That’s all true, Hockey Canada is a joke. My point was that there is a tangible reason for America’s improvement, and it isn’t that your talent itself somehow improved (I don’t see any of the current generation being looked back on as better than Hull, Modano, or Leetch, for instance) just as Canada’s dominance isn’t due to us magically being naturally better at hockey. The NHL’s efforts have simply allowed for more American kids to play the game by essentially subsidizing the costs involved, which is a good thing. It’s bull**** that the same isn’t being done at even close to the same scale in Canada, though.
Contrary to what the all-American NHL Board of Governors might think, hockey equipment doesn’t grow on trees here. While the numbers of registered hockey players in America is exploding, the numbers of registered hockey players is stagnant or even dropping in Canada, depending on what source you look at. America’s ascension to the top of the hockey world is due simply to the fact that they are set to pass Canada as the nation with the most hockey players within the next couple of years (iihf.com puts Canada at 631000 registered hockey players - 442000 at the U20 level - and the US at 556000 registered hockey players - 322000 at the U20 level).
I'm not a USA fan for the record, I appreciate good players from all countries. I hear you about subsidizing costs, but is that due to the NHL or the political system between each country?
What I mean is that Canada like the USA has "try hockey for free" programs, but the marketing is almost silent in Canada since everyone knows the sport. When you're born in Canada you know about icons such as Howe, the Olympic team who won gold in Salt Lake, and Don Cherry. The sport doesn't have a grassroots problem even if the numbers are stagnate and dropping. I think Canadians are starting to realise that kids can explore other options besides just hockey. Some of the numbers are not telling either because even in Canada, soccer participates outnumber hockey kids, but there is no city in Great North which cares for soccer over hockey.
Try Hockey
Try Hockey Free! Saturday March 17 @ Killarney – Vancouver Female Hockey
Hockey equipment doesn't grow on trees, but I hear so many stories about Russian players who were very poor when they started hockey and rose to fame due to their talent - it's possible. The Stewart brothers and Simmonds story from ThePlayersTribune also shows that it's possible for the financially weak. There are way MORE companies in the game of hockey that you don't hear about...one is called All Black which make a pretty damn solid sticks for under 100 bucks.
All Black Hockey Sticks - Hockey Sticks Just Became Affordable
Their motto is "Make Hockey Affordable Again". The problem for Canada is a population problem and not caring enough for development, they've never had an issue developing superstars due to the amount of people who play hockey. There is a reason why I mention that Canada also have the most busts in the hockey world, it's a number game. USA can absolutely go the way as Canada where they're eventually starting producing amazing players simply because people come to realise that hockey is actually a cool sport as Canada has already figured out. Like Canada, USA will also produce a high number of busts, but as you mention their USNTDProgram is quite successful. Not sure it is as successful as the model which Sweden has for their hockey structure, but it is one of the best programs which could develop players from okay ones into solid and perhaps great ones. I don't think Canada has ever contemplated to this idea because they never considered their hockey program in a dire phase....hell they just produced McDavid which nobody in the world has been able to produce.
Hockey Canada has put all their coins in the CHL and market it as the best junior and development system in the world, thus not needing a program like USNTDP. The national program for America came from a necessity since the grassroots of the sport sucked (and continue to suck for half of the country), USHL was in its beginning stages where there were a million other junior leagues, and the NCAA was seen as a second rate development path except for a few programs such as Minnesota, Boston College, and North Dakota. Now though, there is a 180 degree flip on majority of these thoughts compared to a decade ago. More players are choosing the USHL, the USHL has grown into a viable league, the USNTDP is seen as one of the best development teams, and finally the NCAA is giving players a different path for development as we've seen with Makar - more time to conduct off-ice training. That doesn't have to do with anything about the NHL and more about hiring competent people in charge of development for USAH.
No one can say which is right or wrong because it comes down to the indiviudal player, but from what I've noticed is that the top talent still goes to the CHL, while more projected picks head to the NCAA. USA always had great potential, while Canada had already developed that potential and continues to maintain. What might eventually change the guard so to speak is that Canada didn't really value their prep leagues, schools, and programs during important development periods for kids as much as USA hockey has (there is reason why Canadians/Euros go to Shattuck St. Mary's for isntance). As well as, the number game I mentioned before where American athletes in places like California, Texas, and the Great Lakes might choose hockey over other sports like baseball, football, and basketball. Sort of the what the opposite is happening in Canada where you're seeing more players in the NBA than any other point of time (similar to baseball as well).
Then comes the population, as I said about Sweden and what we're currently seeing with Finland (which you could make the case is better than USA) that you don't need amazing numbers to produce great hockey players. However, if you don't have the numbers, you better as hell have a good development/senior/junior system where top players can play above their age group and long-term projects can find an ideal league for them. Canada is in a tricky situation where the leagues below the CHL such as Junior A, B, and C are filled with players wanting to standout for CHL scouts to play on an CHL team. They're not really for development except for two leagues which are the BCHL and OJHL - both are direct feeders for the NCAA. So they don't really have develop leagues for all kind of players, they only have one league for the top calibre talent in the CHL and one substantial Junior A league where NCAA scouts feast upon. Furthermore, you very rarely hear stories about players like Ryan Johansen who play half of the season in Junior C, Kelowna Rockets, and somehow get picked in the top 5 because they don't happen.
This differs to Sweden where you have a player playing J18 Division 1 one season and somehow is posting PPG numbers in J20 SuperElit the next. So there isn't enough oppositions in Canada because the CHL is too heavily linked in the psychological cognition of Canadians. If there are not enough development options, then eventually the number of the country's population comes into affect. Canada as of 2018 is still less than freckin' California. Canada is growing because as USA is with hockey, Canada has a ****ton of open land and the potential is enormous. Still though, USA should eventually take over Canada when it comes to hockey since Canada's development system is in shambles (besides one league) and without a good development system the population will take over. Think about it, if Canada had a population of California and Texas combined they would have much more than seven NHL teams and probably more direct funding from the NHL.
Canada hits population record, California still has more people
