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Hasbro 02-16-2006, 06:13 PM Since it looks like Slovakia's made the jump to a full fledged hockey power, Latvia tying the US and Switzerland pulled the big upset today what is the direction of the second teir nations in hockey?
Will Switzerland finaly get skaters to stick in the NHL?
Can Germany make the jump?
What other countries will produce NHLers?
Where the hell am I?
Garbs 02-16-2006, 06:34 PM Onward and upward.
Eventually.
All signs point to yes.
Norway? ...Estonia?
Boulder.
joshjull 02-16-2006, 06:39 PM Since it looks like Slovakia's made the jump to a full fledged hockey power, Latvia tying the US and Switzerland pulled the big upset today what is the direction of the second teir nations in hockey?
Will Switzerland finaly get skaters to stick in the NHL?
Can Germany make the jump?
What other countries will produce NHLers?
Where the hell am I?
I thought they really could have used Hecht and Sturm in that Czech game. Maybe could have capitalized on the PP.
Don't forget Austria, Vanek will lead them to Van in 2010
jadeddog 02-16-2006, 07:45 PM the teams on the outside seem to be gaining some ground.... and its not just this tournament, its been slowly happening for the past 10 years
shawn_kemp* 02-16-2006, 07:47 PM what I don't understand is why Norway isn't as good as Sweden and Finland?
what I don't understand is why Norway isn't as good as Sweden and Finland?
hockey history? :dunno:
PapaBear* 02-16-2006, 08:01 PM What about Pakistan? :propeller
SwisshockeyAcademy 02-16-2006, 08:04 PM What about Pakistan? :propeller
In three hundred years time we will be still be wondering if Pakistan will emerge. But never say never.
In three hundred years time we will be still be wondering if Pakistan will emerge. But never say never.There is Ice Hockey in India!!! :bow:
Don't believe me, click here. (http://www.internationalhockeygang.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1840)
what I don't understand is why Norway isn't as good as Sweden and Finland?Lack of ice-rinks around the country....severe lack of...
shawn_kemp* 02-16-2006, 09:01 PM Lack of ice-rinks around the country....severe lack of...
I know but historically why did hockey spread to Sweden and Finland but not Norway??? Look, there are 4 northern countries in Europe : Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway. So why didn't the Norwegians build any rinks and start playing?
good question about NOrway.. i've always wondered that myself. They are located in a perfect location to be as into hockey as Finland and Sweden.. but what happened? why no NHLer, why no hockey?
I know but historically why did hockey spread to Sweden and Finland but not Norway??? Look, there are 4 northern countries in Europe : Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway. So why didn't the Norwegians build any rinks and start playing?I've read somewhere that back in the 1960s, Finland and Norway were at at comparative levels in hockey. Finland went on an ice-rink building-spree, Norway did not.
Apparently there was someone high up in Norwegian sports who did want to built a bunch of rinks back then, but he lost some power struggle...I read this as secondary information so I don't even know how accurate it is....
good question about NOrway.. i've always wondered that myself. They are located in a perfect location to be as into hockey as Finland and Sweden.. but what happened? why no NHLer, why no hockey?Well, there have been a couple. Espen Knutsen, and Andreas Myrvold. Here is a prospect in the Columbus organization, Olle-Kristain Tol...(sp?) a defensemen.
Germany has alot of nhlers. I think they are pretty close. In 10 years Germany should be in the big 8
Schubert, Sturm, Goc, Erhoff, Hecht, Kolzig im sure im leaving a few guys out but thats a pretty good start. Alot more nhl talent then any other nation.
Epsilon 02-16-2006, 11:49 PM You forgot Poland. :D
arrbez 02-17-2006, 12:10 AM How about Latvia?
I heard hockey is the #1 sport there? Is that true? Or are they all about the basketball like Lithuania?
How about Latvia?
I heard hockey is the #1 sport there? Is that true? Or are they all about the basketball like Lithuania?No, no, they are all about hockey....but basketball is played there as well.
calgarylen13 02-17-2006, 01:34 AM I know but historically why did hockey spread to Sweden and Finland but not Norway??? Look, there are 4 northern countries in Europe : Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway. So why didn't the Norwegians build any rinks and start playing?
Everyone is forgetting about the Danes (as usual) the other Scandinavian team whos hockey levels would be on a par (or better than) with Norway. Norway are not a bad hockey playing nation, and they have had NHLers in the past...namely Espen Knutsen, and there are quite a few players playing in the Elitserien. There are a few in NOrth America at the moment,
Marius Holtet, Iowa Stars drafted at #42 in 2002
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Columbus Blue Jackets (has played 5 games this season)
then there's some in the lower leagues, like Joakim Jensen in the QMJHL.
Norway does have rinks...how else could the 1994 winter olympics taken place??? They also have a national league, which the four top teams qualify further for the "Royal League". The Royal league includes the 4 top teams from Finland and Sweden, as well as (from 2007) the top 4 teams from Norway and Denmark all in a pre-season tournament against each other of the highest esteem. At the moment there are fewer teams from Norway and Denmark, but as they have shown they cna keep up they have been rewarded with more teams.
The Danes are the team to watch, they've got a great youth system and the league over here is improving dramatically. In 2010 I reckon Denmark will be present at the olympics
Raimo Sillanpää 02-17-2006, 01:43 AM Norway does have rinks...how else could the 1994 winter olympics taken place??? They also have a national league, which the four top teams qualify further for the "Royal League". The Royal league includes the 4 top teams from Finland and Sweden, as well as (from 2007) the top 4 teams from Norway and Denmark all in a pre-season tournament against each other of the highest esteem. At the moment there are fewer teams from Norway and Denmark, but as they have shown they cna keep up they have been rewarded with more teams.
Uuh.. I think you're getting confused with their Football/Soccer royal league.
Because neither SM-Liiga nor Mestis teams participate in any such league..
That's leave us with Suomi sarja and lower teams.. ie non-professionals.
calgarylen13 02-17-2006, 01:49 AM Uuh.. I think you're getting confused with their Football/Soccer royal league.
Because neither SM-Liiga nor Mestis teams participate in any such league..
That's leave us with Suomi sarja and lower teams.. ie non-professionals.
I gave it the soccer name as I can't think of what the hockey one is called...but it is a competition, i'll keep you posted when the name comes to me (perhaps its structured a bit differently even, I haven't seen it going off what my home stay parent tells me)
Yes, you are correct, Norway and especially Denmark are finally making inroads recently. Denmark has really benefitted from increased funding in recent years. Another country to watch out for, but is about 5 years behind Denmark is Hungary.
psycho_dad 02-17-2006, 02:29 AM They can win single games, but still a long way from taking the big leap. USA is in with a veteran team, and I am not surprised they failed in their first game against Latvia, but it was still the first game. Czech are known to be mood players, attitude players. They can mess up a game against a good team like Switzerland if they are not on their game. But how many times it would happen in 10 games between them? Maybe once.
The differencies are still huge. Germany and Switzerland are knocking on the door of top 7, but they wont get in before Slovakia opens the door and they wrestle for it. Why Slovakia? Well...they have great players right now, but no stars in the making. And goalies..they still have a lack of goalie depth and that is a big thing. I dont think even slovakia will drop out for germany and swiss, but with their junior production they seem to be the next candidate. Sweden still has a good core of players under 30, even though their next generation has not looked so hot. They also lack real goalie depth.
USA could have a momentary lapse in the next games, especially if there is a world cup in 2 years or so, but they have amazing talent coming up. So they are quite secure.
swisdan 02-17-2006, 02:44 AM You can see the IIHF ranking here:
http://www.iihf.com/news/Ranking2005.pdf
jepjepjoo 02-17-2006, 05:50 AM Everyone is forgetting about the Danes (as usual) the other Scandinavian team whos hockey levels would be on a par (or better than) with Norway. Norway are not a bad hockey playing nation, and they have had NHLers in the past...namely Espen Knutsen, and there are quite a few players playing in the Elitserien. There are a few in NOrth America at the moment,
Marius Holtet, Iowa Stars drafted at #42 in 2002
Ole-Kristian Tollefsen, Columbus Blue Jackets (has played 5 games this season)
then there's some in the lower leagues, like Joakim Jensen in the QMJHL.
Norway does have rinks...how else could the 1994 winter olympics taken place??? They also have a national league, which the four top teams qualify further for the "Royal League". The Royal league includes the 4 top teams from Finland and Sweden, as well as (from 2007) the top 4 teams from Norway and Denmark all in a pre-season tournament against each other of the highest esteem. At the moment there are fewer teams from Norway and Denmark, but as they have shown they cna keep up they have been rewarded with more teams.
The Danes are the team to watch, they've got a great youth system and the league over here is improving dramatically. In 2010 I reckon Denmark will be present at the olympics
If you mean the tournament which sweden and finland both have 4 teams next preseason then its not top Finnish teams... For example TPS is going and they are 11th atm
Riddarn 02-17-2006, 06:04 AM I gave it the soccer name as I can't think of what the hockey one is called...but it is a competition, i'll keep you posted when the name comes to me (perhaps its structured a bit differently even, I haven't seen it going off what my home stay parent tells me)
I've never heard of such a tournament. But there was an article in one of the tabloids a few weeks ago that said that such a tournament could be in the works, but only between the Danes and Norwegians. I doubt that the SEL and FHL teams would be interested.. They have their own preseason tournaments.
calgarylen13 02-17-2006, 06:06 AM If you mean the tournament which sweden and finland both have 4 teams next preseason then its not top Finnish teams... For example TPS is going and they are 11th atm
Perhaps thats the one! I'm starting to doubt myself too but i'll ask Christian when he gets home, but he was explaining it to me the other day as the top teams, but it could be wrong somehow :), mixed up in the translation possibly
calgarylen13 02-17-2006, 06:08 AM I've never heard of such a tournament. But there was an article in one of the tabloids a few weeks ago that said that such a tournament could be in the works, but only between the Danes and Norwegians. I doubt that the SEL and FHL teams would be interested.. They have their own preseason tournaments.
Could even perhaps be the speculation of one, i'm really unsure now, so I won't try and say that i'm right coz I may not be (but I too thought it were unusual the top Swedish and Finnish teams would want to play the Danes and Norwegians as there are two different levels of hockey)
hifk88 02-17-2006, 06:13 AM Denmark has a three potential NHL'ers on the future:
Morten Madsen RW 87 (Minnesota)
Peter Regin C 86 (Ottawa)
Jannik Hansen FW 86 (Vancouver)
calgarylen13 02-17-2006, 06:17 AM Denmark has a three potential NHL'ers on the future:
Morten Madsen RW 87 (Minnesota)
Peter Regin C 86 (Ottawa)
Jannik Hensen FW 86 (Vancouver)
I always had hoped Kim Staal would make the jump! I doubt he will now, but thats too bad. :(
Slava Trukhno also has to be a chance, a solid change, though i'm not sure on his citizenship status
jekoh 02-17-2006, 06:24 AM Why Slovakia? Well...they have great players right now, but no stars in the making.Many of those great players were never stars in the making either.
psycho_dad 02-17-2006, 06:30 AM Many of those great players were never stars in the making either.
Yeah could be. Gaborik and Hossa were at least.
I dont predict Slovakia to drop in the rankings, just saying their junior production has been close to the swiss for a while now.
YungGunner94 02-17-2006, 06:38 AM what about iceland, belgium, what happend to belarus, lithuania, croatia, yugoslavia?...netherlands?...romania, bulgaria, ukraine, estonia..
whats up with these countries programs???
and is kazakhstan the only asian nation in the hockey world these days...besides ofcourse japan
I know but historically why did hockey spread to Sweden and Finland but not Norway??? Look, there are 4 northern countries in Europe : Finland, Russia, Sweden and Norway. So why didn't the Norwegians build any rinks and start playing?
To be honest its almost a miracle that Sweden and Finland are so good. Sweden and Finland are getting allot of crap thrown our way on these boards.
But the facts are that we are really small countrys, 5 and 8m citizens. Swedish hockey is always competeing with other sports for talents. When the soccer team plays well international hockey looses allot of young talents. Sweden are good in allot of sports, Track and Field, Soccer, Hockey, Handball, Bandy, Skiing & dowhillskiing just to name a few. In the end all sports only have a population of 8m to find talents from. A compaision is that there are almost more female hockeyplayers in Canada then there are male in Sweden. There are 5x more soccer players in Sweden then Hockeyplayers.
My guess why hockey became a top 4 sports in Sweden and not in Norway is that Sweden had a very strong hockey team in the 50's and 60's. We had our own Gordie Howe in Sven Tumba who won a few World Championships for us and became huge stars. With out him and a few others we might suck even more in hockey.
go kim johnsson 514 02-17-2006, 06:47 AM Keep an eye on Slovenia too. I sense that Anze Kopitar will not be the only player to come out of Slovenia...he's not even the first one (i think he's 2nd)
Norway and Denmark recently have produced solid draft picks
Sports is always allot of tradition. Slovakia have that from the old Czech-Slo days. But I wouldn't count out a country like Belarus nor Germany. Slovakia for example don't have much better conditions then some old Soviet states.
Hockey is actually quit strong in Germany and they have a strong history in hockey with allot of really classic players. They also have more money in the game then any other country in Europe. But thats also a big problem for them. During he 90's their own talents never got a chance to play in their top league and teams weren't forced to develop them since they could buy better Finns, Canadians and Swedes. Though they have new regulations now with a max on forign players and could become quit strong. The thing is that as long as they don't have a big success hockey won't get the attention it needs, and without attention they won't get much success. But if you look at them right now they are becomming better and better. This team they have right now would be good with Sturm and Hect. If they could improve to having 4 guys like that on the team at the same time they could suddenly maybe win a medal in a WCH or something.
komisakick ass 02-17-2006, 08:38 AM There is Ice Hockey in India!!! :bow:
Don't believe me, click here. (http://www.internationalhockeygang.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1840)
I could probably crack their Olympic lineup :yo:
I am so good :sarcasm:
Belizarius 02-17-2006, 09:07 AM I have some hopes for France if the medias can put Cristobal Huet more often in the show here.
In april, France will finally have an ice hockey federation (it's an ice sports federation at this point). So hockey will start to develop on his own instead of paying for figure skating...
France national team is always in the 14th-18th rank, and juniors have so good results in the Division 1 with a cup of coffee a few years ago in the elite groupe.
miss hockey 02-17-2006, 02:42 PM In april, France will finally have an ice hockey federation (it's an ice sports federation at this point). So hockey will start to develop on his own instead of paying for figure skating...
That could be huge. Maybe it is just what you need!
For many years, Finnish hockey is under skiiing union, once in the 50's they don't send our national team to world championships because it would push them overbudget!
Own union = first step to making it big one day.
Maybe soon our ski-jumpers and nordic combined guys form their own union and break off from ski-union, that way they don't have to put up with ski unions garbage (this olympics skiiers get best housing, even though they have no chance of medal and nordic combined got worst housing, even though they had very real chance of 2-3 golds and 4-5 medals..)
No, no, they are all about hockey....but basketball is played there as well.
I would imagine they would be all about soccer, especially after Euro 2004.
Phil Parent 02-17-2006, 03:00 PM I long wondered about Norway and Denmark's lack of results in hockey and I was given an interesting answer, don't know if it's an actual fact but...
I was told that most Nords and Danes are less bellicose by nature than Swedes and Fins and thus less combative in contact sports.
I call Bull, because the Swiss ain't exactly mean either, and they're doing pretty good.
Keep an eye on Slovenia too. I sense that Anze Kopitar will not be the only player to come out of Slovenia...he's not even the first one (i think he's 2nd)
Norway and Denmark recently have produced solid draft picksMarcel Rodman, from Slovenia, was drafted by Boston in 2002. He attended camp and they wanted to assign him to the AHL, but then he bolted to Europe as they could not come to contract terms...
I always had hoped Kim Staal would make the jump! I doubt he will now, but thats too bad. :(
Slava Trukhno also has to be a chance, a solid change, though i'm not sure on his citizenship statusSlava is lost to Denmark. He played for Russia during the 2005 U18 WCs...
Which is too bad, since it was the Danish program that developed him (his family moved to Denmark when we was 5 years old). Having him play for Denmark, and make the NHL would have been a huge boost for hockey in Denmark...
JoeLH 02-17-2006, 03:27 PM Germany has alot of nhlers. I think they are pretty close. In 10 years Germany should be in the big 8
Schubert, Sturm, Goc, Erhoff, Hecht, Kolzig im sure im leaving a few guys out but thats a pretty good start. Alot more nhl talent then any other nation.
and Seidenberg ... Lewandowski wants to go to North America in the season 06/07. Greiss could play in the NHL one day i think, he did well yesterday against Team Canada after a slow start.
Gogulla (Buffalo 2nd rounder 05) could also be ready for 07/08. Marcel and Moritz Mueller and towering Elia Ostwald (6'05'') could follow ...
Sports is always allot of tradition. Slovakia have that from the old Czech-Slo days. But I wouldn't count out a country like Belarus nor Germany. Slovakia for example don't have much better conditions then some old Soviet states.
Hockey is actually quit strong in Germany and they have a strong history in hockey with allot of really classic players. They also have more money in the game then any other country in Europe. But thats also a big problem for them. During he 90's their own talents never got a chance to play in their top league and teams weren't forced to develop them since they could buy better Finns, Canadians and Swedes. Though they have new regulations now with a max on forign players and could become quit strong. The thing is that as long as they don't have a big success hockey won't get the attention it needs, and without attention they won't get much success. But if you look at them right now they are becomming better and better. This team they have right now would be good with Sturm and Hect. If they could improve to having 4 guys like that on the team at the same time they could suddenly maybe win a medal in a WCH or something.
That's true but there are still lots of problems for young hockey players in Germany. The most important one is the lack of rinks.
My hometown has two popular hockeyteams that average about 10.000 fans together per game. The game is pretty popular here but in the whole town of more than half a million people there are only two ice-rinks. Players of the age of 7 or 8 have to practise at 10 in the evening.
Except for Bavaria that's pretty much the case everywhere.
That's true but there are still lots of problems for young hockey players in Germany. The most important one is the lack of rinks.
My hometown has two popular hockeyteams that average about 10.000 fans together per game. The game is pretty popular here but in the whole town of more than half a million people there are only two ice-rinks. Players of the age of 7 or 8 have to practise at 10 in the evening.
Except for Bavaria that's pretty much the case everywhere.I don't know where you are, but I was told that they have made a bunch of new rinks in the West, ie, along the Rhine area in the past few years....
Sakaarnis 02-17-2006, 04:16 PM No, no, they are all about hockey....but basketball is played there as well.
Well, you would think so. But infact Hockey if we look on general popularity is sport nr.3 here. Most popular is basketball wich i dont like and next is football, wich i hate. But hockey is gettin popular, with the new ice rinks beeing built, hockey schools opening and more kids playing. Football was and will be very popular here, same picture is in rest of Europe, but if we compare the developent of basketball and hockey, i predict the later will overcome the basketball in near future. Atleast i truly hope so.
Hasbro 02-17-2006, 04:18 PM and Seidenberg ... Lewandowski wants to go to North America in the season 06/07. Greiss could play in the NHL one day i think, he did well yesterday against Team Canada after a slow start.
Gogulla (Buffalo 2nd rounder 05) could also be ready for 07/08. Marcel and Moritz Mueller and towering Elia Ostwald (6'05'') could follow ...
Helps that teams other than San Jose are looking at German players.
As for Norway their high medal count points to their winter emphasis on skiing.
In the cases of France and Italy they have such large populations hockey even becoming a regional sport (much like it is in the US) would be a boon.
sehnsucht 02-17-2006, 04:21 PM Germany is my favorite to finish out the top 8. They remind me a lot of Finland years ago, an increasing amount of NHL players, a tight, disciplined system, and built around the goal with several real good youngsters coming in to replace Kolzig.
Hasbro 02-17-2006, 04:26 PM what about iceland, belgium, what happend to belarus, lithuania, croatia, yugoslavia?...netherlands?...romania, bulgaria, ukraine, estonia..
whats up with these countries programs???In the case of Iceland the population is so small, 297k, that there really isn't the talent pool to be developed. I know we have some Belgian posters, it would be nice to hear from our outsiders about the sport in their country.
and is kazakhstan the only asian nation in the hockey world these days...besides ofcourse japan
China, the Koreas (with the exception of Chick) Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau all are members of the IIHF.
There used to be a link on IIHF for stats on registeered players and rinks by countryu, but damned if I can find it.
joshjull 02-17-2006, 04:38 PM Could anyone inform me of the level of hockey interest in Austria. Just curious with the Sabres having a pretty good player in Vanek from there. Any other Austrians on their way to the NHL?
JoeLH 02-17-2006, 04:50 PM Austrian D-Man Thomas Pock (Rangers) and Goalie Reinhard Divis (St. Louis) are part-time NHL players.
You can compare the interest in hockey with Germany (not Switzerland, where hockey's standing is a bit higher). Skiing and Soccer are the sports favorites in Austria.
BraveSirRobin 02-17-2006, 05:15 PM Slava is lost to Denmark. He played for Russia during the 2005 U18 WCs...
Which is too bad, since it was the Danish program that developed him (his family moved to Denmark when we was 5 years old). Having him play for Denmark, and make the NHL would have been a huge boost for hockey in Denmark...
I thought there was a new rule implemented that allowed players who played for one country in the past to play for a another country. It was the rule that let Nabokov play for Russia I believe. Did they change it again?
BraveSirRobin 02-17-2006, 05:22 PM In the case of Iceland the population is so small, 297k, that there really isn't the talent pool to be developed. I know we have some Belgian posters, it would be nice to hear from our outsiders about the sport in their country.
China, the Koreas (with the exception of Chick) Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau all are members of the IIHF.
There used to be a link on IIHF for stats on registeered players and rinks by countryu, but damned if I can find it.
I remember it too. All I can find are the member countries and contacts for each country. (for those curious, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Mongolia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates are the other Asian countries with IIHF membership)
I'm curious on Spanish and Australian hockey. Why isn't it flourishing in Spain? I read that Australia sent a hockey team to the Olympics in 1960 or 1964, so why didn't they keep up?
joshjull 02-17-2006, 05:25 PM Austrian D-Man Thomas Pock (Rangers) and Goalie Reinhard Divis (St. Louis) are part-time NHL players.
You can compare the interest in hockey with Germany (not Switzerland, where hockey's standing is a bit higher). Skiing and Soccer are the sports favorites in Austria.
Thanks for the info
Hasbro 02-17-2006, 05:26 PM I remember it too. All I can find are the member countries and contacts for each country. (for those curious, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Mongolia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates are the other Asian countries with IIHF membership)I hasve the data on my computer at home, I'm just not there for the week.
I'm curious on Spanish and Australian hockey. Why isn't it flourishing in Spain? I read that Australia sent a hockey team to the Olympics in 1960 or 1964, so why didn't they keep up?
I think that was like the British gold medal team where Candians with Aussie citizenship made up the team. Love the Kangaroo uniform though.
Noutaja 02-17-2006, 05:48 PM Heh, Australia tied Finland 6-6 at 1960 olympics. Those were the days... :D
Hasbro 02-17-2006, 06:00 PM Does anyone know what kind of surge Italy is getting from the olympics?
nik jr 02-17-2006, 06:13 PM seems like it would be germany or even china(!) just based on population. germany is biggest in europe after russia. china seems to want to expand into every sport. i don't think history and tradition is very important in a bureaucratic dictatorship like china. and they do already participate in winter events, unlike other huge countries like india or indonesia or brazil.
i don't even know how suisse and finns and swedes and latvia are so good, since the populations are tiny compared to us and russia. i think hockey isn't even 1st sport in some of them. canada is small but hockey is the national sport.
belarus should be able to get into top 10.
Hasbro 02-18-2006, 01:57 PM I remember it too. All I can find are the member countries and contacts for each country. (for those curious, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Mongolia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates are the other Asian countries with IIHF membership)
I'm curious on Spanish and Australian hockey. Why isn't it flourishing in Spain? I read that Australia sent a hockey team to the Olympics in 1960 or 1964, so why didn't they keep up?
I found the file on my computer. It's adobe and I don't know how to upload it.
I remember there was a series of articles on cbc.ca from Salt Lake about other hockey countries that covered China and Belarus among others
So Switzerland beating Canada. Will that mean Swiss player will get a better look by the NHL?
I remember it too. All I can find are the member countries and contacts for each country. (for those curious, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Israel, Mongolia, Singapore, Turkey, United Arab Emirates are the other Asian countries with IIHF membership)
I'm curious on Spanish and Australian hockey. Why isn't it flourishing in Spain? I read that Australia sent a hockey team to the Olympics in 1960 or 1964, so why didn't they keep up?Hockey in Spain lacks any financial support - best place to ask would be this Spanish sub-forum (http://www.internationalhockeygang.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=52)
Australian hockey has stagnated for a while, now there is a serious effort to bring things up - Here's an Australian sub-forum (http://www.internationalhockeygang.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=45)
Both countries are in the C-Pool (or Div II) Although a controversial goal by Croatia prevented Australia from advancing to the B-Pool for this year...
Australia is ranked 34th and Spain 37th (out of 45 countries).
Hasbro 02-18-2006, 02:28 PM As to the Norway question they have 6600 registered players and 29 indoor rinks
In comparison Sweden has 66k and 298 with roughly double the population. Finland has 52k and 222 with about a million more people.
Snap Wilson 02-18-2006, 02:38 PM what I don't understand is why Norway isn't as good as Sweden and Finland?
Smaller stock. The more West you go in Europe, the smaller and slighter the people get. Fewer Slavic genes.
jekoh 02-18-2006, 02:52 PM Smaller stock. The more West you go in Europe, the smaller and slighter the people get. Fewer Slavic genes. Slavic genes :biglaugh:
Norwegians are taller than Russians and Czechs.
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