Hockey Has Reached Its Limits in Canada

While hockey has long stood at the forefront of Canadian culture, emerging warning signs suggest that its hegemony throughout the country is now at risk.

#hockey #canada #sports #NHL #nationalhockeyleague #canadianculture #canadian

0:00 Intro
1:09 Cause For Concern
2:47 Reason #1
5:05 Reason #2
7:53 Reason #3
11:45 Outro

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Relevant Sources:

The evolution of the Canadian identity - Environics Institute for Survey Research

Fewer kids than ever are playing hockey. What does this mean for Canada’s national identity?

The sports with the oldest — and youngest — TV audiences

How much hockey is too much? Viewership for Canada's sport on the decline, poll finds

Canadians still favour hockey — but maybe not for long, as basketball and soccer gain popularity

Special thanks to:
• GEOLayers 3
• MapTiler
• HockeyWebCast
• Sportsnet
• TSN
• The National Post
• OMNI TV
• CBC
• The Hub
• City News
• The Globe and Mail
• Global News
• Illegal Curve Hockey
• NHL on TNT
• NBA on TNT
• Bally Sports
• CBS
• ESPN
• The Hockey News
• Sports Illustrated

Photo Credits:
• Oliver Ragfelt
• Gabriel Arancibia
• Hans Isaacson
• Albert Dera
• Christian Buehner
• Elizeu Dias
• Jen Theodore
• Luke Southern
• Danie Franco
• Hermes Rivera
• Klim Musalimov

[kevinosbahr]

Every facet of hockey is becoming more and more unaffordable to the middle class. How does this surprise anyone when everyone from the equipment manufacturers, to ticketing operators, to Fanatics and the NHL itself, treat the sport as a short term cash grab?

[Jabberstax]

Hockey, like baseball, used to be a working-class sport. Now it costs an arm & a leg just to attend games.

[That.Channel]

You didn’t include how Canadian teams haven’t won a cup in 3 decades. And that when you watch hockey it’s all ads about gambling. Those are real things.

[jabronirigatoni]

Its simply too expensive. Only rich kids make it. There are exceptions, but it takes dedicated parents who will mortgage years of their lives on the chance their child makes it.

[Brownrigg]

When you purchase the NHL package and half of your teams' games are blacked out, it's quite frustrating.

Also, 80% of the ads have something to do with gambling.

[KaraMarisa]

Promoting street hockey at local levels could help capture youth interest, since it's the affordable option.

[UncleRosie]

It’s not just the high cost, it’s the culture. It’s become something for rich snobs spoiled children. Poor kids are often bullied, shunned or cut from the team. The hockey set has become a country club. What’s really sad is the fact that so many super talented kids quit for these reasons long before they’ve realized their potential.

[christian_cantarutti]

I grew up in the 90s in a lower middle class family. I played hockey every year until I was 15. My school had an ODR that I spent my evenings and weekends on through the winter. The custodian would come in early and flood the rink every morning.

Some of my best memories are on that rink. Playing against the big kids, laying out some big hits, fake fights, my feet being so cold that I had to crawl home. So many good times.

My son has no interest in watching or playing hockey but is obsessed with basketball. At first, I felt a lot of disappointment that he won't have the same experience.

Now I see it as a blessing - he still is passionate about a sport and we don't face the financial burdens that come with playing hockey in the modern era.

[YaoboyExperiences]

Not a single Canadian NHL team has won the Stanley Cup since the 1992-93 Canadiens, which cemented its decline.

[milesbaillie]

It's sad honestly. I'm a 20-year-old hockey fan and sometimes it feels like I'm the only person my age passionate about this sport. I'm playing hockey in Spain now and the best part is seeing that there are people here who love hockey too

[BlacqueJacqueShellacque_]

As an American that is a huge hockey fan I was shocked when I started visiting Canada every summer and figured out that most people there don't watch hockey. More fans than the US, but out of my about 6 or 7 friends I've made only 1 watches hockey.

[goldenretriever]

Our demographics are changing. The new Canadian kids don't relate to hockey players and prefer the NBA instead. The hockey league in Scarborough shut down over 30 years sgo because if a lack if players.

[lusiouse]

im from near detroit, grew up in the 80s 90s, love the red wings, always wanted to play hockey, my parents are fairly well off too, but even they didnt want to pay for me and my brothers to play hockey, expensive equipment and ice time, travel, 6 am practices... its too bad its such an expensive sport to play cuz its def the best team sport

[lobofooty]

I was born and raised just outside Toronto. This is true, as kids and teens the world revolved around the Leafs, how they were doing. Constant topic of convo every day. Now, it’s fallen out of the mainstream, where you only know what’s going on if you are a true support. even in the downtown core you may not even be aware the leafs are playing a big playoff game. The Big Hockey supporters when I was young now have kids that are obsessed with soccer, and they have started to get drawn to the sport also. Soccer was once in the fringe and now it is definitely a top 3 in my opinion. Raptors winning in 2019 also increased the popularity of basketball in the city like crazy. Much more parents prefer to put their kids in soccer than hockey as it’s cheaper and seen as safer

[Evan-hockputer]

As a Canadian, in my neighborhood. Basketball and soccer are the favorites.

[chrislaverick]

Canada has officially priced itself out of its own game, I went to buy a stick just the other week, I couldn’t find one for under $180, that’s insane, not to mention in southern Ontario we don’t get the winters that we used to so you don’t even get free ice in the winter anymore Forcing you to have to pay to play, plus how Canada handled Covid also really hurt, you basically didn’t have hockey for a year or two, that had a big affect especially to a kid growing up wanting to play and had to choose different sports

[Noahcallahan]

Grew up playing some aaa but mostly aa, in Saskatchewan with my single dad paying every single year. I’m now 28, don’t have a degree, pretty middle class job, solid relationship, not a chance my future kid is playing hockey, and it breaks my heart. Just so expensive on top of everything else in this country rn.

[hockeyislife]

Hockey in Canada is becoming unaffordable, highly unpopular and other stuff. Bettman doesn’t try to promote the game here yet it’s still better known in Canada then the us

[originalname]

everything you said is 100% true
Hockey: Entertaining
Hockey people: Lame

[maxscameraguy]

What about TV rights and being hard to see your favorite team? Just look at r/NHL people complain about blackouts. It's as bad as being an MLB fan in Iowa.