Quote:
Originally Posted by Scroopy Noopers
Hockey isn’t the same! You can’t compare growth of hockey in other countries in the same conversation as growth of games that need a ball... and that’s it.
Places aren’t just popping up huge refrigerated buildings for a sport when they have 3 other hugely popular sports that can be played with items you can pick up in the forest. You can’t just grow hockey with exposure.
|
As Canadians, I don't think we really understand how inaccessible ice hockey is to the vast majority of the people in the world. Not only do you need the infrastructure of ice rinks, but with the expensive equipment and highly specialized training, even in Canada it has become a sport for the affluent.
Expecting Olympic hockey to substantially grow participation in places like China is like expecting a high-profile polo tournament to substantially grow participation in that sport globally.
The NHL has correctly discerned that the most promising source of new hockey fans and players is upper-middle-class Americans.