Next country to have a couple of golden years?

[jonlin]

Barkov, Laine, Pulju, Ristolainen, Aho etc are stars/superstars ? Lol...tbh they are not yet proven and still consider above average ice skaters. 1 or 2 games of exceptional plays doesn't mean you are superstars, probably wannabe.

I'll take Karlsson, Landeskog, OEL, Lehner, Klingberg, Larsson, Forsberg, Zibanejad, Brodin etc anytime.

Larsson, Zibanejad, Forsberg, Klingberg, Lehner, Landeskog and Brodin are not on par with Barkov. And you suggest they are better? Just tell me in what way they are superior to Barkov?

I do like Karlsson and OEL, but they are elite defenders and the comparing is hard to do.

 

[Yakushev72]

There's a difference between being a popular sport and having the level of devotion to it that Canada has.

Hockey is popular in multiple countries and Russia is one of them.

I didn't mean to suggest that hockey is unpopular in Russia. Of course its popular, but I used the caveat "in relative terms," meaning in comparison to Canada. As far as I can tell, no country other than Finland comes close to devoting as much resources to hockey as Canada. Not even close!

 

[Yakushev72]

It's not big in Canada yet relative to the NHL or other international tournaments. TSN invested in this tournament heavily when Sportsnet secured the Canadian rights to the NHL playoffs. It even shows many games from the U18 tournament (even games without Canada) and that tournament is even less popular. Though, TSN did make extremely popular in Canada, so I wouldn't be surprised if in a few years the profile of the World Championship increases in Canada.

I agree that it clearly doesn't have anywhere near the stature in Canada of the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Stanley Cup is the source of the folklore of sports history in Canada.

 

[Zegras Zebra]

Canadian kids always dream of one day winning a Stanley Cup, not a World Hockey Championship. I know in some European countries the opposite may be true. Honestly the reason why the WHC is not more popular in Canada is most likely bad timing. The tournament takes place in the 2nd-3rd rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs so some of our best players aren't available. Since we can't bring our best players we don't seem to try most years in the tournament. Also since we cannot bring our best every year, other Canadian star players refuse to go often resulting in a team with 2 lines of star players, a third line of average NHLers, and a fourth line where you have not heard of anyone. Also Canada's goalie is usually terrible. It doesn't help that the tournament is always played in Europe (except for that time when it was held in Quebec City) and the games are played from around 6:00 am to 12:00 pm when everyone is at work. That is essentially why Canadians don't care about the WHC.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Canadian kids always dream of one day winning a Stanley Cup, not a World Hockey Championship. I know in some European countries the opposite may be true.

FWIIW I think it pretty much goes being a professional soccer player > winning Olympic hockey gold > IIHF WC > whatever national hockey championship in most of Europe. Can't vouch for Finland in regards to the soccer bit.

 

[JackHughes86]

Finland Sweden usa

 

[Xokkeu]

It's funny. Same divide between European and South Americans in soccer. Europeans are very club focused in soccer. The euros and World Cup are obviously big but nobody cares about u20s or Olympics. For the South Americans any chance to put on their country's colors is an honor.

 

[TorstenFrings]

It's funny. Same divide between European and South Americans in soccer. Europeans are very club focused in soccer. The euros and World Cup are obviously big but nobody cares about u20s or Olympics. For the South Americans any chance to put on their country's colors is an honor.

The junior tournaments (pretty much down to U17) are kind of a big deal in the big soccer nations (Germany, Italy, UK), though obviously not comparable to the World Cup or U21. The Olympics no one gives a **** about though and the effort in pretending to care about women's soccer is very lackluster as well.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Denmark gets my vote. They some good youngsters coming up along with a few decent vets for the next 5-7 years.


Nielsen, Boedker, Ehlers, Hansen, Eller, Bjorstrand, and Andersen in net.



They can already ice a legitimately solid Top 6, and a good #1G. Need help on Defense but that's a core capable of competing with the Slovaks, the Czechs, the Swiss, and could probably give the Swedes/Finns/Americans a run as well once they get a few more years under the belts.

 

[Xokkeu]

The junior tournaments (pretty much down to U17) are kind of a big deal in the big soccer nations (Germany, Italy, UK), though obviously not comparable to the World Cup or U21. The Olympics no one gives a **** about though and the effort in pretending to care about women's soccer is very lackluster as well.

I haven't noticed anything outside of the UEFA 21s getting any notice and even the u21s people only seem to vaguely care about. Usualky clubs just complaining about having to release players

 

[canswetoxic]

Larsson, Zibanejad, Forsberg, Klingberg, Lehner, Landeskog and Brodin are not on par with Barkov. And you suggest they are better? Just tell me in what way they are superior to Barkov?

I do like Karlsson and OEL, but they are elite defenders and the comparing is hard to do.

so Barkov is better compared to those ? Lol, you should start watching NHL

 

[Urbanskog]

FWIIW I think it pretty much goes being a professional soccer player > winning Olympic hockey gold > IIHF WC > whatever national hockey championship in most of Europe. Can't vouch for Finland in regards to the soccer bit.

Kids playing hockey dream about becoming professional soccer players?

 

[TorstenFrings]

I haven't noticed anything outside of the UEFA 21s getting any notice and even the u21s people only seem to vaguely care about. Usualky clubs just complaining about having to release players

Well, I certainly shouldn't talk for all of Europe, but the U19 and U17 World Championships are a thing in Germany. Clubs usually don't complain about it either, since the handful of kids that are on a professional league's roster by 16-18 are mostly Götze level talents and will probably already play U21 or A-NT at that age anyway.

The main thing clubs complain about here it seems is letting players go to the Africa Cup.

Kids playing hockey dream about becoming professional soccer players?

For the most part all boys play soccer and soccer scouting starts insanely early. By the time a kid has to make a final decision to pursue one sport in particular the bulk of the ones choosing hockey will already know they won't have a chance at making it in soccer. Unless there is some strong family tradition like there more often is with families with Czech roots (Kühnhackl, Draisaitl).

 

[aphyro]

It's funny. Same divide between European and South Americans in soccer. Europeans are very club focused in soccer. The euros and World Cup are obviously big but nobody cares about u20s or Olympics. For the South Americans any chance to put on their country's colors is an honor.

Yeah its funny! Football is much bigger in Sweden than hockey is aswell... and like you say Club football in europe is dead serious... I mean people actually getting killd her when they go to watch football or get some serious injurys.

 

[Urbanskog]

For the most part all boys play soccer and soccer scouting starts insanely early. By the time a kid has to make a final decision to pursue one sport in particular the bulk of the ones choosing hockey will already know they won't have a chance at making it in soccer. Unless there is some strong family tradition like there more often is with families with Czech roots (Kühnhackl, Draisaitl).

Yeah, right. All hockey players would have wanted to play soccer but they weren't good enough so they had to stick with hockey. That's it.

 

[aphyro]

Yeah, right. All hockey players would have wanted to play soccer but they weren't good enough so they had to stick with hockey. That's it.

Its harder to be a good football player than a hockey so... but with that said i dont think everyone want that even tho the fame is bigger and the money is much better.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Yeah, right. All hockey players would have wanted to play soccer but they weren't good enough so they had to stick with hockey. That's it.

I am sure that's not the case in Finland, but in the big soccer nations that's roughly how it is, yes.

Edit: In general I think a problem here is the generalization of Europe as a coherent entity. I took part in this by making a sweeping statement and I apologize for that. I am obviously coming at this from a German experience.

 

[aphyro]

I am sure that's not the case in Finland, but in the big soccer nations that's roughly how it is, yes.

Wich counterys do you count in to the big football nations? I mean pretty much the who Europe execpte from Finland seems to have football as their number one game.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Wich counterys do you count in to the big football nations? I mean pretty much the who Europe execpte from Finland seems to have football as their number one game.

Germany, UK, Spain, Italy mostly.

I also made an edit above. I am sure these things are different in Scandinavia and Russia, where hockey has a more equal standing.

 

[aphyro]

Germany, UK, Spain, Italy.

How about France and Holland? Sweden is also pretty football fanatic.

 

[aphyro]

I also made an edit above. I am sure these things are different in Scandinavia and Russia, where hockey has a more equal standing.

Nope when Sweden won the u21 in football it was much muc much bigger than it was when we won olympics in hockey.

 

[Rajna]

Wich counterys do you count in to the big football nations? I mean pretty much the who Europe execpte from Finland seems to have football as their number one game.

In addition to Finland, Latvia and Lithuania might also be exceptions (hockey and basketball, respectively), and in Iceland handball is the dominant sport. But other than that, I guess football is a clear no.1 everywhere.

 

[TorstenFrings]

How about France and Holland? Sweden is also pretty football fanatic.

Sure, I totally forgot Holland. Huge soccer nation. Probably France too, I was actually waffling on including them.

There are many more (Poland, Austria, Switzerland etc), where soccer is the biggest sport, but with the huge leagues and (aside from the UK) successful national teams, soccer is just unavoidable in the 4 I named + Holland. There is hardly air for anything aside from it.

 

[TorstenFrings]

Nope when Sweden won the u21 in football it was much muc much bigger than it was when we won olympics in hockey.

OK, so just Finland and Russia then.

 

[aphyro]

Sure, I totally forgot Holland. Huge soccer nation. Probably France too, I was actually waffling on including them.

There are many more (Poland, Austria, Switzerland etc), where soccer is the biggest sport, but with the huge leagues and (aside from the UK) successful national teams, soccer is just unavoidable in the 4 I named + Holland. There is hardly air for anything aside from it.

Alright now i get it!