be promoted well and be played on local television of the countries involved. I think if it is promoted well and it's against nations they have a chance of beating or doing well against I think this could give a boost in popularity over time. Also hockey is real expensive so maybe the IIHF or the big time nations in hockey could start a pool of money every year to help bring equipment to poorer nations or just nations that the popularity is not there and the cost of playing is one of the major detriments to interest. I also think a European only tournament without the top nations could help popularity in Europe too. I know they use to have a Ice Hockey European Championships a long time ago. Maybe they should bring it back exclude the top nations and try to grow the game in Europe.

like the asian winter games?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ice_hockey_at_the_Asian_Winter_Games

 

[lawrence]

Its like asking North America to do more Badminton. It just won't. Hockey is like that too them. It's expensive, and not very interesting.

 

[Canuck21t]

Its like asking North America to do more Badminton. It just won't. Hockey is like that too them. It's expensive, and not very interesting.

Badminton has more chance to succeed in North America than ice hockey. At least Badminton is a rather cheap sport. We play badminton in school and I play it every 2 weeks or so for fun.

 

[mattihp]

Soccer is a particularly interesting case, since the meteoric rise of soccer's interest (particularly in the school club level) is actually widely attributed to manga from the '80s (that interest providing the fertile ground upon which the J-League would ultimately be founded in '93). There had been a national league for some time before that real spike in interest, but between manga and Ihara/Miura/Nakata/Nakamura providing real-life heros in the immediately following '90s (would love to know if any of them were inspired by past players vs the manga of the '80s), the history is pretty plain to see, I guess. The theme, like Canadians who grew up on stories of The Rocket while watching Gretzky, is interest derived from attachment to heros (measured in the media age on a much more global scale).

Maybe Pride, the ice hockey soap will gain cult status

 

[cutchemist42]

Was really pulling for Japan, finished tied with Austria in points but lost the tiebreaker.

 

[Rekin]

Was really pulling for Japan, finished tied with Austria in points but lost the tiebreaker.

Quite dramatic actually, Japan played their last game against Hungary and lost the decisive shootout. Winning that would have been enough. And of course South Korea got relegated which probably means game over for 2018 as well, hockey's not growing in Asia.

 

[TurdFerguson]

A good hockey anime could help. I have the hook right here:

A short track speed skater (in high school naturally) fails to qualify for the Korean Olympic team. The large breasted, tsundere daughter of the National hockey team coach accidentally went to the wrong rink and noticed our protagonist has lightning speed, but is built more for a sport like hockey. She drags him to the hockey rink where he showcases his speed, but everyone is a little hesitant because he can't seem to do anything else. Finally, as he's falling down, he accidentally shoots a wicked hard shot into the net. The coach is blown away by the potential in this young kid, who doesn't even really know what happened.

Can this young man unlock his hidden potential in time to help lead the national team into the next Olympics? Find out next time!

 

[ADifferentTim]

A good hockey anime could help. I have the hook right here:

A short track speed skater (in high school naturally) fails to qualify for the Korean Olympic team. The large breasted, tsundere daughter of the National hockey team coach accidentally went to the wrong rink and noticed our protagonist has lightning speed, but is built more for a sport like hockey. She drags him to the hockey rink where he showcases his speed, but everyone is a little hesitant because he can't seem to do anything else. Finally, as he's falling down, he accidentally shoots a wicked hard shot into the net. The coach is blown away by the potential in this young kid, who doesn't even really know what happened.

Can this young man unlock his hidden potential in time to help lead the national team into the next Olympics? Find out next time!

I grew up watching Japanese animation and a lot of your suggestions are cliché. Really, you're trying to play off:

--Idiot Hero
--Tsundere leading lady

I would much rather use Slam Dunk as a template.
--pre-college setting (best way to build up a hockey player is through childhood and look at Eyeshield 21, a show funded by the NFL for further reference)

--school team uniforms, looking like pro teams' uni (main school in Slam Dunk has that Chicago Bulls motif)

--Byronic Hero (coming from nothing and becoming everything; look at Ryusei Date from Super Robot Wars and the main character from Slam Dunk)

Oh, I hope the studio that's willing to produce that is Tatsunoko Production--essentially the MARVEL equivalent of Japanese animation and in Japan--and hopefully produces a series representative in Tatsunoko VS Capcom 2.

Besides, Americans don't wanna get told, "Dude, you got your ass kicked by a little girl!" after losing to Roll (yes, Classic Megaman's little sister)! I know, did exactly that in real life.

 

[Rekin]

Without the breasts it's just not going to work.

 

[ADifferentTim]

Without the breasts it's just not going to work.

Fanservice? Sure, why not? Even yaoi fangirls have been drooling all over Free!

Point is, as long as the main goal of selling hockey is and stays the number one priority of the show, then sure.

 

[mattihp]