How long before team USA is on par with Canada?

[Notsince67]

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 understand there are some good players. They don't come anywhere near the Canadian numbers in population though

 

[New User Name]

Not much difference in top end talent, to be honest. Depth wise Canada leads but the question is, with the numbers playing the game in Canada, compared to Sweden, Finland, Russia etc why is Canada lagging?

In other words, Canada with 10 times the players should be producing 10 times the top end talent.....which they're not.

In my opinion, the fault lies with Hockey Canada. Like the Edmonton Oilers, still an old boys club where new ideas on training, development etc are picked up from other nations.
It's ironic, we gave them the game, they (mainly the US) improved it.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Right so it will never rival Canada

You may be right. Depending on if the popularity of the sport rises. If it does, then they certainly could.

If families continue to push their children into the easier sports to play here, soccer is also booming in the states, then they never will. Hockey could actually begin to drop here.

But if these athletes that turn out to be world class and are continued to be pushed into the sports that pay a hell of a lot more and are much easier to play. Then they never will.

 

[New User Name]

I understand there are some good players. They don't come anywhere near the Canadian numbers in population though

True. It would be game over for Canadian players if the US took hockey serious.

 

[Hockey4Lyfe]

Not much difference in top end talent, to be honest. Depth wise Canada leads but the question is, with the numbers playing the game in Canada, compared to Sweden, Finland, Russia etc why is Canada lagging?

In other words, Canada with 10 times the players should be producing 10 times the top end talent.....which they're not.

In my opinion, the fault lies with Hockey Canada. Like the Edmonton Oilers, still an old boys club where new ideas on training, development etc are picked up from other nations.
It's ironic, we gave them the game, they (mainly the US) improved it.

This post is not going to go over well with the majority of this board.

 

[Lawson of Anarchy]

Play triple A hockey in Ontario and you can drive to all games/tournaments. Play the same caliber in Phoenix and you are flying to games/tournaments.

 

[Ace Card Bedard]

The top end of both teams is similar but Canada just has much better depth.

This exactly.

USA's top talent in 1996 was good enough to beat Canada in a 3 game series.
USA's top talent in 2010 was an OT bounce away.

I think the current top USA talent is certainly capable of beating anybody.

The biggest difference is when it comes to depth. Once you get past the USA's top talent, there isn't much to choose from.
Canada doesn't have that problem. They can probably field 3 teams (if not more) of top talent that would all have a good chance at gold.

 

[New User Name]

Right so it will never rival Canada

More Americans kids percentage wise are picking up the game than here in Canada. Population is the reason. That's just the reality of it all.

Youth hockey participation in non traditional areas is exploding.

 

[New User Name]

This post is not going to go over well with the majority of this board.

The truth, some, just can't see.

 

[Notsince67]

You may be right. Depending on if the popularity of the sport rises. If it does, then they certainly could.

If families continue to push their children into the easier sports to play here, soccer is also booming in the states, than they never will. Hockey could actually begin to drop here.

But if these athletes that turn out to be world class and are continued to be pushed into the sports that pay a hell of a lot more and are much easier to play. Then they never will.

In a smaller market area, it takes incredible resources to have a kid play hockey. It is insane that a player like Matthews ever got to be so good in Arizona but given that his parents travelled out of state to play tourneys, one can conclude that a lower middle class family couldn't do that. In Southern Ontario as an example, there are always tournaments. A small town can produce great players because they play great players in distances often less than an hour away. The US produces quality players for sure but at a cost far exceeding the marginal cost of a Canadian player. For that reason alone, there is a limit to how much it can grow over time. The sport just needs to grow organically and more people need to get into it.

 

[Notsince67]

More Americans kids percentage wise are picking up the game than here in Canada. Population is the reason. That's just the reality of it all.

Youth hockey participation in non traditional areas is exploding.

Growth rates might be higher but I really doubt that there are as many kids playing hockey in the US as in Canada.

 

[Mike Lowry]

• Crosby
• McDavid
• MacKinnon
• Doughty
• Tavares
• Marner
• Benn
• Giroux
• Bergeron
• Marchand
• Subban
• Seguin
• Hall
• OReilly
• Letang
• Point
• Barzal
• Couturier
• Scheifle
• Rielly
• Dumba
• Barrie
• and on and on

Kidding me dude?

Yeah, Subban plays behind Ellis in Nashville but somehow you include him and not the clearly better player. Not to mention that if Babcock, or any half way intelligent coach, is behind the bench, Subban won't see an minute of ice time. Maybe learn who Alex Pietraneglo is champ

 

[New User Name]

In a smaller market area, it takes incredible resources to have a kid play hockey. It is insane that a player like Matthews ever got to be so good in Arizona but given that his parents travelled out of state to play tourneys, one can conclude that a lower middle class family couldn't do that. In Southern Ontario as an example, there are always tournaments. A small town can produce great players because they play great players in distances often less than an hour away. The US produces quality players for sure but at a cost far exceeding the marginal cost of a Canadian player. For that reason alone, there is a limit to how much it can grow over time. The sport just needs to grow organically and more people need to get into it.

Come on. At one time flocks of US teams entered tournaments here in Canada.

In the last decade the number of US youth teams coming north for tournaments has fallen dramatically.
Why? There's hundreds of top end tournaments now in the US .

 

[Bonzo111]

Yeah, Subban plays behind Ellis in Nashville but somehow you include him and not the clearly better player. Not to mention that if Babcock, or any half way intelligent coach, is behind the bench, Subban won't see an minute of ice time. Maybe learn who Alex Pietraneglo is champ

Lets not split hairs here.

 

[Apocalypse Dude]

I'd say they are now. If you look at their 2014 Olympic roster and change some of those guys out with the youngins coming up they would have a chance to beat anyone.

 

[libertarian]

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.

It is not bigger in Canada then in the US. Most Canadian don't care about soccer. The one's that do call it football. More kids are playing soccer today because it much cheaper then hockey so I do see a day when it might be bigger then hockey but it is no where near that today.

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

It’s never gonna happen, I’d actually be shocked if the us would be able to beat a team of whl, qmjhl or ohl alumnis in a best of 7 series

 

[Jtown]

The top end of both teams is similar but Canada just has much better depth.

team usa has never had a group of centers like they currently have.

Eichel, Matthews are legit super starts

Larkin Tyler johnson

Wild Card Jack Hughes.

 

[Critical13]

Their centres are almost on par, which is somethin that hasn't happened for any country during my lifetime.

McDavid and Mackinnon are both better than Eichel and Matthews, but USA has some depth and talent coming up and I think they can at least be close.

How's the defence match up? I feel like there is a bit of a lull in Canada's defensive development.

team usa has never had a group of centers like they currently have.

Eichel, Matthews are legit super starts

Larkin Tyler johnson

Wild Card Jack Hughes.

Larkin and especially Johnson show the difference. They would be matching up vs some combo Seguin/Tavares/Bergeron/Crosby/Mackinnon/McDavid down the middle. That's not a good look for USA.

 

[LamorielloAndSon]

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.

And barzal

 

[Notsince67]

Come on. At one time flocks of US teams entered tournaments here in Canada.

In the last decade the number of US youth teams coming north for tournaments has fallen dramatically.
Why? There's hundreds of top end tournaments now in the US .

Arizona have many?

 

[playasRus]

I'm just looking for someone to attempt rosters

 

[Rubi]

When the USA has the same depth of talent to draw from in the NHL.
Current active NHL players:

Canada 373
USA 223

 

[ziggyjoe212]

Team USA may have its best collection of forwards EVER, but in terms of overall quality and depth I would say team USA is closer to Canada's B team. Not that there's anything wrong with that. Guys like Letang and Giroux and Skinner and Getzlaf would all be core players for team USA.

 

[tsujimoto74]

Yep. Canada has cut players that went onto be Hart Trophy winners and finalist that same season from Olympic rosters.

Yet they've taken guys like 34-year-old Chris Kunitz.