Quote:
Originally Posted by getbak
If that sort of global success had materialized after Nagano, the league probably wouldn't care if they could put Olympic highlights on their website. Hockey didn't catch on the same way that basketball did after Barcelona, and it most-likely never will for a variety of reasons (cost and weather being two of the biggest factors).
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Well they have cold weather in China.
Hockey is also a bit different than basketball where you actually have to develop players rather than just dig up some 7+ foot tall genetic freak that can run 200 feet without falling over and be able to stick their hands in the air.
In the past couple of decades though we have started to see an influx of players from non traditional European countries. At the top of the list are guys like Draisaitl and Kopitar. Denmark is producing a few players. Starting to see some potential prospects from Japan.
It's not going to happen overnight, as countries need to invest in facilities for hockey unlike other sports, but the sport is growing world wide.