Youth hockey skills by country

[wings5]

I'm a bit unfamiliar with the trainings employed in each country as far as the youth level goes. One thing I noticed is that Canadian leagues implement checking from a younger age than almost all countries, the American teams even at a club level seem to always have superior skating, why is this? Also what is it that makes Russians youth players better puckhandlers and more skilled than your average Canadian player or any other country. Canada has nearly 10 times the population of countries like Sweden and Russia in terms of registered hockey players yet they seem to be producing players just as well. Just looking for general info, thanks.

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[Jonimaus]

I'm a bit unfamiliar with the trainings employed in each country as far as the youth level goes. One thing I noticed is that Canadian leagues implement checking from a younger age than almost all countries, the American teams even at a club level seem to always have superior skating, why is this? Also what is it that makes Russians youth players better puckhandlers and more skilled than your average Canadian player or any other country. Canada has nearly 10 times the population of countries like Sweden and Russia yet they seem to be producing players just as well. Just looking for general info, thanks.

In this thread I learnt that 35 million people is more than 140 million. I can only assume you mean hockey players.

 

[wings5]

In this thread I learnt that 35 million people is more than 140 million. I can only assume you mean hockey players.

Yes, my bad...lol

 

[habsrule4eva3089]

Russia
Canada
USA
Sweden/Finland
Czech Republic

Russians are the most creative with their teaching patterns whether it's skating, stickhandling, passing, shooting etc... Technically more gifted as well with all the practice routines they implement with their development program.

Though if ''wanting and finding ways to win'' is a skill, that's where Canada surpasses Russia. Those darn Canucks always find a way lol.

 

[wings5]

Russia
Canada
USA
Sweden/Finland
Czech Republic

Russians are the most creative with their teaching patterns whether it's skating, stickhandling, passing, shooting etc... Technically more gifted as well with all the practice routines they implement with their development program.

Though if ''wanting and finding ways to win'' is a skill, that's where Canada surpasses Russia. Those darn Canucks always find a way lol.

I think so too they always produce great skaters and stickhandlers, Sweden has to be next imo most of their national teams are great skating teams and a junior coach in the CHL watching Sweden u17 teams practise said he was astonished how few passes were messed up for mishandled compared to his junior team. For Canadians the elite players seem to develop their skills on the outdoor rinks outside of practice.

 

[Jablkon]

I think so too they always produce great skaters and stickhandlers, Sweden has to be next imo most of their national teams are great skating teams and a junior coach in the CHL watching Sweden u17 teams practise said he was astonished how few passes were messed up for mishandled compared to his junior team. For Canadians the elite players seem to develop their skills on the outdoor rinks outside of practice.

They are skill coaches everywherere, aren't they? I would also add that NA players grow up in probably more competitive surrounding which shape their attitude. US players always seem to me bigger than other ones in youth categories )

 

[jcbio11]

I'm a bit unfamiliar with the trainings employed in each country as far as the youth level goes. One thing I noticed is that Canadian leagues implement checking from a younger age than almost all countries, the American teams even at a club level seem to always have superior skating, why is this? Also what is it that makes Russians youth players better puckhandlers and more skilled than your average Canadian player or any other country. Canada has nearly 10 times the population of countries like Sweden and Russia in terms of registered hockey players yet they seem to be producing players just as well. Just looking for general info, thanks.

The numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt.

When it comes to hockey federations of the world, there are chronic under reporters (Slovakia, Russia) and chronic over reporters (Czech republic). From what I know this is because of funding. In some countries the number of registered players is the most important criteria, so the federations tend to embellish the numbers.

 

[Jussi]

The numbers need to be taken with a grain of salt.

When it comes to hockey federations of the world, there are chronic under reporters (Slovakia, Russia) and chronic over reporters (Czech republic). From what I know this is because of funding. In some countries the number of registered players is the most important criteria, so the federations tend to embellish the numbers.

As has been explained in other threads several times, there's differences in how countries define those registered players. E.g. Finland counts all youth and recreational players where as Swedes don't count rec players. Russia only include players over the age of 10, no rec players and at least in some areas only the kids in the first team are considered registered. Russian federation seems to have put effort into getting more accurate numbers as their last figure had 82K registered players coupled with comments that there are 350K people playing hockey in Russia.

 

[Urbanskog]

According to the IIHF participation numbers Australia has more senior hockey players than Russia.

Tells something about the credibility.

 

[slovakiasnextone]

There was an article in a Czech newspaper where people from the Czech federation outright admitted that a large chunk of those registered players were "ghost players" (i.e. players who had stopped playing were still counted as registered), the real number is supposedly closer to the number of players Sweden or Finland have.

 

[Raimo Sillanpää]

I'm a bit unfamiliar with the trainings employed in each country as far as the youth level goes. One thing I noticed is that Canadian leagues implement checking from a younger age than almost all countries, the American teams even at a club level seem to always have superior skating, why is this? Also what is it that makes Russians youth players better puckhandlers and more skilled than your average Canadian player or any other country. Canada has nearly 10 times the population of countries like Sweden and Russia in terms of registered hockey players yet they seem to be producing players just as well. Just looking for general info, thanks.

I think the original post raises some important points - what training is emphasized where differs a lot.

Eetu Laurikainen came back from the WHL to Finland and said that in the WHL Swift Current Broncos they didn't have a goalie coach, or the team rented 1/4 of a goalie coach who was then shared with other teams.
(source in Finnish: http://www.hs.fi/urheilu/a1417499051390)

In comparison, my 7 year old is playing in a junior hockey team in Finland and they have a goalie coach! At that age its about getting everyone to try being a goalie at least once, but still - a dedicated goalie coach. And the kids who are a year or two or three older, their teams too have a goalie coach.

If the difference between goalie coaching in Finland and Canada is that big - the invasion of Finnish goalies in the NHL.. oh boy - it hasn't even begun yet.

 

[Penguins23]

A few years ago or maybe even last year, a WJHC coach for Team Canada suggested and I agreed, at a young age, we have to stop making the kids play so many games. More practice time, more time playing with a puck. In a game of hockey, we'll use round numbers and say each team has 2 lines so 20 players total. In a game of 40 minutes, you're touching the puck an average of 2 minutes and that's not including the time that it's in the air in between passes and shots. There's too much of a focus on winning at a young age when really they should just practice more. They should probably have better coaches than just volunteer parents but that's just going to add to the ridiculous costs.

 

[patnyrnyg]

A few years ago or maybe even last year, a WJHC coach for Team Canada suggested and I agreed, at a young age, we have to stop making the kids play so many games. More practice time, more time playing with a puck. In a game of hockey, we'll use round numbers and say each team has 2 lines so 20 players total. In a game of 40 minutes, you're touching the puck an average of 2 minutes and that's not including the time that it's in the air in between passes and shots. There's too much of a focus on winning at a young age when really they should just practice more. They should probably have better coaches than just volunteer parents but that's just going to add to the ridiculous costs.

No idea on hockey, but I do think that is a big problem in NA with all youth sports. My co-worker's son is 12 and a decent baseball player. Not great, but good. Played 87 games last year between rec league, all-stars, and tournaments, and then fall ball.


As far as the original post, I do recall in Gretzky's autobiography a mention of how in Canada they teach and train the skills first. First learn to skate, then improve your skating, then get the stick and puck, etc. While in Russia, teach the kid to skate and then let him go have fun. Most tend to teach the way they were taught, so while the book was written over 20 years ago, much of it probably still holds true.

 

[EP40 AKA Lil Wayne]

^ LOL

I have fond memories of 2012 WJC as a Swede living in Canada during that time. They live, breath and eat hockey over there - it's amazing. I wish every hockey fan could experience the culture they have. They are for the most of the time really nice people but when hockey gets involved it can get very intense, haha.