This. Being an American and playing junior hockey in Canada i was blown away with how big of a deal Crosby’s “golden goal” was at the time. It was a huge thing. More than 99% of Americans couldn’t tell you what Crosby’s golden goal was. Just how it is
How long before team USA is on par with Canada?
- Thread starter Lahey
- Start date
This. Being an American and playing junior hockey in Canada i was blown away with how big of a deal Crosby’s “golden goal” was at the time. It was a huge thing. More than 99% of Americans couldn’t tell you what Crosby’s golden goal was. Just how it is
Dominance
99-66-4-9-87/97
It would also be interesting to see a graph showing the correlation between an NHL team moving into a state like Arizona or Texas and a boom in youth hockey.
Pyrophorus
Registered User
I can't speak for him but I can tell you my son's story. He started skating lessons at 4, started playing hockey at 5, and played baseball during the spring. He did take a few years off from baseball as a 7-8 year old and played summer basketball or football those seasons instead. At 10 he was invited to play both travel hockey and that summer played his first travel baseball tournament. I told him he could play 2 sports at the rec level if he wanted but on the travel level he'd have to choose. He played rec one more year of both and broke my heart by trying out for the local travel baseball team. By 12 he was playing on his school team and a travel team. I asked him last year why he choose baseball over hockey and he said he liked playing in front of his classmates, and it there's just a higher stigma at his school to be the starting pitcher (more than a few really good baseball players from his school including David Price and Zander Wiel). I don't know here how hockey can win since each school doesn't have a rink and going into Nashville for each game prevents large crowds.
Sky04
Registered User
- Jan 8, 2009
- 29,061
- 18,135
Yeah that McDavid guy, MacKinnon, Point, Scheifele all aging
MakeTheGoalsLarger
Registered User
Success in any sport at the elite level comes down to a combination of three factors
1) population - as in pool of players playing the game
2) funding - as in across all levels
3) culture significance - as in how much does the average person care about the sport
At the moment Canada leads all other nations in all three areas however in the first two the USA has closed the gap considerably and in the next decade or two will likely have more youth hockey players than Canada.
The interesting conversation is around culture significance as it is very much a double-edged sword. The more a nation cares about a sport the more likely the top athletes play the sport which in turns leads to producing more high-end players. It also leads to an increase in funding, not as much at the national program level but at the lower levels.
However the more a nation cares about a sport the more likely early development programs are replaced by competitive programs which drive up the cost of playing and increase the drop out rates. Both of these have a negative impact on the production of high-end players. Canada tends to lean heavily towards a competitive program which is why smaller nations like Sweden produce elite players at a high rate.
IMO as the game of hockey grows the USA will overtake Canada in the number of youth hockey players but at the same time shift away from what its successful development model and start to produce a lower percentage of elite players. At this point, assuming Canada also retains a competitive model, they will be as close to par on the ice at the Olympic level.
1) population - as in pool of players playing the game
2) funding - as in across all levels
3) culture significance - as in how much does the average person care about the sport
At the moment Canada leads all other nations in all three areas however in the first two the USA has closed the gap considerably and in the next decade or two will likely have more youth hockey players than Canada.
The interesting conversation is around culture significance as it is very much a double-edged sword. The more a nation cares about a sport the more likely the top athletes play the sport which in turns leads to producing more high-end players. It also leads to an increase in funding, not as much at the national program level but at the lower levels.
However the more a nation cares about a sport the more likely early development programs are replaced by competitive programs which drive up the cost of playing and increase the drop out rates. Both of these have a negative impact on the production of high-end players. Canada tends to lean heavily towards a competitive program which is why smaller nations like Sweden produce elite players at a high rate.
IMO as the game of hockey grows the USA will overtake Canada in the number of youth hockey players but at the same time shift away from what its successful development model and start to produce a lower percentage of elite players. At this point, assuming Canada also retains a competitive model, they will be as close to par on the ice at the Olympic level.
habsgirl5000
Registered User
- Jul 15, 2017
- 2,678
- 1,868
USA I would say is gaining ground on the rest of the world, but as good as their young core is at the moment, their depth of young talent will be very hard-pressed to ever pass Canada.
McDavid, MacKinnon, Marner, Monahan, Point, Scheifele, Chabot, Reilly, Domi, Huberdeau, Dubois, and Barzal are just a small collection of guys 25 or under, having great years, and are Canadian. I am sure I am missing some obvious names on that list, but it's likely that several of the guys on this list will never even make an Olympic team for Canada. I honestly think USA is on par with a Canadian B Team, but they aren't closing in on Canada's creme de la creme.
780il
edm
They won't. Canada has the best international team by a country mile and will continue to do so.
How tf does anyone beat a 1-2 center punch of McDavid/Crosby? Then there are guys like Bergeron/Seguin/Stamkos/Point at 3c. A lot of the best dmen in the league in Doughty/Burns/Petro etc. Price/Holtby in net. Canada is unbeatable.
How tf does anyone beat a 1-2 center punch of McDavid/Crosby? Then there are guys like Bergeron/Seguin/Stamkos/Point at 3c. A lot of the best dmen in the league in Doughty/Burns/Petro etc. Price/Holtby in net. Canada is unbeatable.
Even team Finland top 6 is better than USA
Laine - Barkov - Rantanen
Granlund - Aho - Teräväinen
Laine - Barkov - Rantanen
Granlund - Aho - Teräväinen
Eternal Leaf
Registered User
Canada's depth is very hard to match.
Plus, it's not just depth but the quality of talent at the top too (McDavid, Crosby, Mackinnon, Tavares, Doughty, Burns).
So many young stars miss out simply because there's no room for them.
Plus, it's not just depth but the quality of talent at the top too (McDavid, Crosby, Mackinnon, Tavares, Doughty, Burns).
So many young stars miss out simply because there's no room for them.
dukeofjive
Registered User
No knock on the USA but i still dont see them taking over the first spot in the world, they do have the population for it but more people does not mean they will produce more high end talent.
Finland is having a bit of a golden era but so is America
Kane-Matthews-Kessel
Guadreau-Eichel-Wheeler
I actually think America has the best top 6 wingers of any nation
USA has pretty good top6 also but it's not as good as Finnish top6 though
Rantanen leading the points and assists in NHL
Laine leading the goals
Barkov is top3 center in the league
Granlund point per game player and the best in Minnesota
Aho and Teräväinen the best players in Carolina
You think that's better than (NHL scoring rank)
Gaudreau (8th) - Mathews (63) - Duchene (10th)
Tkachuk (15th) - Eichel (10th) - Wheeler (6th)
*laughs in Canadian
Barzal-McDavid-Marner
Scheifele-MacKinnon-Point
That's our U25 crew
780il
edm
780il
edm
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