How long before team USA is on par with Canada?

[Notsince67]

Depending on your viewpoint of what happens with some of these kids at major colleges and if they get a kickback for going there, none of these US sports pay if they are not professional athletes.

You dont understand. Tyke hockey is for 5 to 6 year olds which a lot of players start at

 

[Royal Thunder]

The difference isn't that big anymore (said as a Canadian). Canada has more elite players for sure, while the US continue to get deeper and more talented every year.

Matthews, Gaudreau, Wheeler, Eichel, Boeser, Jones, McDonagh, Tkachuk x2, Kane, Slavin, Larkin, Trocheck, Connor, Kessel, Pavelski, Krug, Hughes. Pretty good start to a team (sorry if I forgot anyone notable)

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Well US has ten times the population and has been involved in amateur and pro hockey since the beginning. Soccer is now the fastest growing sport here by far due to our immigration policies

It doesn’t really matter what the country’s population is if the families aren’t pushing their kids into that sport.

Canada still has around 60,000 kids more a year playing the sport than here in the US.

There’s a multitude of reasons why that is. Some of them I have already touched on. Some of them start with the family. Some of them are purely for the reason that there are much easier ways to make money in you are a ridiculous athlete.

 

[Rebels57]

Maybe...Even if you are cutting out Crosby, Tavares and Bergeron for being over 30, Canada would still have McDavid-MacKinnon-Seguin.

McDavid-MacKinnon-Seguin would obviously be amazing. Not going to slight them at all, i'm just excited to see that US trio. They will finally have the Center depth to really compete with Canada. No more leaning on guys like Kesler and Backes down the middle.

 

[nbwingsfan]

They have the top end talent but I cant see them ever having the depth that Canada does.

When a Norris winner like Subban hasn't/wouldn't make the team and players like St.Louis get left off 5gen it's one hell of a deep team.

There is a good chance that most players like Marner, Barzal, Benn, Monahan, GetzlF, Giroux, RoR, Skinner, Couture, Bailey and Duchene wouldn't make the team.

 

[Rebels57]

The difference isn't that big anymore (said as a Canadian). Canada has more elite players for sure, while the US continue to get deeper and more talented every year.

Matthews, Gaudreau, Wheeler, Eichel, Boeser, Jones, McDonagh, Tkachuk x2, Kane, Slavin, Larkin, Trocheck, Connor, Kessel, Pavelski, Krug, Hughes. Pretty good start to a team (sorry if I forgot anyone notable)

Ghost will probably get consideration as well. Having him at the point of the powerplay with those forwards would be deadly. I also doubt guys like Kessel, Pavelski, and even McDonagh will be in the mix in 2022. I DO think Patrick Kane will still be in the mix though. He is still going to be a great player at 34 years old.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

You dont understand. Tyke hockey is for 5 to 6 year olds which a lot of players start at

Kids here in the US start baseball (teeball), basketball and in some cases football at those ages also.

Football is veering towards flag at those real young ages because of fears of concussions spreading rapidly.

I grew up playing all of those from the age of 5.

 

[Notsince67]

By the time Auston Matthews is 40 and the next generation of talented Americans are in the league, they will be on par with Canada. No doubt in my mind.

So basically the kids being born now or are in the system now? I'd like to understand where this hotbed of hockey exists in the US.

 

[Go Wings]

Matthews - Hughes - Eichel as their 1-2-3 punch down the middle is going to wreak havoc.

I think I will take McDavid - Crosby - MacKinnon over them.

 

[Notsince67]

Kids here in the US start baseball (teeball), basketball and in some cases football at those ages also.

Football is veering towards flag at those real young ages because of fears of concussions spreading rapidly.

I grew up playing all of those from the age of 5.

And you made the decion because of the pay?

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

And you made the decion because of the pay?

I’m not sure we are on the same page.

Obviously no one is thinking about pay at that age. I’m speaking towards when these kids get to high school and they realize they have a great shot at making the next levels.

There are a bunch of reasons why families don’t start kids at that age at hockey. One could be simply because of how much equipment you need and a rink.

Basketball you just need a couple friends, a hoop and a ball. Football almost the same.

These other sports are much easier to access than hockey is at those ages.

 

[Bonzo111]

I’m not sure we are on the same page.

Obviously no one is thinking about pay at that age. I’m speaking towards when these kids get to high school and they realize they have a great shot at making the next levels.

There are a bunch of reasons why families don’t start kids at that age at hockey. One could be simply because of how much equipment you need and a rink.

Basketball you just need a couple friends, a hoop and a ball. Football almost the same.

These other sports are much easier to access than hockey is at those ages.

for sure

basketball and soccer are the easiest

 

[TheGoldenGod]

So basically the kids being born now or are in the system now? I'd like to understand where this hotbed of hockey exists in the US.

Well for example, in the 2016 NHL draft, there were 12 American players were taken in the 1st round - 5 of them coming from St. Louis, Missouri, alone. One of the potential greats in US hockey history grew up in freaking Phoniex, Arizona. There are elite programs in the U.S. and they are growing. When many NHLers retire, they stay, and lot of them coach and contribute to local programs around the cities they played in.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Hockey will never rival basketball, football or baseballs popularity here in the US.

There are a ton of reasons why that is.

 

[Rebels57]

I think I will take McDavid - Crosby - MacKinnon over them.

I think there's a very good chance that US trio is better in 2022. A lot hinges on how Crosby ages. He's gonna have a lot of miles on him by the time he is 34 in 2022.

 

[Rebels57]

I think I will take McDavid - Crosby - MacKinnon over them.

I think there's a very good chance that US trio is better in 2022. A lot hinges on how Crosby ages. He's gonna have a lot of miles on him by the time he is 34 in 2022.

 

[puckpilot]

I think the answer is the same as when will hockey be as popular in the US as it is in Canada?

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Well for example, in the 2016 NHL draft, 5 players were taken in the 1st round - all from St. Louis, Missouri, alone. There are great programs that are growing all over the U.S. - just like Canada.

Pittsburgh is also becoming a major hotbed for hockey.

Not in the sense of ridiculous talent coming out, because I have not heard of any, but the amount of national tournaments being held in the area is insane. They have built more rink complexes, in the city region, in the past couple years than in the previous 10 combined.

Hell, I think I even read that they are putting a rink over in the North Shore when they start doing development. Pittsburgh is becoming a boom town in multiple terms.

Tropical lagoon, ice rink proposed for North Shore development

 

[libertarian]

Canada has guys they have relied on aging quickly.

US has a bunch of young talent that may be a little better but def. on par with Canada.

Like someone else stated. As hockey becomes more popular here, that gap will begin to close much quicker.

Problem is, hockey here is probably the 4th or 5th most popular sport. We aren’t born here and shoved into the sport or idolize hockey players growing up.

If you are a very good athlete, these other sports pay a heck of a lot better than hockey. So I still don’t think that’s American hockey is getting its best athletes.

US high end talent is close to what Canada can put out but they do not have the depth that Canada has. If Canada put up a B team that excludes every player that would make the Canadian national team they would still be competing for gold metal at the Olympics. The rest of the world has caught up with Canada for high end skilled players but no one has the depth that Canada has.

 

[Dominance]

At the end of the day, hockey is Canada’s number one sport and it is by a country mile.

They should be better than the US in hockey when they are getting all of their talent in the system.

It’s the equivalent of Canada playing the US in football or basketball.

Albeit the gap is a heck of a lot closer in terms of hockey than those other two sports.

No, you’re wrong. Hockey isn’t the biggest sport in Canada. Far, far, far more people play soccer. And the gap in registered youth hockey players between Canada and the US is tiny and getting closer to negligible. Soon America will have the larger pool as the NHL and USA Hockey continues to promote and essentially subsidize hockey in the American south.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

No, you’re wrong. Hockey isn’t the biggest sport in Canada. Far, far, far more people play soccer. And the gap in registered youth hockey players between Canada and the US is tiny and getting closer to negligible. Soon America will have the larger pool as the NHL and USA Hockey continues to promote and essentially subsidize hockey in the American south.

I didn’t know soccer was that big in Canada.

But it still goes back to what I was saying. There are a many sports that are much easier to play as a young child than hockey.

 

[Notsince67]

I’m not sure we are on the same page.

Obviously no one is thinking about pay at that age. I’m speaking towards when these kids get to high school and they realize they have a great shot at making the next levels.

There are a bunch of reasons why families don’t start kids at that age at hockey. One could be simply because of how much equipment you need and a rink.

Basketball you just need a couple friends, a hoop and a ball. Football almost the same.

These other sports are much easier to access than hockey is at those ages.

I get that. Hockey requires a culture willing to build infrastructure. The US will produce good players but it is highly unlikely that it will outperform Canada in producing players. There are just too many of them

 

[Notsince67]

Hockey will never rival basketball, football or baseballs popularity here in the US.

There are a ton of reasons why that is.

Right so it will never rival Canada

 

[guzzy]

They aren't too far off. Look at the success of the American program from WJHC level. They have been legit contenders for over a decade now.

 

[Mickey Marner]

Well for example, in the 2016 NHL draft, there were 12 American players were taken in the 1st round - 5 of them coming from St. Louis, Missouri, alone. One of the potential greats in US hockey history grew up in freaking Phoniex, Arizona. There are great programs that are growing all over the U.S. - just like Canada.

I'm actually surprised St. Louis hasn't produced more players to date. Chicago as well. Historically, they've kinda lagged behind the other O6/Expansion 6 areas as far as player development goes.