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Manoir

Declining interest in hockey-Canada

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It doesn't help that a Canadian team hasn't won the Stanley Cup since 1993.

I really don't think that has much of anything to do with it. Toronto fans are some of the most die hard fans I know. I think it has more to do with immigration as a whole but don't worry by 2nd generation we'll have them all watching hockey just about .

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Soccer is growing rapidly in Canada and the US. I love Hockey but I fear that Butman is hurting it in Canada because they don't have franchises in cities like Winnipeg, Quebec City, Hamilton. Hell I think cities like Seattle, Milwaukee and even Grand Rapids should have a NHL franchise before Phoenix, Atlanta & Miami.

Soccer is not now nor probably ever will be a major sport in the United States. Soccer supporters have been saying this s*** since the Pele days with the NY Cosmos in the 70's, but the sport has never caught on as the so called experts projected. Soccer is way down on the list of priorities of the best high school athletes in the states, and the sport has pretty much relegated itself into a game that little kids play before they get involved in the real sports of interest....i.e. football, basketball, and even baseball. My observation of soccer is that the kids in the states who stick to the sport are either children of immigrant parents from countries where soccer is big or kids who are too small, slow, or not athletic enough to play football or basketball. Who wants to watch that boring ass s*** anyway.

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Guest Shoreline
I really don't think that has much of anything to do with it. Toronto fans are some of the most die hard fans I know. I think it has more to do with immigration as a whole but don't worry by 2nd generation we'll have them all watching hockey just about .

Uh, immigrants, especially second generation, tend to adapt with their social surroundings --- as a person surrounded with immigration, especially illegal, I'm quite familiar with immigrants and adaptability. Hockey is a culture in Canada. To suggest immigrants are actually changing the landscape of hockey and shaking up Canadian culture to that extent is ridiculous and the only basis it has is lack of education or xenophobia. This country has the most immigration in the world and that has never changed the fact that s***ty leagues like the MLB (steroid league) are still tops, nor has it put a dent in it's coverage or interest. Even then, interest does naturally fluctuate, which usually symbolizes nothing.

Canadians frequently cite their lack of interest in the SCF being that no Canadian team is involved. If you notice, the Canadian media coverage also tends to favor Canadian teams, obviously. TSN's front page, during the playoffs, specifically covers Canadian teams left, and most of that coverage disappears when the last Canadian team disappears. Same occurs with Sportsnet and CBC. Less media coverage less interest. People there have been trained by the media there, and some even here, to believe that hockey will inherently be boring if it's a Detroit vs. Pittsburgh finals, or a Tampa Bay Lightning vs. San Jose Sharks final. Yet, during the last few finals that included Canadian teams.. Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, coverage was just about entirely about them.

I'm not suggesting this is inherently a bad thing. I think it's kinda interesting the camaraderie they have in supporting Canadian teams. However, it does influence how people there watch hockey, and most people underestimate the influence media has. Right now this is the likely cause, that no Canadian teams are winning the cup, and interest dwindles significantly when the last Canadian team loses. I'm more interested what happens when a Canadian team wins the cup again.

Edit: And if soccer is a growing sport in the US, it's only because the population in the US is also growing.

Edited by Shoreline

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^ As an extra note to Shoreline's post, during the regular season, TSN shows only games in which at least one team is Canadian. None of this NBC Rangers love-fest; TSN plays any Canadian team, and is always doing Wednesday night double-headers. Plus HNIC on CBC Saturday nights which are almost always Canadian double-headers..

There is certainly a sense of Canadian-first support when it comes to our national hockey media.

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I'll care when canadian teams stop filling their arenas. Which wont happen.

That has happened in the past. Just look at Vancouver's attendance numbers before 2003 or the years Edmonton only got 12-14k a game, for instance. Fans won't support a losing team and will line up for winners.

Hockey can't survive without Canada and it can't survive without the US. Both are needed. The NHL would fold without any US teams also. There's not enough fans in Canada to support it,imo.

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Guest Shoreline
That has happened in the past. Just look at Vancouver's attendance numbers before 2003 or the years Edmonton only got 12-14k a game, for instance. Fans won't support a losing team and will line up for winners.

Hockey can't survive without Canada and it can't survive without the US. Both are needed. The NHL would fold without any US teams also. There's not enough fans in Canada to support it,imo.

Yup. And small market teams are the most vulnerable to that winning/losing curve as far as attention and support (monetarily) goes.

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Hold on, I think the immigration does not affect. I immigrated from Korea and there are many people around me who immigrated to Canada but watch hockey over other sports. Genuinely, the interest of hockey in Canada may decrease due to factors of other sports leagues like CFL and MLB, or even NBA. Because the interest of hockey in Canada is declining, that is not just by the immigration. The peak of interest of hockey was during 90s so it looks the interes went down but I think Canada's hockey interest will not be that down.

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Youv'e got to smoke a lot of dope to be able to sit around and watch poker.

Hey I love watching poker! I stay sober while doing it too... ;)

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A group has recognized this problem and is trying to find solutions; from Toronto Star :

Amidst warning signs that hockey may be losing its grip on Canadian youth, both in numbers and interest, a Toronto hockey summit took a hard look at how to get more kids into the game, particularly those in the 4- to 8-year-old range.

While still vague on how some of their ideas might be implemented, yesterday's gathering – organized by the non-profit group OneGoal – focused on how to break down some of the factors and costs, both real and perceived, that act as barriers to keep children from taking up the game.

And Glenn Healy, from the NHLPA, said yesterday was undoubtedly just a precursor to another future think tank with further involvement from the NHL, its players' association and Hockey Canada, all of which took part in yesterday's day-long workshop along with equipment manufacturers, retailers and others with a stake in the game.

"If you stand in your tracks, you're getting hit by the train," said Healy. "We need to grow."

...

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