arnie
Registered User
- Dec 20, 2004
- 520
- 0
Canadian like to go one about how Canada has the greatest hockey players. They ignore the steady decline in the % of Canadian players in the NHL, the 7 straight failures in the WJC and the fact that although they are currently on the upswing, they failed to win a single international tournament between 1990-and the Olympics.
Then they go on about how much depth Canada has and that their third team ciould be everyone else too. I decided to see what the facts say by looking at the results of the two major second-tier tournaments, the Spengler Cup and the Would Hockey Championships.
World Hockey Championship
1985 Czechoslovakia
1986 Soviet Union
1987 Sweden
1989 Soviet Union
1990 Soviet Union
1991 Sweden
1992 Sweden
1993 Russia
1994 Canada
1995 Finland
1996 Czech Republic
1997 Canada
1998 Sweden
1999 Czech Republic
2000 Czech Republic
2001 Czech Republic
2002 Slovakia
2003 Canada
2004 Canada
Canada 4 out of 20
Spengler Cup
2004 Team Canada (Canada)
2003 Team Canada (Canada)
2002 Team Canada (Canada)
2001 HC Davos (Switzerland)
2000 HC Davos (Switzerland)
1999 Kolner Haie (Germany)
1998 Team Canada (Canada)
1997 Team Canada (Canada)
1996 Team Canada (Canada)
1995 Team Canada (Canada)
1994 Farjestad Karlstad (Sweden)
1993 Farjestad Karlstad (Sweden)
1992 Team Canada (Canada)
1991 CSKA Moscow (Russia)
1990 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
1989 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
1988 USA Selects (USA)
1987 Team Canada (Canada)
1986 Team Canada (Canada)
1985 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
Canada 10 out of 20
Total 14 canadian wins in 40 tournaments. Good but not overwhelming and certainly no evidence of dominating depth of talent.
I can hear the Canadian whining already. "Boo hoo, we didn't send our best players to those tournaments." Well, neither did anyone else.
Overall, it seems likely that Canadian hockey is on an upswing. But over the last 20 years, they have hardly dominated either best-on-best competitions or secondary tournaments.
Lastly, the Canadians have no place to go but down. The world is catching up. Counties like Awitzerland are suddenly developing playuers. The US now has more kids playing hockey than Canada and is just beginning to see players develop in secondary hockey locals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In 10-15 years, the Canadians will be lucky to have a 1/3 of the NHL players.
Then they go on about how much depth Canada has and that their third team ciould be everyone else too. I decided to see what the facts say by looking at the results of the two major second-tier tournaments, the Spengler Cup and the Would Hockey Championships.
World Hockey Championship
1985 Czechoslovakia
1986 Soviet Union
1987 Sweden
1989 Soviet Union
1990 Soviet Union
1991 Sweden
1992 Sweden
1993 Russia
1994 Canada
1995 Finland
1996 Czech Republic
1997 Canada
1998 Sweden
1999 Czech Republic
2000 Czech Republic
2001 Czech Republic
2002 Slovakia
2003 Canada
2004 Canada
Canada 4 out of 20
Spengler Cup
2004 Team Canada (Canada)
2003 Team Canada (Canada)
2002 Team Canada (Canada)
2001 HC Davos (Switzerland)
2000 HC Davos (Switzerland)
1999 Kolner Haie (Germany)
1998 Team Canada (Canada)
1997 Team Canada (Canada)
1996 Team Canada (Canada)
1995 Team Canada (Canada)
1994 Farjestad Karlstad (Sweden)
1993 Farjestad Karlstad (Sweden)
1992 Team Canada (Canada)
1991 CSKA Moscow (Russia)
1990 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
1989 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
1988 USA Selects (USA)
1987 Team Canada (Canada)
1986 Team Canada (Canada)
1985 Spartak Moscow (USSR)
Canada 10 out of 20
Total 14 canadian wins in 40 tournaments. Good but not overwhelming and certainly no evidence of dominating depth of talent.
I can hear the Canadian whining already. "Boo hoo, we didn't send our best players to those tournaments." Well, neither did anyone else.
Overall, it seems likely that Canadian hockey is on an upswing. But over the last 20 years, they have hardly dominated either best-on-best competitions or secondary tournaments.
Lastly, the Canadians have no place to go but down. The world is catching up. Counties like Awitzerland are suddenly developing playuers. The US now has more kids playing hockey than Canada and is just beginning to see players develop in secondary hockey locals like Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. In 10-15 years, the Canadians will be lucky to have a 1/3 of the NHL players.
