RANT: The state of hockey development in Canada is completely broken, and national pride/arrogance is preventing us from fixing it

[Rekker]

On 1/25/2024 at 1:07 PM, IBatch said:

When I was a kid, playing hockey was a luxury sport.   I'm not sure it's changed much really. 

Oh it hasn't. Rep hockey and junior hockey is a family commitment for the average income earners. I remember sitting around parent meetings the last few years of AAA hockey and seeing all wealthy people. I was one of the few working stiffs. Self employed and make a good living, but one of the only ones not wealthy. 

[cripplereh]

Thing to me is the USA has given more money to programs and with college and universities some want to go that way to get an education plus play a higher level of hockey then be a star in the chl.

 

That is one reason the states have good programs.If we did the same here and recruited younger players with skill to our programs you might see a difference.Put more money in,they will come.

 

Far as others being as good or better I just do not see it.The states for over 30 years have tried to copy and surpass us,but with close to ten times the amount of people and still about the same I say we are good.

[Northern_Nuck]

On 1/24/2024 at 5:11 PM, PureQuickness said:

 

May I ask in your honest opinion why the US hockey develop system is superior to Hockey Canada?

If I may answer this I’ll say;

 

 1)  Hockey Canada was so obsessed with new development that lots of players don’t play proper games now until 10 years old. They split the arena in half and once every couple of weeks they have a scrimmage.  In my small town, enrolment dropped to about half from the start of the first 4 years to the last year.  Kids want to play hockey because they watch games… they don’t watch their favourite players practice for 4 years. 

 

2)  Rep is so expensive and political that the best players aren’t making the teams. My small town is a good example of that. Everyone who tried out for rep made the team. Not a single cut. 
 

3) The CHL and Jr leagues don’t scout House. How many good players are left behind because they simply can’t afford to pay the $10,000/year to play on a rep team(travel, hotels, eating out, fuel, etc). 
 

4)  Small towns are becoming smaller, less children. Less competition. If you look at the makeup of the Canadian NHL players 30 years ago, the majority were from “small towns” all across Canada. I feel you don’t have the kids in urban Centres that are throwing haybails, shovelling snow, cleaning pens, splitting firewood from 10 years old. I think that lifestyle was heavily a part of Canadian culture up until 25 years ago and naturally gave Canadian kids a more physical/athletic advantage. 
 

5) We’ve become soft as a society. The world jrs showed that hockey was bad, but my prediction is that in 4 years, we won’t even be a top 5 nation of hockey at the world jrs and it’s gonna get worse. 
 

 I had one more but it slipped my mind. Lol probably took too many hits and punches back when I was playing Jr. 

 

6) I remember. Lol. Politics. 
we even saw it at the world Jrs this year. Team Canada left it’s top scorer Riley Heidt off the roster and it’s top ppg player Andrew Cristall was snubbed as well. There was probably 2-3 more players that were more deserving but they weren’t drafted high in the nhl draft or are a future high draft pick.  Like the way Canadian culture has become, we don’t want to choose the best… we want to choose what’s fair and will hurt the fewest amount of feelings. 

Edited January 31 by Northern_Nuck

[Miss Korea]

 

[cripplereh]

On 2/11/2024 at 2:36 PM, Miss Korea said:

 

Sounds like the USA patting themselves on the back.

 

We will see as it might change again.

 

Can't tell the future and these guys are just laughable.

[Miss Korea]

36 minutes ago, cripplereh said:

Sounds like the USA patting themselves on the back.

 

We will see as it might change again.

 

Can't tell the future and these guys are just laughable.

 

Rob is a Canucks fan from Vancouver.  Who are you talking about here?

[iinatcc]

On 1/31/2024 at 12:35 AM, cripplereh said:

Thing to me is the USA has given more money to programs and with college and universities some want to go that way to get an education plus play a higher level of hockey then be a star in the chl.

 

That is one reason the states have good programs.If we did the same here and recruited younger players with skill to our programs you might see a difference.Put more money in,they will come.

 

Far as others being as good or better I just do not see it.The states for over 30 years have tried to copy and surpass us,but with close to ten times the amount of people and still about the same I say we are good.

 

 I guess in terms of population and funding alone it was just going to be a matter of time USA dominates hockey in the world stage.

 

This is no different from most sports I guess. The US will always have the advantage of population and being a developed economy that can properly fund any sports program. 

 

With the exception of China and some other countries. Not many places has that advantage.

 

Most counties are usually developed but relatively low in population or the reverse (like my home county) . 

[PistolPete13]

BCHL seems to be unraveling.Merritt Centennials have announced that they are moving to The KIJHL.

 

At last night’s Vernon vs Trail game, rumours were floating around that PG might also move to the KIJHL, Powell River might move to the Van Island Junior league and Penticton and Chilliwack to the Dub.

 

The Alberta teams that recently joined the BCJHL may have brought with them higher travel costs then some owners can afford

[Miss Korea]

On 4/6/2024 at 12:59 PM, PistolPete13 said:

BCHL seems to be unraveling.Merritt Centennials have announced that they are moving to The KIJHL.

 

At last night’s Vernon vs Trail game, rumours were floating around that PG might also move to the KIJHL, Powell River might move to the Van Island Junior league and Penticton and Chilliwack to the Dub.

 

The Alberta teams that recently joined the BCJHL may have brought with them higher travel costs then some owners can afford

 

If Penticton goes it's all over