Are the World Juniors highlighting the growing weakness in International hockey?
- Thread starter J17 Vs Proclamation
- Start date
Again in some countries it is but to say over all junior hockey is minor is not true.
You have a point, but at the same time the issue is more about the players themselves than how the WJC teams are doing. Regardless of how Tre Kronor fares in this championship, many players on the team look to have good careers. But related to what you're saying, there's been a major attitude change from clubs and leaders in Sweden, and many kids have been given lots of faith in the SEL, and of course that is going to give results. From what I hear from the Russians on this board, the situation is currently not the same in the KHL, where imports and established stars could be said to be holding the junior players back.
Last edited:
Hockey is a major sport in 10-15 countries which leaves well over 200 countries where hockey isn't, or is barely, played.
It is pretty safe to call hockey a minor sport..
puck swami
Registered User
- Apr 29, 2004
- 267
- 44
Ask almost any NHL GM or NHL player personnel person and they will tell you that The US development program IS the big reason for Team USA's better international results of late.
It's not that the 40 NDTP players wouldn't be fine players developing elsewhere - they likely would.
But the fact that these 40 top players play each other in practice everyday make them better players for both competitive reasons, better coaching, better weight training, better nutrition and better familarity. The elite clustering model works in other sports, too. Having top players around each other just raises the bar, and the results bear it out. We had two bronze medals in this tourney before the USNTDP. Since the the program came into being, the USA program is a medal threat every year, and has produced a much higher level of performance.
Canada doesn't need a program like this right now. There is good coaching and good players everywhere in the country. Not so in the USA, yet.
It's not that the 40 NDTP players wouldn't be fine players developing elsewhere - they likely would.
But the fact that these 40 top players play each other in practice everyday make them better players for both competitive reasons, better coaching, better weight training, better nutrition and better familarity. The elite clustering model works in other sports, too. Having top players around each other just raises the bar, and the results bear it out. We had two bronze medals in this tourney before the USNTDP. Since the the program came into being, the USA program is a medal threat every year, and has produced a much higher level of performance.
Canada doesn't need a program like this right now. There is good coaching and good players everywhere in the country. Not so in the USA, yet.
Just as there are some sports in other areas that are not big any where else or very few places.Is it small in the typical sense maybe but if you go by the logic a sport is only big if its played in every country then only one sport really would fall under that and thats soccer.
Jesus Christ Horburn
Registered User
- Aug 22, 2008
- 13,942
- 1
If there was a CHL equivalent in Europe (which there should be, IMO), the European nations would be a lot stronger than they are now.
Ward Cornell
Registered User
- Dec 22, 2007
- 6,395
- 2,617
This is simply wrong. Looking at team sports worldwide, ice hockey will be relatively high up.
Simply put, outside of soccer and perhaps basketball, there are no team sports that are played in that many countries.
Even if the chl dropped there import rules meaning no limits on the amount of players from europe could play in the chl.
Joe Hallenback
Moderator
- Mar 4, 2005
- 15,389
- 21,580
Stop neglecting the development of your Junior players. For every 17/18 year old playing decent minutes in the SEL/FNL/KHL there are a dozen playing 5 minutes a night. Develop some quality junior leagues and maybe they will stop wanting to come to the CHL to play
BobDobolina
Registered User
That's only a problem with Czech, Slovakia and Russia to some extent. There are very, very few Finnish or Swedish top prospects playing in the CHL.
Joe Hallenback
Moderator
- Mar 4, 2005
- 15,389
- 21,580
Landeskog plays in the CHL. I bet there are about 20 Swedes and Fins in the CHL this year
BobDobolina
Registered User
China population: 1,331,460,000
India population: 1,155,347,678
% Indochinese NHL players: 0%
What you need to look at is the number of licensed junior players, not the populations.
mattihp
Registered User
Am i the only one here who thinks that hosting the WJC every year in NA really hurts the European team chances. Canadian and American juniors are used to playing north american styled hockey, while Europeans tend to need a period to get used to it. Not to mention the fact that their coaches actually know some working tactics for the smaller ice.
Now i'm quite sure that if the tournaments were held once in awhile in Europe, we'd fare a lot better. Hats of to Sweden tho, who have been just simply amazing in recent years. And i think they have a good chance of winning gold in here.
Now i'm quite sure that if the tournaments were held once in awhile in Europe, we'd fare a lot better. Hats of to Sweden tho, who have been just simply amazing in recent years. And i think they have a good chance of winning gold in here.
mattihp
Registered User
Great minds think alike
China population: 1,331,460,000
India population: 1,155,347,678
% Indochinese NHL players: 0%
What you need to look at is the number of licensed junior players, not the populations.
Volleyball is hugely more popular than hockey, and I mean hugely. It is only behind soccer and basketball.
We dont ever want or need anything remotely like ur NTDP. Our country is considerably bigger in terms of geographical area, and our players/ hockey hotbeds are far less concentrated ( unlike urs which are heavily concentrated , for the most part, in a few North Eastern states ).
the NTDP works fairly well stateside ( although it does smack of putting all ur eggs in one basket ), the CHL works even better here. And if u think otherwise, we're game for a Best on Best Jr Summit Series some August vs ur Yankee Doodle Dandies
( a la the Canada v Russia Eight game Jr Summit ) .Me thinks our boyz would spank urs silly, which would sure be sweet, esp after that unfortunate incident last year in Saskatoon
CHEERS YANKEES
BobDobolina
Registered User
Yes Landeskog but who else? AFAIK there are 3 Finns in the CHL and 1 in the NCAA.
Don't forget a good number of europe player do play in north america so there use to the north american style.No just hosting the tournemant once and in a while won't help what needs to happen is a better system needs to be in place for jr players.
Landeskog is a rarity. Rackell plays in the OHL tool, but as far as im aware wasn't considered one of the better players in his draft class when at home. Other than that, who? Wallen ... who else.
Swedish and Finnish players historically do not come to the CHL. All of the Swedish and Finnish stars in the NHL past and present stayed in Europe. Those 20 players aren't the elite ones.
Population sizes are irrelevant. Registered Junior players and total ice rinks (+ economic state of country) are the three important things one needs to look at.
mattihp
Registered User
Shouldn't some commonwealth sports like cricket trumph most sports that aren't footy (soccer)? Field hockey and Rugby should also be more popular than Ice hockey...
Ad
Latest posts
-
-
OT: The Pittsburgher Thread: New Quarter Backs for the Handball team!- Latest: Empoleon8771
