Right handed team vs. Left

[Crosby2010]

Just a side bar, the 1984 Soviet Canada Cup team had all left handed shots. Every single one of them. I find that very strange, but it is true.

 

[authentic]

Just a side bar, the 1984 Soviet Canada Cup team had all left handed shots. Every single one of them. I find that very strange, but it is true.

I wonder were an even higher percentage of Russian players around this time growing up shooting left? That seems crazy to me their wouldn’t be a single righty.

 

[Crosby2010]

I wonder were an even higher percentage of Russian players around this time growing up shooting left? That seems crazy to me their wouldn’t be a single righty.

Good question, you might be right. Petrov right off the top of my head was a well known right handed shot on the 1972 Summit Series team. But you'd be surprised that there were only 4 in total. On Team Canada in comparison there were more, including Tony Esposito in net. 9 in total. Some prominent ones too. Henderson, Gilbert, Ellis, White. Then guys who didn't play much, Mikita, Cashman, Goldsworthy, Redmond. But still more than the Soviets. It is funny because Babcock was so headstrong on having an even amount of right handed and left handed shots on defense on the 2014 and 2016 teams, which isn't overly wrong or anything but it is such a big contrast to the 1984 Soviet Canada Cup team.

 

[MadLuke]

I wonder were an even higher percentage of Russian players around this time growing up shooting left? That seems crazy to me their wouldn’t be a single righty.

Apparently a Russian junior team at the world recently was 100% lefty except for one goaltender....



With american player being more dominant hands near the blade than Canadian's apparently and Canadian's more than Russian, maybe there something cultural about it, if almost everybody do it one way, you will tend to mimic it (and store will have way more lefty blade than rights, you big brother stick pass down you use will be left and so on)

 

[Overrated]

I wonder were an even higher percentage of Russian players around this time growing up shooting left? That seems crazy to me their wouldn’t be a single righty.

Isn’t it kind of obvious? The vast majority of people are right handed, and the vast majority of people who play hockey use the dominant hand at the top of the stick which means they shoot left. Apparently due to the significance of baseball in North America some people use the dominant hand at the bottom of the stick hence why there are significantly more people shooting right than there are left-handed people in the general population.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Isn’t it kind of obvious? The vast majority of people are right handed, and the vast majority of people who play hockey use the dominant hand at the top of the stick which means they shoot left. Apparently due to the significance of baseball in North America some people use the dominant hand at the bottom of the stick hence why there are significantly more people shooting right than there are left-handed people in the general population.

In Canada and the rest of the world, more left handed sticks are sold by manufacturers.
There are more righty’s in the states sold. The NHL has more lefties.

 

[DJ Man]

If they needed an emergency third goalie, Lefty Wilson could play for the Righthanded team.

("Catches: Left" equates to "Shoots: Right" for just about every other goaltender.)

 

[Bear of Bad News]

("Catches: Left" equates to "Shoots: Right" for just about every other goaltender.)

Most goalies I know catch and shoot left (including myself). It's rare to see a goalie flip the stick.

 

[DJ Man]

I recall that they used to call a guy who holds the stick in this right hand a "right-handed" goalie. I'd agree that it's confusing. Those who held it in the left hand were the minority. We'd have to clarify our rule for these fantasy teams.

 

[Summer Rose]

Most goalies I know catch and shoot left (including myself). It's rare to see a goalie flip the stick.

I’m sure I’ve said this to you before but I’m one of those weirdos who did. I shot left and played goalie glove right. Stickhandling when I played in net was a nightmare so I tried to avoid it whenever possible.

I’m also naturally left handed and the only person I ever played with who was a natural lefty shooting left was myself. I knew several players who were naturally left handed but they all shot right except for me. Not really sure why I ended up that way, but it might stem from the fact that for most lefties (as defined by your preferred hand for writing), myself included, the tendencies of handedness outside of writing is “it’s complicated.”

 

[Bear of Bad News]

I admire the heck out of the goalies who can do it - I coached one in midgets several years ago (they were also right catch). It always seemed like a bit of an adventure when they'd go out to get the puck, but I can only think of one own goal that resulted from it (and overall they were pretty proficient eventually).

 

[Staniowski]

I wonder were an even higher percentage of Russian players around this time growing up shooting left? That seems crazy to me their wouldn’t be a single righty.

Historically, around 2/3 or so of Canadians shoot left; Americans are closer to 1/2 and 1/2; and most Europeans are even higher left than Canada.

A few years ago, I demonstrated how these percentages, along with the relative importance of the positions, have a great influence on the strength of the LW position.

For Canadians, it means LW is the weakest position.

For Americans, LW is stronger than in Canada relative to the other skater positions.

And in Europe, it's different still. With an even greater number of left shots, combined with other factors, LW can be particularly strong. If everybody shoots left, it changes the dynamic, plus Russians are more likely to play the off wing.(partly because of this).

In Russia, for example, LW has been very strong: Alexandrov, Firsov, Kharlamov, Yakushev, Kapustin, Krutov, Kamensky, Bure (only when he was young), Kovalchuk, Ovechkin, Panarin, Kaprizov.

 

[seventieslord]

Isn’t it kind of obvious? The vast majority of people are right handed, and the vast majority of people who play hockey use the dominant hand at the top of the stick which means they shoot left. Apparently due to the significance of baseball in North America some people use the dominant hand at the bottom of the stick hence why there are significantly more people shooting right than there are left-handed people in the general population.

Certainly not a "vast majority".

 

[Nathaniel]

Certainly not a "vast majority".

Only about 10% of the earth's population is left hand dominant.

 

[seventieslord]

Only about 10% of the earth's population is left hand dominant.

Right. So if a "vast majority" of hockey players wanted their dominant hand at the top, then nearly 90% of hockey players would shoot left-handed, but they don't.

 

[Moose Head]

Personally I could play with either type of stick, but my slapshot was way better with a right handed stick, but my wrister and snap were better with a left handed stick. Didn’t affect my passing or backhand. I’m right hand dominant.

 

[Moose Head]

Nm

 

[MadArcand]

Right. So if a "vast majority" of hockey players wanted their dominant hand at the top, then nearly 90% of hockey players would shoot left-handed, but they don't.

Eh.
I just checked the ratio, all-time NHLers from...

Slovakia 74-20 79%
Czechia 165-71 70%
Finland 172-59 74%
Sweden 295-89 77%
Russia 214-68 76%
Switzerland 29-9 76%
Germany 26-8 76%
Latvia 18-5 78%

So in countries untouched by baseball, the ratio seems to consistently be around 75%. That's pretty damn overwhelming.

Now...

USA 711-624 53%
Canada overall 3057-1838 62%
Quebec only 481-253 66%

It seems pretty clear to me that baseball presence takes the natural tendency and subverts it massively.

 

[Staniowski]

Eh.
I just checked the ratio, all-time NHLers from...

Slovakia 74-20 79%
Czechia 165-71 70%
Finland 172-59 74%
Sweden 295-89 77%
Russia 214-68 76%
Switzerland 29-9 76%
Germany 26-8 76%
Latvia 18-5 78%

So in countries untouched by baseball, the ratio seems to consistently be around 75%. That's pretty damn overwhelming.

Now...

USA 711-624 53%
Canada overall 3057-1838 62%
Quebec only 481-253 66%

It seems pretty clear to me that baseball presence takes the natural tendency and subverts it massively.

I knew the European players were significantly higher left shooters than Canadians, and much higher than Americans, but it's remarkable how similar the various European countries are.