Ten Best Hockey Countries in the World?

[Douggy]

As for increasing popularity in a country like France, I dont know how to do it, but they need to make hockey more popular in some way.

Look at Switzerland: Hockey is fairly popular there (as a spectator sport), so more kids want to play it. Maybe they can start by having a few French teams in the Swiss or German league and a few Norweigen teams in the Swedish League?

(I'm aware that France and Norway have their own leagues, but they simply aren't on the same level as their neighbours.)

 

[Boilers*]

1.CHILE
2. Bangladesh
3.Laos
4.Bolivia
5.Congo
6.Belize
7.Tonga
8.Uganda
9.Malta
10.Swaziland

You forgot Poland!

 

[Mess]

I don't see how this is relevant at all.

I'm arguing that these are the best hockey-nations in the world, and you tell me that Norway and Latvia will be a part of the tournament next year.

So What?

Well how are you determing that ... the teams I gave you beat the other Hockey nations in a tournament to be called the best and be a part of the top 10 .. at the next WJC ..

How are you picking them .. Out of a Hat ???

Hockey Nations is what regard then .. Your own opinion , based on what facts .. Players in the NHL ??

You asked "Who else could be better than Germany/Belarus/Switzerland?"

My answer is Norway and Latvia because they earned it ... Belarus and Germany may not be in the next WJC tourney so how can they be the best Hockey Countries then ..

Norway beat out in their own WJC ...Austria, France, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan
Latvia beat out in their own WJC ..Denmark, Estonia, Poland, Slovenia, Ukraine

So how is your statement valid .. "(I'm aware that France and Norway have their own leagues, but they simply aren't on the same level as their neighbours.)" ??

 

[jekoh]

Look at Switzerland: Hockey is fairly popular there (as a spectator sport), so more kids want to play it. Maybe they can start by having a few French teams in the Swiss or German league and a few Norweigen teams in the Swedish League?

Why on earth would the Swiss want a French club in their league ?

I see little point in doing this, but it would never happen anyway.

 

[Legolas]

Why on earth would the Swiss want a French club in their league ?

I see little point in doing this, but it would never happen anyway.

I think the point is that if some leagues want to branch out and be truly international, then these are possible suggestions based on geography...and shared language and other ties...it's a way of expanding to improve play across Europe...not much motivation for the established clubs except money probably though.

 

[Legolas]

I don't see how this is relevant at all.

I'm arguing that these are the best hockey-nations in the world, and you tell me that Norway and Latvia will be a part of the tournament next year.

So What?

The point is that the bottom 2 will always be changing due to relegation, so presumably there's 4-6 teams all on the same level at the bottom of the top 10. Hockey is still a long ways away from a soccer type parity though...there's plenty of countries throughout the world rankings that can be competitive with the established powers on a regular basis....and that's just not the case in hockey yet, despite the increasing number of nations able to participate.

 

[Papa Smurf]

Just wait and see how good Team USA will be 20 years from now when Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf's kids dawn the red, white and blue and help lead the USA to another World Championship!

 

[007]

As for increasing popularity in a country like France, I dont know how to do it, but they need to make hockey more popular in some way.

Look at Switzerland: Hockey is fairly popular there (as a spectator sport), so more kids want to play it. Maybe they can start by having a few French teams in the Swiss or German league and a few Norweigen teams in the Swedish League?

(I'm aware that France and Norway have their own leagues, but they simply aren't on the same level as their neighbours.)

For popularity, I think we are forgetting to mention that the entire market for another sport is greater in any given country nowadays. I think that organised spectator sports in general are more popular than they have ever been, thanks to population increase, cable/satellite TV, advertising $$$, and more leisure time. There is a market for hockey in countries where there never has been, not because it is supplanting other sports, but because it exists along side them.

 

[nomorekids]

Just wait and see how good Team USA will be 20 years from now when Sidney Crosby and Dion Phaneuf's kids dawn the red, white and blue and help lead the USA to another World Championship!

and people on HF argue who is better, "Danny Phaneuf or Bryan Suter?"

 

[Cloned]

Soccer is something that is hard to compare hockey to. Soccer is the most widely played sport on the planet (I think I heard this somewhere -- if I'm wrong somebody feel free to correct me), and that's a major reason why talented players have arisen from many different nations.

Hockey, at a basic level, limits itself to certain climates and environments. I'm not saying that a hockey club from Jamaica could not eventually develop into a competitive team, but it will take time and growing interest.

 

[nomorekids]

hey, if trinidad and tobago can field a team(with snazzy rastafarian jersies, at that) that could rival team usa and its "knucklepuck," then...i don't know. i hate that iceland team.

 

[clefty]

The official rankings from the IIHF website:

1. Canada
2. Sweden
3. Slovakia
4. Czech Republic
5. Finland
6. United States
7. Russia
8. Germany
9. Switzerland
10. Latvia
------------------------------------------------------------------------
11. Austria
12. Ukraine
13. Belarus
14. Denmark
15. Japan
16. Slovenia
17. Kazakhstan
18. France
19. Italy
20. Poland
21. Norway
22. Hungary
23. Netherlands
24. Estonia
25. Great Britain
26. Romania
27. Lithuania
28. China
29. Serbia and Montenegro
30. Korea
31. Croatia
32. Bulgaria
33. Belgium
34. Spain
35. Australia
36. Israel
37. Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea
38. South Africa
39. Iceland
40. New Zealand
41. Mexico
42. Luxembourg
43. Turkey
44. Ireland
45. Armenia

 

[kmad]

1.) Canada
2.) Russia
3.) USA
4.) Finland

Those are pretty much set in stone.. although four years down the road, Finland could overtake USA

5.) Czech Republic
6.) Sweden
7.) Slovakia
8.) Swiss
9.) Germany
10.) Belarus

Yep.. Swedish hockey has deteriorated lately. Czech is better, but not Slovakia yet.

Switzerland should not be on the list. Sure, they host a good tournament, but they have never produced an NHL star.

5) Czech
6) Sweden
7) Slovakia
8) Germany

6/7 are interchangeable IMO... Sweden may even make a run for 5th if Henrik Lundqvist pans out

9) Belarus
10) Latvia

this is, of course, in terms of producing quality professional hockey players and competing internationally.

 

[leafaholix*]

Dion Phaneuf will be playing in Canada... for the rest of his life!

So his little boy will dawn the good ol' Maple Leaf.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Hasnt Slovakia already won a top class world tournament? I think that qualifies them..

 

[zecke26]

The official rankings from the IIHF website:
15. Japan

it's all about the asian rule. that's how they were able collect points for the world ranking. i think they are around 25th or so.

 

[Blackshad]

Ah! You forgot Chad: they are DEADLY on saharian ice

 

[jekoh]

I think the point is that if some leagues want to branch out and be truly international, then these are possible suggestions based on geography...
and shared language and other ties...it's a way of expanding to improve play across Europe...not much motivation for the established clubs except money probably though.

Of course if the Swedish league was to invade an other country, Oslo would be one obvious target. I fail to see how it would benefit Norwegian hockey, though. All it would do is destroy the Norwegian league.

As for the money, French clubs would not bring any money to the Swiss clubs. A top second division Swiss club is just as good a market as any French city, let's face it. I guess pretty much the same goes for Sweden.

 

[jekoh]

Switzerland should not be on the list. Sure, they host a good tournament, but they have never produced an NHL star.

5) Czech
6) Sweden
7) Slovakia
8) Germany
9) Belarus
10) Latvia

this is, of course, in terms of producing quality professional hockey players and competing internationally.

The fact Switzerland doesn't produce a lot of NHL stars is irrelevant because that doesn't prevent them from competing with Germany, Belarus and Latvia internationally. And it's not like Belarus produces many NHL stars either.

 

[fan75]

[01] Canada
[02] Russia
[03] United States
[04] Finland
[05] Czech Rep.
[06] Sweden
[07] Slovakia
[08] Germany -- Germany or Switzerland, take your pick. Switzerland has been showing more at the youth levels but has thus far, in ample time, failed to translate that success to the senior level. Germany's marginally better senior results put them ahead for me.
[09] Switzerland -- read above.
[10] Latvia -- Consistent senior results and a decent junior program puts them firmly in 10th.
--------------------------
[11] Austria -- More emphasis in youth programs has Austria rising.
[12] Belarus -- Good, but overrated. Aside from beating Sweden in the Olympics, their senior squad has been bouncing up and down between Division I and the World Championships, hardly the form needed to justify putting them in the top ten. Rising because of a good junior program but that doesn't necessarily [read: Switzerland] mean improved senior level results.
[13] Denmark -- New crop of Danish youngsters has Denmark the fastest rising of any nation. The new Switzerland ?
[14] Ukraine -- Poor infastracture and financial difficulties have caused a significant drop in the youth level talent. When the current senior team retires you could see them bouncing between Division I and the elite group.
[15] Kazakhstan -- Haven't, so far, been able to translate the late-90's U20 success into a consistent senior team.
[16] Slovenia -- Slovenian U18, U20 and WC teams were on the rise at every level in the early parts of the decade.
[17] Norway -- Decent teams but, with the exception of this year's U20 team, never seem to be able to make the jump.
[18] France -- Finally a stable French league has them making a rebound.
[19] Italy -- Wouldn't expect them back in the top 16 for a while.
[20] Japan -- Made some gains from their extended tenure in the elite group. Might be a while before they get back, though.
[21] Hungary -- Rising. You could see them consistently in the elite WC group within 5-10 years.
[22] Poland -- Same as ever.
[23] Estonia -- Slowly rising.
[24] Great Britain -- Won't get funding until they become a top 10 nation, won't become a top 10 nation until they get funding. Round and round we go.

 

[Sykie]

[01] Canada
[02] Russia
[03] United States
[04] Finland
[05] Czech Rep.
[06] Sweden
[07] Slovakia
[08] Germany -- Germany or Switzerland, take your pick. Switzerland has been showing more at the youth levels but has thus far, in ample time, failed to translate that success to the senior level. Germany's marginally better senior results put them ahead for me.
[09] Switzerland -- read above.
[10] Latvia -- Consistent senior results and a decent junior program puts them firmly in 10th.
--------------------------
[11] Austria -- More emphasis in youth programs has Austria rising.
[12] Belarus -- Good, but overrated. Aside from beating Sweden in the Olympics, their senior squad has been bouncing up and down between Division I and the World Championships, hardly the form needed to justify putting them in the top ten. Rising because of a good junior program but that doesn't necessarily [read: Switzerland] mean improved senior level results.
[13] Denmark -- New crop of Danish youngsters has Denmark the fastest rising of any nation. The new Switzerland ?
[14] Ukraine -- Poor infastracture and financial difficulties have caused a significant drop in the youth level talent. When the current senior team retires you could see them bouncing between Division I and the elite group.
[15] Kazakhstan -- Haven't, so far, been able to translate the late-90's U20 success into a consistent senior team.
[16] Slovenia -- Slovenian U18, U20 and WC teams were on the rise at every level in the early parts of the decade.
[17] Norway -- Decent teams but, with the exception of this year's U20 team, never seem to be able to make the jump.
[18] France -- Finally a stable French league has them making a rebound.
[19] Italy -- Wouldn't expect them back in the top 16 for a while.
[20] Japan -- Made some gains from their extended tenure in the elite group. Might be a while before they get back, though.
[21] Hungary -- Rising. You could see them consistently in the elite WC group within 5-10 years.
[22] Poland -- Same as ever.
[23] Estonia -- Slowly rising.
[24] Great Britain -- Won't get funding until they become a top 10 nation, won't become a top 10 nation until they get funding. Round and round we go.

A good list.

One thing which I find curious is when I see Finland before Czech Republic. I find it weird because there is arguably the best players in CR, and they had the best results for years. The only thing that would even the case is the fact Finland have a great corp of young goaltenders, but besides that, I think the Czech are superiors both from a talent POV and from a results POV.

Here is my take :

1. Canada
2. Russia
3. USA, Czech Republic
5. Finland, Sweden, Slovakia
8. Germany, Switzerland

After that, it's really hard as each countries have their up and down. Since we're talking about top-10, I would put Latvia there to close the group.

Sometime some countries are too close to really say one is better than the other. Each one have their assests and their flaws... and you can put them on the same boat.