Ace Card Bedard
Back in Black, Red, and White
- Feb 11, 2012
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When did the decline of hockey in canada happen?
- Thread starter sawchuk1971
- Start date
Juxta Position
Registered User
- Jul 2, 2006
- 2,393
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this is a major reason, if not THE major reason.
Hockey has become essentially an elitist sport and has also become a big legacy sport due to overall costs as well. Former players are the ones that can afford all the extra training/personal trainers, nutritionists, summer leagues/tournaments, travel teams, hockey academies, etc for their 12,13,14-year-old kids, which the average middle-class family can absolutely not afford.
PROUD PAPA
Registered User
- Sep 20, 2021
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Not sure it has declined much.
Seems like other nations which had a lot of room to improve have done just that.
Seems like other nations which had a lot of room to improve have done just that.
HockeyVirus
Woll stan.
- Nov 15, 2020
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If this thread wasn't obviously bait enough, the earliest poll option being almost 30 years ago while Canada has only arguably lost relevance in the last 5 or so years says it all
tarheelhockey
Offside Review Specialist
This is the answer.
The rest of the world was always going to catch up. 1972, 1980, 1996 were going to happen. That didn’t necessarily entail a decline for Canada.
What actually caused the decline of the sport in Canada was driving the amateur game in this highly commercialized direction where it’s all about making money with academies and travel leagues and private instruction and over-engineered equipment. As in any market economy, when costs go up the rate of consumption goes down. That has removed the game from the center of working class culture, and increasingly removed it from the center of middle class culture. There’s a certain point where you tip the balance and lose participation en masse.
People will still pay to watch the professional product, but that product is increasingly dependent on an influx of foreign talent to plug holes where Canadian kids used to be competing.
Golden_Jet
Registered User
- Sep 21, 2005
- 27,071
- 14,174
Never thought was declining.
However didn’t vote, with the available options, especially since 1996 is the latest date.
However didn’t vote, with the available options, especially since 1996 is the latest date.
Took a pill in Sbisa
2showToffoliIwascool
jigglysquishy
Registered User
Michael Jordan
Into the late 80s early 90s hockey was so far ahead of any other sport for youngsters in Canada it didn't really matter who was number two. Hockey was that much more popular. While NFL and soccer have made strides, the bulk of the growth has been in basketball.
And it all traces itself to Michael Jordan dominating the sport while being a mega sports icon. It coincided with Toronto and Vancouver getting NBA teams, the NBA actually being shown on Canadian TV, and the explosion of basketball facility availability.
Hockey is 1A to basketball's 1B in Canada now. That was unthinkable 30 years ago.
People point to demographics and that plays a part of it. But it doesn't explain why all my (white suburban) cousin's kids are obsessed with basketball and don't care about hockey.
Into the late 80s early 90s hockey was so far ahead of any other sport for youngsters in Canada it didn't really matter who was number two. Hockey was that much more popular. While NFL and soccer have made strides, the bulk of the growth has been in basketball.
And it all traces itself to Michael Jordan dominating the sport while being a mega sports icon. It coincided with Toronto and Vancouver getting NBA teams, the NBA actually being shown on Canadian TV, and the explosion of basketball facility availability.
Hockey is 1A to basketball's 1B in Canada now. That was unthinkable 30 years ago.
People point to demographics and that plays a part of it. But it doesn't explain why all my (white suburban) cousin's kids are obsessed with basketball and don't care about hockey.
