sunb
Registered User
Canada has arguably been the #1 hockey country in the world in terms of producing the best hockey players. It has been as such since the inception of the game and despite the recent rise of European players, I don't see a country like Sweden, Finland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Russia and other countries taking the lead considering that soccer is still the most popular sport in most of those countries and that their standard of living is still lower than that of Canada's.
However, the United States can potentially, and realistically, catch up soon. The population of the United States is around 300 million while the population of Canada is around 30 million. The standard of living in both country is relatively equal. The only advantage that Canada has is that hockey is still our #1 sport while it is the #4 or #5 favorite team sport in the US.
Some think the movement is already occuring with the US outputting high-profile prospects like Phil Kessel, Alvaro Montoya, Jack Johnson, Bobby Ryan, Jack Skille, Dustin Brown, Brian Lee, Rob Schremp, AJ Thelen, Ryan Suter, Zach Parise et al. Others argue that it will still take several decades for at least the US psyche about hockey to change or establish a better development system.
My question is, when do you guys think the USA will surpass Canada as the premier hockey country in the world? In both quality and quantity.
However, the United States can potentially, and realistically, catch up soon. The population of the United States is around 300 million while the population of Canada is around 30 million. The standard of living in both country is relatively equal. The only advantage that Canada has is that hockey is still our #1 sport while it is the #4 or #5 favorite team sport in the US.
Some think the movement is already occuring with the US outputting high-profile prospects like Phil Kessel, Alvaro Montoya, Jack Johnson, Bobby Ryan, Jack Skille, Dustin Brown, Brian Lee, Rob Schremp, AJ Thelen, Ryan Suter, Zach Parise et al. Others argue that it will still take several decades for at least the US psyche about hockey to change or establish a better development system.
My question is, when do you guys think the USA will surpass Canada as the premier hockey country in the world? In both quality and quantity.