donghabs98
Moderator
I know some people like to hate on Toronto in general but the Raptors winning is probably one of the best things to happen to our country in terms of sports for quite some time. Short-term, throughout the playoffs and for a short while after, the retail industry will be very busy moving Raptors gear. I just saw a dude drop $10k at a sports store downtown. It was crazy.
More importantly though, the Raptors winning will stimulate more interest in the sport in Canada. Perhaps major cities like Montreal and perhaps Vancouver again may get clubs, but if even 1% of the 6 to 10 year olds who watched the playoffs and pick up the game after, this could mean more Canadians playing at the NBA-level 10-15 years from now.
Hockey will still be popular, but given the costs of the sports, this is great for those who want to play sports but can’t afford hockey.
Hockey will always be our number 1 sport but I am concerned the future of the sport in terms of talent and reach. The economics of playing hockey arent favourable as it requires a huge long term commitment if you want to succeed in it. From equipment to registration fees to addition things such as camps and summer leagues, it adds up. Not to mention the time commitment needed which takes away time for a person to generate income. Compared to the committment required for soccer and basketball, I can see a long term effect on registration numbers and in turn talent produced when it comes to hockey, basketball, soccer.
It's something Hockey Canada has started to try and address and will need to continue to moving forward.