Canada’s Game

Ice hockey is generally viewed by Americans and Canadians to be Canada’s game. This is bad for the popularity in the US, and it’s bad for the quality of the game in Canada.

Let me start by writing about the American implications of hockey’s reputation for being Canadian. Simply put, anything Canadian isn’t American. Our blind loyalty of our country means that we will not support this Canadian sport as much as our American sports. This seriously reduces the NHL’s ability to compete with the other 3 major sports in this country.

About those Canadians. Do they actually love hockey, or do they feel obligated to support it? In many cases, Canadian hockey fans are acting out of obligation. They don’t really care about the quality of the game played. They will support it regardless.

Sports need to have a balance between entertainment value and value of victory. When you develop a blind loyalty to anything, including a sport, you stop developing your own opinions. Since entertainment is subjective, hockey loyalists tend to look only at the value of winning.

Canada develops some of the worst hockey players to watch (although I have to admit that Americans are about as bad). They sacrifice the creativity and the athleticism (common traits among the best European players) in favor of technical skills and a win-at-all-costs mentality. These players’ personalities are questionable and they look more like they are doing a job than having fun. Loyal fans still support them. Personally, I’d rather watch the Sedins.

What’s happening with the sport’s Canadian reputation is that Americans are hesitant to watch and Canadians are pushing for a sleep-inducing style of play. There’s nothing wrong with a country strongly associating itself with a sport or two, but mindless nationalists are almost certain to cause serious damage. People who love hockey are being displaced by mindless sheep. Perhaps that’s why I’m becoming so frustrated with the NHL. I would rather enjoy the sport than convince others that I am a typical fan.