Since Sabres good again I got the hockey bug, and since I’m a nerd, I compared the nationalies of players
Now, I have left wing politics, but I’m still rooting for USA in any hockey game. Canada is still the only country I’ve been too besides indigenous sovereign land, outside the US. I love Canada, but I’m rooting for the boys in blue over you <3
In 2010, Canada won an iconic gold medal match. The NHL make up was roughly:
CAN: 53%
USA: 22%
SWE: 6%
CZE: 5%
RUS: 4%
FIN: 4%
With other Europeans filling the balance
Rough 2 parts Canadian, 1 part USian, 1 part European
Today, after US has won the gold, the make up is:
CAN: 42%
USA: 28%
SWE: 10%
RUS: 7%
FIN: 5%
CZE: 3%
With other Europeans filling the gap, plus 1 Aussie.
More European participation, to the point every team except the host country boasted an NHLer in their roster, this Olympics
Part with the game growing overseas, and part success of US Development Program, the share of Canadians has declined. The international circuit is more competitive.
Don’t get me wrong, Canada is still the greatest hockey nation. The greatest players of all time, vast majority are Canadian. Of the best-on-bests Canada has won the lions share.
I’m just saying moving forward, their dominance isn’t guaranteed. And my patriotism starts and ends with hockey 🇺🇸
Also to note, from 2010-2026, the share of Goaltenders went down from about 50% to 28%, while USian goalies went up from 15% to about 25%. This is where the comparison is the starkest. Since the current pool of players is even between the 2 North American sides, USA has been able to take advantage
Now, just under half the league between the pipes is European
Another notable difference: 13 Quebecois in net in 2010, to just 1 today. It used to be a pipeline!
Shawn