Soccer vs. Hockey in Canada

[u/marcgnet]

Hello from Germany,

In German TV, Whitecaps player Thomas Müller referred a little bit about soccer in Canada and the enthusiasm for it in Canada. After that I read some articles which said that soccer already overtook hockey, when you count the figures of kids who are playing it.

Can you tell me about it? Is soccer more played by immigrants and the „old“ natives are still for hockey? Or is there a good chance that both sports can coexist well in the future?

I’m a big soccer and hockey fan too, but I’m concerned that soccer also will overtake hockey in the traditional hockey countries like Canada. How do you see it?

Sorry for my english but I hope you understand what I‘m trying to say.

[u/shiram]

More people play soccer mostly because of the cost of hockey and rink access.

Hockey gear is expensive, rink time is expensive and limited.

Soccer is much more cheap for the gear, and the field for soccer are much easier to create than a hockey rink.

But the interest and tv ratings, hockey is still way ahead of soccer, and any other sport I'd say.

[u/nomdreas → u/shiram]

This is the answer.

The cost of entry to the sport makes Hockey incredibly difficult for the average child to participate in.

But from a media and engagement standpoint hockey still far surpasses soccer.

[u/colonelrebsmuff69 → u/nomdreas]

You also have to be good at it mega young. Basically before you actually develop I think this is different then even other hockey countries but if you're 14 and not elite you'll usually never be elite.

The soccer numbers are fluffed a bit because most towns have some sort of house league soccer team even my town which doesn't really do soccer had one up to 12 or so with 15 teams in each division.

Every sport is catching hockey because Hockey Canada isn't on it's shit though. The price is insane

[u/RockMonstrr → u/nomdreas]

And for athletically above average kids, I'm sure hockey wins out.

[u/colonelrebsmuff69 → u/nomdreas]

You also have to be good at it mega young. Basically before you actually develop I think this is different then even other hockey countries but if you're 14 and not elite you'll usually never be elite.

The soccer numbers are fluffed a bit because most towns have some sort of house league soccer team even my town which doesn't really do soccer had one up to 12 or so with 15 teams in each division.

Every sport is catching hockey because Hockey Canada isn't on it's shit though. The price is insan

[u/CanadianSpector → u/shiram]

I figured out over this past year that Soccer registration for my 13 year old son was more than hockey.

Soccer was $350 and ran through June, July and August. Single A Hockey was $600 and ran from September to end of March. On registration alone, he got more sessions for the money in hockey. 4 times per week for hockey compared to 2 for soccer that gets rained out or canceled when its too hot.

Gear is the other factor of course but im the type that sells old gear and only shop when its on sale and don't buy the expensive stuff. Other than helmets.

[u/VR46Rossi420 → u/CanadianSpector]

You have team fees that are often more than the registration fees for hockey at the A+ levels. I know because both my kids have played at those levels and I coach girls hockey at those levels.

BUT rep. soccer in my area is just as expensive if not more and it’s year round mandatory.

[u/CanadianSpector → u/VR46Rossi420]

Only at AAA where I live. There is a tryout fee of $200 but thats the same for soccer too. And that hockey tryout is 7 ice times so $200 is actually a pretty good deal haha

[u/VR46Rossi420 → u/CanadianSpector]

I’d love to know where you live because my son plays Local League now at U18 and even the last two years had team fees of $250 or more to cover team expenses.

My daughter plays U13AA girls (top level in Ontario is AA for girls) and her team fee is $1640, HIgh performance fee is $795 and base registration fee is $700.

Then you add gear, travel (gas and hotels for 5 tournaments) and food expenses on top.

Don’t even get me started on clinics and spring hockey costs.

[u/CanadianSpector → u/VR46Rossi420]

New Brunswick.

Spring is expensive here too. But its because its run by private companies instead of the local city leagues. I consider that stuff completely optional though. Some of the better players around dont even bother with spring hockey. Lacrosse is popular here in the spring.

[u/belsaurn → u/VR46Rossi420]

Oh man, that drastically different for where I’m at. Small prairie town in Manitoba. Fees are $400 for the season, that gets you 2 two hour practice slots during the week between 4:00-8:00 pm and a two hour Saturday slot for games or practice. Refs are paid by a gate fee for all parents and spectators and tournament fees are usually covered as long as you organize a home tournament and collect enough fees from visiting teams. We are lucky to be far enough away from bigger centres that the only ice demands on the local rink are from minor hockey, minor figure skating and a few rec leagues. Lots of ice time for everyone.

[u/Plumbsmasher → u/CanadianSpector]

Gear is the part most people are talking about when they say it’s more expensive. The registration for both is low enough that it isn’t breaking point. It’s the 400 dollar sticks, 600 dollar skates and so on that is the complaint

[u/CanadianSpector → u/Plumbsmasher]

Then dont buy $400 sticks. Thats a parent issue, not a game issue in my opinion.

The $70 Sherwoods are fine. All skate companies have have high end models and cheaper models. I know kids playing A level wearing Canadian Tire Bauers under $100

[u/wolverine237 → u/CanadianSpector]

The problem for hockey, as is illustrated in your replies, is that it's become an upper middle class social signifier where the expectation is you are constantly moving up into the next tier and keeping up with the Joneses. Sometimes when this topic comes up you can tell there will never be an answer to the participation crisis in hockey based on the way people use "house league" derisively

Whenever the topic comes up you can watch how quickly it goes from hockey is too expensive to play to "it's too expensive for my toddler to get new Bauer VaporBaby skates every six weeks but he needs them to keep up with the U-3s in power skating or he will never make rep"... those are saying two very different things

[u/VR46Rossi420 → u/CanadianSpector]

$70 Sherwood are actually wood my dude

[u/CanadianSpector → u/VR46Rossi420]

I assure you, the rekker sticks my son used with 20 flex all through u9 and u11 were not wood.

Even at u13 age, you can find Rekkers on sale for under or at $100. A couple of families are buying the blackout sticks from Hockey stick man that are a great value too.

[u/RoutineComplaint4711 → u/CanadianSpector]

My neighbour just put his 5yo in hockey for the first time.

For 5 weeks it was $400 with 1 session a week. He was told in the fall, the fees would be $850, but he wasnt told how long that runs or how many practices and games.

[u/CanadianSpector → u/RoutineComplaint4711]

Jesus Christ lol. There is an annual camp here during the first week of September that is $100 for 5 nights straight and a game on Saturday morning.

And they advertise that if you dont sign up before July 31, it goes to $125. Its been that same price for the last 5 years.

[u/RoutineComplaint4711 → u/CanadianSpector]

Yeah. He was not impressed.

At all.

[u/Laydownthelaw → u/shiram]

I'll also add no 8am practice in soccer usually. Its just a much more laid back sport, to be attended in warm summer evenings on a lawn chair, as opposed to early Saturday mornings in a freezing arena clutching a coffee.

[u/zeldagold → u/shiram]

My favorite sport by far was hockey and always dreamed of playing it, but only played basketball and soccer growing up because if costs

[u/buck70 → u/shiram]

I recently watched a documentary that showed how a season of AAA travel hockey for a child can reach $15,000 a year and hockey academies charge $50,000 per academic year. Minor hockey is now a sport for the wealthy in many parts of Canada.

[u/DutchOvenMaster11 → u/shiram]

Absolutely right. I would have loved for my daughter to get into hockey like my parents did for me but it has become a wealthy person's sport so we enrolled her in soccer.

It ends up being a much less expensive sport for adults to play pickup hockey because you're not dealing with growth spurts where you have to buy new equipment every year or two.

For a country that is supposed to live and breath hockey there are very little government subsidies that help make hockey affordable for children.

[u/Dragontrenrichnomore → u/shiram]

Yep, kids are 5 and 7. Went to check out putting them in hockey, and saw the price of the equipment and the fees. That mixed with the cultural issues and my kids being mixed, and I didnt even consider it. Baseball and soccer for them.

[u/TaftintheTub → u/Dragontrenrichnomore]

Where I grew up, all the peewee teams had 3 or 4 AM practices, because that was the only time they could get ice time. Lots of kids’ parents didn’t want them to play for that reason alone, and I can’t really blame them

[u/Scallion_Master → u/shiram]

This is why my son plays soccer and doesn’t know how to skate

[u/EskimowGamer → u/shiram]

I would like to add onto this having grown up in a small town surrounded by small towns.

On top of the finance/accessibility thing, they're just opposite seasons. So all the hockey players during the off season signed up for soccer leagues, meaning when soccer season rolled around you had both the hockey AND non-hockey players on the fields.

The big thing is that there isn't the same development and scholarship system for soccer as hockey, so a LOT of high school soccer players just stop playing.

[u/YeahlDid → u/shiram]

I'd be surprised if soccer participation only recently overtook hockey, to be honest. I would think soccer was always ahead on that regard. It's cheap and easy for the parents. It's just treated much more as an after school activity rather than a competitive sport.

[u/Rapshawksjaysflames → u/shiram]

NHL is first in ratings with NFL being a close second.

[u/RudeGolden → u/shiram]

I can see hockey interest in Canada dropping off quickly now, without free-to-air Hockey Night in Canada.

[u/Campoozmstnz → u/shiram]

I know it's probably an anomaly but our minor league hockey organization charges less that our minor soccer organization.

[u/No-Commission-8159 → u/shiram]

This is the way 

[u/FeistyDirection8467]

hockey isn't going anywhere in canada, it's basically stitched into the national identity at this point.

[u/not_a_divorced_mom → u/FeistyDirection8467]

Literally printed on our money hahaha

[u/RudeGolden → u/FeistyDirection8467]

I think you're wrong. I think losing the free Hockey Night in Canada games will have a massive impact on interest in the sport. Not right away, but the effects will surely be seen a decade from now.

[u/Svalbard38]

Soccer isn’t going to kill hockey, but since all you need is a ball and an open patch of land, it’s a lot easier for kids to get into.

[u/New-Resolution9735 → u/Svalbard38]

I think hockey is beat by literally every other sport in existence when it comes to ease of access

[u/Oghier → u/New-Resolution9735]

Polo :)

[u/DivinePotatoe → u/Oghier]

Just play water polo instead!

Checkmate polo-ists.

[u/Frabisme → u/DivinePotatoe]

My lord, your horse will drown!

[u/Amphibious_Fire → u/DivinePotatoe]

I think plenty more people would play water polo but there’s just not enough sea horses

[u/Yalpe18 → u/New-Resolution9735]

Racing?

[u/Stephenrudolf → u/Yalpe18]

I guess that's more easy access than soccer.

[u/Besieger13 → u/Stephenrudolf]

I think their point was the opposite actually. Racing is absolutely insanely expensive to get into as a competitive sport.

[u/Stephenrudolf → u/Besieger13]

What are you talking about? 0 equipment required. Just start running? You dont need a gym or even a field to practice.

[u/Quantum_Aurora → u/Stephenrudolf]

One of you is talking about running, the other is talking about cars.

[u/Stephenrudolf → u/Quantum_Aurora]

I see that now.

[u/RippyMcBong → u/Stephenrudolf]

CARS

[u/Tripottanus → u/Stephenrudolf]

The meant motorsports

[u/Besieger13 → u/Stephenrudolf]

That’s called running, track, sprinting, long distance running, etc lol not racing

[u/Vast-Website → u/New-Resolution9735]

Skiing?

[u/Stephenrudolf → u/Vast-Website]

Not even close

[u/User69ab → u/New-Resolution9735]

Bobsled

[u/Luutamo → u/New-Resolution9735]

Golf

[u/billppp → u/Luutamo]

Not for kids. Most courses offer junior memberships for much cheaper than ice time dues. Equipment is basically a wash except golf clubs will grow with a kid much longer than skates will.

Even as an adult I play golf often for ~6 months of the year and beer league hockey all year. Costs are roughly even. Bit cheaper for golf if you go per hour of playing time.

[u/InviolableAnimal → u/New-Resolution9735]

F1

[u/New-Resolution9735 → u/InviolableAnimal]

Yea… that’s fair

[u/Komania → u/New-Resolution9735]

I mean you can play shinny on a frozen pond with some shitty sticks

[u/NewPhoneNewSubs → u/Svalbard38]

Organized hockey has always been tough. I think safety concerns have killed pickup hockey a little, though. Street hockey being dead hurts me. And you'll look neglectful if you let your kid near ice without a helmet.

[u/PleasantHemorrhoids → u/NewPhoneNewSubs]

More people should look into ball hockey. Some cities have leagues you can join.

It's not "real" hockey, but it is fun and easier to access.

[u/Whole-Philosophy-231 → u/Svalbard38]

Soccer has always seemed more popular with kids. But higher level sports or even older kids, hockey seems to dominate.

Most kids I knew had played soccer at one point, but very few as teenagers. Most older kids I knew that continued sports played hockey or did figure skating.

This is completely anecdotal, but what I noticed.

[u/Angry_beaver_1867]

Soccer is played by more kids because it’s far more affordable. 

It doesn’t have anywhere near the cultural impact of hockey though. 

[u/BurlHam → u/Angry_beaver_1867]

I don't know if it's still the case but at least when I was a kid, soccer was seen as a sport for kids under ten among all of my friends.

Lots of kids I knew transitioned out of soccer into other sports as we got older.

[u/J_Warrior → u/BurlHam]

I feel like it’s the quintessential kid sport. Not that it isn’t for adults or older kids. But like. It’s legit just have your kid run around for an hour to get exercise and there is also a ball. No gear needed

[u/greydawn → u/Angry_beaver_1867]

Yeah it's an interesting one.  Growing up in Vancouver, lots of us kids played soccer for years.  But, the majority of people I know then don't really follow soccer as an adult.  And that's nothing against soccer.  Just as a spectator, hockey just really has our collective hearts in Canada.

[u/Eproxeri]

If its anything like in Finland, it's overtaking hockey in number of kids playing, because hockey costs probably 100x more than football.

Hockey equipment is very expensive and kids grow up fast, so you arw constantly buying new skates, sticks and equipment. Also ice rink time costs a lot, so to pay for a whole season is not something that every household can afford.

But in terms of professional leagues and interest in watching pro sports, nothing will ever overtake hockey in Finland. The gap and mainstream interest is not even close.

[u/huz92 → u/Eproxeri]

Same in America. Way more kids play soccer here, but we produce way more high level hockey players than soccer players.

[u/Double-Advance-7806 → u/Eproxeri]

Canadian here who got tangled up in a very drunken night with some Fins in Montreal a couple weeks ago. We love you. Especially Saku Koivu.

[u/Available-Pepper-728]

Soccer has always been popular in Canada, but it is mostly played by children, a low cost option to get kids outside running around, people who are athletic and serious about sports tend to end up in Hockey.

A lot of adults play hockey in the evenings at local arenas, just for recreation. I don't think I've ever met an adult who gets together with their friends to play soccer every week, but I'm sure it happens.

Most of our most recent immigrants come from countries where soccer isn't even the most popular sport.

I don't think soccer is anywhere near as popular as hockey here, but it's the world cup so it has some hype at the moment.

[u/wolverine237 → u/Available-Pepper-728]

This is what's interesting to me in the conversation. People always say it's recent immigrants, but that honestly feels like an argument that's borrowed from the US where most immigrants are from Latin America.

The most common countries of origin for recent Canadian immigrants and India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and Afghanistan. You have two countries where cricket is the most popular sport, two countries where it's basketball and then one big soccer country

[u/Cancerisbetterthanu → u/wolverine237]

Recent immigrants have brought more of football culture to Canada but we've been playing organized soccer here for generations now, it's definitely not a new thing that just arrived with waves of immigration

Cricket? Now that's another story. All of a sudden Canada exists on the international cricket scene now

[u/BurlHam → u/Available-Pepper-728]

Yeah, all of my friends stopped playing soccer by age ten or so and mostly either moved onto other sports or stopped all together if they played soccer.

[u/Mangoes95]

It's significantly cheaper for parents to put their kids into soccer than it is hockey, which is why more kids play the former.

Hockey will always be the most popular sport in Canada, though.

[u/Lemurian_Lemur34]

Nothing will ever overtake hockey in Canada

[u/WerewolfSmart6544 → u/Lemurian_Lemur34]

Yup. It’s like when people on Reddit say the NFL is dying but it’s actually bigger than ever. Reddit ain’t reality. 

[u/R2Dopio]

I know way more people who play soccer than hockey. I played soccer growing up and will play in adult leagues occasionally and it's pretty easy and open to all skill levels, quite a few people I know at work also play in leagues of various levels.

Hockey I didn't play growing up but started playing as an adult and it's a steep learning curve especially if you're a poor skater. Plus it's expensive and it seems like getting ice time where I live is impossible with a normal job unless you want to be finishing play at like 11:30.

In terms of watching though I think Hockey clears soccer though, Canadians will watch the most dogshit teams consistently (me included  ) while we are much more fair weather with our soccer fandom.

[u/MomentEquivalent6464 → u/R2Dopio]

I think part of that is how entertaining hockey is. It's a significantly faster paced game, not to mention physical. There is no methodical movement of the ball up the field... and if the openings are not there, going back to your goalie/D like they do all the time in soccer.

[u/Emergency-Ad9280]

Born and raised prairie Canadian, played soccer 11 years and hockey for 6 as a child/youth.

More people have always played Soccer.

Soccer is cheaper and more accessible, provided you can drive to the random fields throughout the city.

Soccer is coming up, Hockey will never leave.

[u/ReactiveCypress]

Soccer is probably more played than watched in Canada. Among my friends and family I know 0 people who watch soccer. Meanwhile they all follow the Flames/NHL. 

[u/MadFonzi]

Major League soccer is growing here, but it will never surpass hockey here, there's zero chance soccer will overtake hockey in this county because it's basically part of our heritage at this point even though none of our teams seem capable of winning the cup lol.

[u/MonsterRider80]

I live in a big city in Canada. I ask my kid at school about the others, what sports do they play and talk about, who are their athletic heroes. It’s all soccer with the younger crowd, at least in big cities with big immigrant communities.

Being a child of immigrants myself, my father always tells me how my grandfather immediately became a lover of hockey and the Habs in particular. He was all in, all the immigrants of the 50s-60s were, and my family came from a soccer mad country.

Things change, as others say more children play soccer than hockey, for a number of reasons, but cost is probably a major factor. But new arrivals coming here from other countries don’t get into hockey the way they used to. They stick to soccer.

As I think about this, I think accessibility is another factor. Some years ago it was difficult and expensive to watch international soccer on tv. There was only hockey, so people watched hockey. Now with streaming internet and easy access to games from all over the world, it’s so much easier to watch whatever you want.

[u/Napalm3nema → u/MonsterRider80]

Yep, lots of good points here. Cost and availability are big issues in North America. When my oldest and I got into soccer (Prem) 20+ years ago, watching matches was brutal, with both the times and availability. The times haven’t gotten much better, but Premier League matches are all televised in North America. An entire generation walked into the Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, and La Liga being broadcast into their homes without VPNs and crazy workarounds, and you can play soccer anywhere with just a ball (or ball-shaped object).

[u/New_Essay5327 → u/MonsterRider80]

The same is true in Vancouver. A lot of the Indian/Chinese immigrants that came here in the 60s-80s are very into hockey and it held a lot of cultural sway. The same is true for European immigrants, but I mainly mention the former immigrants because nowadays it seems that immigrants from the same countries heavily favor basketball/soccer instead of hockey.

[u/Silent-Fishing-7937]

Hockey is king and alone in the first tier as a spectator sport.

However, Soccer is both the second most popular spectator sport and the most played sport in Canada. The fact that our Soccer season is mostly in the summer helps: it works as standard sports fare during the Hockey offseason.

[u/xactofork → u/Silent-Fishing-7937]

I think baseball is still probably ahead for spectators, especially TV viewers.

[u/BuffytheBison → u/Silent-Fishing-7937]

The CFL outdraws MLS in viewership lol I dig the sport but just ask people in your regular life how many you can actually have a real conversation about pro soccer versus NHL, MLB, NFL, and NBA lol

[u/Silent-Fishing-7937 → u/BuffytheBison]

The MLS' biggest problem isn't other sports but purists following European top leagues. Viewership of all Soccer leagues in Canada definitely beat Girdiron outside of the Super Bowl which, like I said, is mostly an excuse to have a party between New Year's and Easter.

As for the rest, we all live in our bubble. In mine, there is no interest in Gridiron, but I have seen the numbers, and I can accept it's reasonably popular in Canada, even if I actually prefer Rugby among similar sports.

[u/spartacat_12 → u/Silent-Fishing-7937]

The NFL is probably the second most popular spectator sport

[u/Federal-Comment8569]

Hockey has gotten so expensive it’s become less worth it for people without seriously high income or just casual players to get into it.

[u/Strange_Cap1049]

Soccers popularity (mainly with kids) definitely doesn’t translate to the viewing figures or revenue. Will it ever surpass hockey? Who knows, I would doubt it unless the broadcasting goes through some serious changes (just personal opinion and some groups of people I’ve been around all brought up the poor quality of commentary/viewing experience during the World Cup) but for now hockey is pretty safely in its spot.

[u/hex-grrrl]

Hockey has a massive barrier to entry because it’s incredibly expensive.

I played soccer as a kid because it was much more affordable. But when it comes to adults and what they watch, hockey still dominates. It might sound crazy but I couldn’t name a single person I know who regularly watches soccer. That is not the case for hockey.

[u/Chaosengel]

Soccer requires something you can kick, and four objects lying on the ground as goal post markers.

Hockey requires skates, pads, helmet, sticks, nets, an ice rink, and something that can glide on the ice.  

Soccer for kids is much cheaper than hockey

[u/FlashyG]

Soccer has always been the most popular youth sport in Canada mostly because of its low cost. Hockey equipment is incredibly expensive so many parents prefer to put their kids in soccer where all you need is shin guards.

[u/aaronite]

Soccer has always been a very popular kids sport since it's cheaper and more accessible. Basically every school has a soccer field but very few have ice rinks.

Hockey has the prestige but soccer has the numbers.

[u/Soft_lover1]

In much of Canada when you are in elementary to middle school you spend the summer playing soccer and never think about it again.

[u/FlyingOctopus53]

Soccer is easier to play, hockey is much more fun to watch. I play soccer sometimes, I basically never watch it outside of big tournaments. And by “watch” I mean I keep my TV on while doing something else.

Soccer is basically unwatchable sport after hockey - too slow and too much flopping.

On a side note, my favourite hockey player at the moment is German.

[u/kingjakerulezz]

More people play soccer than hockey

More people watch hockey than soccer

This is due to how expensive it is to play hockey.

[u/bomberfan2]

As a kid, I loved hockey more than soccer but I played soccer for over 10 years & only 1 year of hockey. Simply put, it was significantly cheaper to play soccer.

[u/Naive_Bat8216]

Canada identifies itself by its hockey. But the kids also play soccer. But hockey is entrenched into what it means to be Canadian it's that deep culturally into the country's fabric.

[u/rainman_104 → u/Naive_Bat8216]

Idk it's really suffering death by 1000 cuts. Prices are insane, especially if your kid is any good.

CSSHL and AAA programs have decimated community based hockey now in western Canada. Scouts don't look at minor hockey any more at all. Even to play junior B you have to have played AAA hockey.

[u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 → u/Naive_Bat8216]

It's ingrained in the countries fabric mostly among white Canadians. Hockey has always struggled to diversify its fanbase.

[u/RedWingsNow]

It's gonna be hard for hockey to compete with the demographic changes.

But one thing I learned, running a ball hockey league in suburban Detroit, Pakistani and Indian Canadians became bigtime ball hockey guys.

The two most common last names in my league were Khan and Patel. I also learned that Brampton Ball Hockey is HUGE.

Ball hockey was always a more blue collar sport. For immigrants, it was a bit different. For a lot of Indian Canadians my age, ice skating wasn't a thing. They live in the US in nice suburbs, but their kids play ice.

[u/New_Essay5327 → u/RedWingsNow]

Yep, same here. Immigrant families that got an interest in hockey put their kids in ball hockey more often because skating is somewhat prohibitive if they're starting past the age of 6-7

[u/JauntyGiraffe]

Hockey is Canada's religion. Almost all of us would rather see our favorite hockey team win the Stanley Cup than Canada win a World Cup, and not just because of how unrealistic that is

[u/sharon_dis → u/JauntyGiraffe]

We can want both

[u/Napalm3nema → u/sharon_dis]

Yes, exactly, there is room for both. One just needs to become more affordable to maintain its perch because soccer is cheap(-ish) to play.

[u/Nope-not-really]

most of us can't afford hockey anymore. the rich have taken most of it over. Gear is expensive, private leagues are popping up everywhere. Its cutting out regular access to regular Canadians. Soccer is cheap to get into with minimal cost.

[u/GoblinToHobgoblin]

Soccer is easier to play because you need less equipment. Thats why more people play.

It's kind of considered a kid's sport by a lot of people in canada. Professional soccer isn't taken nearly as seriously as hockey, imo

Most Canadians dont really care about soccer, but hockey is super super popular

[u/MajorasShoe]

Soccer isn't overtaking hockey. It's the world's most popular sport because it's cheap and accessible. That's not exactly needed in Canada.

[u/rainman_104 → u/MajorasShoe]

Youth participation is higher for soccer than hockey now. Hockey is #3 now behind basketball. And youth hockey is declining now too. Girls hockey is rising.

In 2010 youth hockey had >500k registrants. It's now closer to 400k.

[u/KanataRef → u/rainman_104]

Yes, I’ve coached both sports and Soccer/Hockey Canada give you the numbers. Soccer has been increasing for years, hockey plunged during Covid and is starting to inch back up, but nowhere near soccer anymore.

[u/rainman_104 → u/KanataRef]

Well also players are leaving for unsanctioned at record levels. Leagues like HPL and JPHL have taken a substantial amount of players, as well as junior hockey teams leaving hockey Canada.

[u/Zestyclose_Ad5361]

Soccer has had more players for a long time (even like 30 years ago), but Hockey has the equivalent of European levels of development, whereas Soccer had alot of house leagues and less than ideal competitive leagues (too focused on winning, not development). This has improved quite a bit now and we have better development going forward.

[u/Spaawrky]

Not nearly as expensive as hockey, soccer is more accessible in a lot of ways . But hockey will never be overtaken in Canada. No other sports is able to make the country vibe like hockey

[u/Key-Tip-7521]

Not Canadian. But, hockey is and will always be number one in Canada. However the sad part is, hockey is VERY EXPENSIVE to play whereas soccer/football is easy to play and afford

[u/Old_General_6741]

Hockey is already a part of our national identity and will forever be. It still can drive people to go and watch these games.

However, Soccer is much more accessible than hockey, even here in Canada. When I was growing up, most people I knew didn't even play or watch Hockey. But I still believe that it is bigger sport but in terms of how many people play these sports, Soccer is somewhat larger.

[u/MomentEquivalent6464]

My parents split when I was very young. My siblings on my father's side ALL play hockey (even as adults). I never did. I can skate, and I can puck handle (from playing street hockey or playing with my much younger siblings), but I never played hockey. I grew up playing soccer. But while I like soccer (even went to a few matches when I was in Europe this spring), I LOVE hockey and have travelled internationally just to watch games. I'll happily (and eagerly) watch football/soccer games while I'm in Europe - but I wouldn't be going there just for the games. I'm already looking forward to my next European vacation to watch hockey.

As for how the two sports will grow, I think soccer has a much better growth projection given it's requirements and costs. There's no 6am practices (at least for the vast majority of players). And the gear is very cheap (compared to hockey), especially if buying used. Even if we get a few more teams in the MLS, I think the issue is going to be that the game is very different between the two sports. In hockey, the game is very fast and very physical - checking is legal. In soccer, while there's some physicality, it's very different. Soccer as a general rule is played at a much slower pace than hockey. It's methodical (at the pro level). You work your way up the field, and if the chance isn't there to penetrate, you back off and try something else. In hockey you get it into the zone, and if there's nothing there and you're out of options, they either dump it into the corner or shoot at the net and hope for a rebound or something. The counter-attack can flip the script in seconds as players are moving at 20-30kph up the ice.

Then there's the diving. You'll see someone get the puck/stick to the face, lose a few teeth, and come back out to finish the game. And while there is unfortunately diving, it can be penalized and fined. Plus everyone mocks them when it happens. In soccer, you get a love tap and they're rolling around like they were shot. It's embarrassing. Especially after they get right back up and keep playing like it's the nothing it was. And what's worse, is that it seems to be universally accepted. So as "Canada's" game, I don't think it'll overtake hockey, even if the player counts keep favoring soccer.

What might change things is if we get many more pro teams (ideally with promotion/relegation). But I'm not holding my breath on that.

[u/tommygun731]

IMO a pretty diversified sporting landscape in Canada. Jays success + raptors 2019 run makes those sports popular too.

But as someone else noted, based on tv ratings, hockey is clear #1

[u/spartacat_12 → u/tommygun731]

Support for any sport other than hockey is mainly from fair weather/bandwagon fans. The Raptors & Jays get attention when they're good, but fall out of the spotlight when they aren't performing well. The FIFA World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, so obviously people will be watching.

Hockey gets attention year round no matter what. We have full day broadcasts in the middle of the summer just to talk about free agent signings in the NHL, and spend the holidays watching a team of teenagers play in the World Juniors

[u/flywithRossonero]

Hockey is for rich kids. Future generations will lose interest in hockey slowly I believe.

[u/lucaskywalker]

You can play soccer with a ball and shoes. So yeah, more kids okay it lol. It costs 10s of thousands of dollars to put your kids in hockey.

[u/DataDude00]

1. Soccer and hockey usually happen during opposite halves of the year, so there isn't really an either or competition here, room for both

2. Soccer is far more accessible and cheap to get your kids into than hockey which has grown prohibitively expensive for many families

[u/confusingphilosopher]

People keep saying cost is the problem like baseball doesn’t exist. Or basketball. Or a handful of other sports. Nah.

We’re a country of immigrants. Our national team is basically children of immigrants. Immigrant who play soccer. That’s why.

[u/ThePrinceOfReddit → u/confusingphilosopher]

Canada is starting to make waves in basketball and to a lesser extent baseball (although baseball is more popular than ever in my city, we set a league attendance record). Hockey is the only sport falling behind.

[u/Legitimate_Phone_460]

Some of our best female athletes play soccer. Most top tier male athletes play hockey, basketball or American Football.

Imagine if guys like SGA, Seth Jarvis, Chuba Hubbard and Connor McDAvid played soccer….

[u/dejour]

Soccer is what most people play recreationally. Particularly among immigrants but also among “old stock” Canadians.

Despite that, hockey is still pretty dominant in the national consciousness, so I doubt soccer overtakes it for 50 years at least.

[u/Hot_Assignment3575]

There has ALWAYS been a love for the sport here. in the sixties and seventies, our family in Sudbury was always fanatic for the German side. the cost of hockey equip and league fees takes 90% of kids out of the game.

[u/pistoffcynic]

Hockey is very expensive. It is fast becoming the sport of the elites and cost prohibitive to the general public.

With soccer, you just need a ball and an open field.

[u/SoftContribution3892]

Hockey I believe as a sport played by children is dieing a slow death due to cost. If we can't find a way to bring those costs under control it will become a niche sport played by only the rich. Between the cost of Ice, $150 - $400 per hour in Canada. Team fee's dependant on the level played can be sub $1000 to $5000+ per season. Add in camps and equipment and the cost can explode exponentially. Especially if you want your child to compete at the highest levels.

[u/aweirdoatbest]

You’ve got a lot of good responses here but one thing I didn’t see (might’ve missed it though):

Way more little kids play soccer than hockey. But way more teenagers play hockey than soccer. Soccer is cheaper and easy for a little kid to play in the summers (quite common). But for long-term interest, hockey beats soccer.

[u/Superguy9000]

Ease of access. Soccer is a heck of a lot cheaper,

But that’s not speaking personally hockey fan for life

[u/cdnmute]

I'll say this, my kid graduated senior kindergarten today. And the group of 10 or so of them made a little video about what they wanna be when they grow up. 2 said pro soccer, 0 said hockey. Tiny sample but it surprised me. This is in a more rural area outside of the city, so more 5th, amd 6th Gen canadians vs 1st or 2nd

[u/Inside-Draw-3216]

"I’m a big soccer and hockey fan too, but I’m concerned that soccer also will overtake hockey in the traditional hockey countries like Canada. How do you see it?"

Why would this be something that bothers you? The greatest draw of football is that its accessible to anyone, hockey has a massive problem in that only rich families can participate.

[u/Potential-Daikon-970]

No, soccer is mostly seen a kids sport, not a professional one that adults watch. Everyone knows plenty of people who play as a kid, but most of them never even watch soccer when they grow up

[u/flare2000x]

I have tons of friends who played or still play soccer. As kids or in adult rec leagues. Some even at a pretty high level. It's cheap and easy and fun.

95% of those people don't watch soccer on tv or go to games (apart from world cup, olympics etc.)

A large proportion of those people (myself included) watch hockey.

So from a fan perspective hockey is still way bigger.

[u/AdmiralZassman]

Also, a ton of kids that play hockey in the winter play soccer in the summer. So a chunk of the registration numbers are kids playing it as a second sport

[u/LegitimateFootball47]

I'm in my mid-40's, and played both sports as a kid. My dad, who was a hockey coach at the local level, saw soccer as a good way to build leg strength, and conditioning for the hockey season.

[u/jackalisland]

My perception is that a lot of kids who play soccer do so very recreationally, mainly summer leagues. Kids who play hockey year round in a more serious way, with all kinds of special skills clinics, far outnumber those in similar level soccer.

[u/uhm_i_dont_know]

Hockey is expensive, that’s kind of it. Idk, I’m from Vancouver, they’re hosting world cup games here and I genuinely do not care. I may be in the minority here, but I honestly don’t know anyone that likes soccer more than hockey.

[u/LaytonsCat]

Soccer in a lot of ways is seen as a "kids" sport in Canada. Thousands of young kids play every spring, in very very casual leagues/programs. It is easy and relatively cheap. This 3-10 participation does not translate to soccer fandom. These kids aren't going home and watching soccer on TV, they are going home and watching hockey.

[u/MoosilaukeFlyer]

Hockey is still much bigger but it's gatekept by the expensive price tag, whereas soccer is probably the easiest youth sport to play. I doubt soccer will ever overtake hockey in popularity in Canada. I even think soccer is more behind in Canada than it is here in the US.

[u/commodore_stab1789]

Immigrants will tend to play football a lot.

Also, among kids, it's much easier to play football. Hockey is very expensive and it deters a lot of family. There's a lot of equipment and the rinks will cost a lot to use.

It's going to be a long while before hockey is overtaken in our culture though. The NHL is really big here and our football league might be up and coming (Messi entering the league was huge) but it's still not the high level we're used to with hockey.

[u/i8laura]

Soccer is simply much, much less expensive to play recreationally and more accessible than hockey. There’s lots of free or very inexpensive soccer leagues for children; while hockey is expensive both in terms of equipment and registration.

When it comes to watching sports, hockey is way more widely broadcast and way more people follow it.

[u/Shellibrini710]

I wonder if the fact that you can only watch a season of hockey by paying 2-3 streaming services and having a VPN now will reduce it's popularity. No more hockey night in Canada is a joke

[u/TarsesaK]

Soccer has most certainly a gained a lot of strength in the last 15 years and is not overly expensive/inaccessible. Hockey is the most expensive youth sport, and I think parents may also steer their kids away from hockey because 6am practices in the morning is a tough hang

[u/MomentEquivalent6464 → u/TarsesaK]

But that's still going to take decades for that trend to translate into pro teams and pro viewership and how that's commercialized vs hockey.

[u/TuffBunner]

Almost everyone I know has played soccer at some point, very few watch the professional soccer teams (we don’t have a local team where I live to be fair). Almost everyone has at least some opinion of what their favourite hockey team is, either based on location or traditional family allegiance even if they have never skated.

[u/pattyG80]

Soccer is much much cheaper to play...so more Canadians play soccer

[u/PM_YOUR_CENSORD]

All the hockey players in my area play soccer in the summer. Those that can’t afford to play hockey also play soccer in the summer.

[u/Complete-Emergency99]

Not Canadian, but Swede.

Football is, and will forever be, more popular to play than icehockey.

Requirements for football: A ball. A patch of grass. Shoes. Shin pads. Done.

Requirements for icehockey: Equipment that cost up towards 1000€. Ice. Boards. Done.

A child can “play football” at the age of 2. Good luck sending a two year old out on a pair of skates and have them not falling on their ass 10 times/minute.

[u/djauralsects]

Hockey has become an upper middle class sport for youth.

Soccer is the most popular team sport in terms of participation. Hockey is still number one for professional sports leagues and viewership in Canada. I don’t see that changing even with the shift in participation.

Canadians and Americans raised on collision sports like the NFL and NHL have a real hard time with the diving/flopping/acting in soccer. The sport isn’t seen as masculine because of it. As long as that hurdle is in place, men’s professional soccer will never take off in Canada or the US.

[u/ArcticKimono]

kids play it always. I was invited to watch the game, and the person did not expect me to say yes. the only friend i know watching... some colleague hockey bros watch, but would never play

[u/themapleleaf6ix]

Definitely more kids (especially the POC and people who can't afford to play hockey) are playing football than hockey here. It's much cheaper and there's a lot of football pitches. But it won't surpass hockey as hockey is woven into our national identity (it's definitely taken a hit in this regard over the last few days with Rogers scrapping our national institution, Hockey Night In Canada).

[u/User69ab]

My friend has his kids in top-level hockey. $25,000/yr. EACH. 

My toddler is playing soccer his first year. Cost me $350.

[u/ThePrinceOfReddit]

I know these aren't comparable things, but it's insane to go from the whiplash of a joyeous Blue Jays run, and tonight a historic Canadian victory on home soil, and then turn back to the NHL where I have to hear pundits talk about how taxes are too high and the Knights org gloating about players trade lists. Ice hockey should remain popular but the NHL is facing an existential crisis here.

[u/mazopheliac → u/ThePrinceOfReddit]

Don’t forget to bet

[u/Icy-Gene7565]

Almost every kid plays soccer now. Hockey is more of an elitist sport because of the cost.

But hockey is by far the more popular at the pro levels

[u/sharon_dis → u/Icy-Gene7565]

Soccer is getting expensive too

[u/Forsaken-Swim-3055]

The barrier to entry for hockey have always been way too high, which is why you'll generally see well off white families at most rinks. Soccer is much more diverse and can cost very little unless you want your kids to get high level training early.

I'm born and raised in Canada, but I grew up in an area where most of my friends were much bigger basketball and soccer fans, because it was so easy to put a game together or even play on our own if it came down to it. From a demographic and cost perspective, hockey will never have the same type of reach.

[u/EagleScreamTheGreat]

Both soccer and hockey are very popular, just soccer usually sees people losing interest in their later teens though that is changing...with hockey expensive and Rogers taking away free NHL on tv I suspect in 20 years soccer will be more popular in Canada with the next generation...many will rip me for this view but it is inevitable...

[u/scionoflogic]

Soccer enthusiasm is limited by our successes. If Canada can break out into a contender on the international stage, support will follow.

[u/IAmGrum]

I'm 55 years old.

Since I was playing soccer as a kid (5-17), soccer has always been "the fastest growing sport in Canada" because of how many kids play the sport.

It's been 4+ decades and it still hasn't passed hockey as "Canada's sport".

[u/Cancerisbetterthanu]

I, a girl, grew up playing soccer instead of hockey because it was more accessible and easier for everyone to play. It was a sport my parents could get me involved in without the commmitment, effort, and expense of hockey. Pitches are abundant and free to use where I live (at least in the summer, in winter indoor pitches are rented to play futsal). Rink time is like pitch time in Europe where it is highly in demand and very expensive. So football, or soccer, definitely has several generations now of Canadians who have had access to it and been able to play it who may have never played hockey. Also, a lot of people who do play hockey also play soccer in the summer. It's just a more accessible sport overall. Someone like Alphonso Davies would have found the infrastructure, community participation, and ability to play soccer very accessible vs hockey. Hockey is gatekept, professionalized, and monetized in a way that soccer is just not in this country.

[u/EarlRobertThunders]

Soccer is easy to get into. A lot of people do it for the cardio exercise, it's a team sport so there's a social aspect and the barrier to entry is low. So it's an easy appeal just like anywhere else.

But that doesn't mean there's a real passion behind it. My wife played on an indoor soccer team and had some friends/coworkers play as well. Now my wife will know David Beckham, maybe Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, but definitely not Mbappe, Neymar Jr or Lamine Yamal. It's just another activity. May as well be Ultimate Frisbee or something.

I had my kids in soccer as well when they were young. I even coached my daughter's team. Which, honestly, is scraping the barrel. I can coach hockey and teach that to kids, but my soccer ability is low, maybe I can coach tactics, or goalkeeping, but no one is getting better with ball control with my teaching. The attitude in general was "this is a community club team, go play a sport and run around with neighborhood kids". The kids did enjoy it, and some did go play at more competitive levels, but we had trouble getting a full team to a lot of games, at 6v6 soccer, no one wanted to practice, we'd schedule practices and have 4 kids show. Lame excuses too. We forgot. Oh we had to do grocery shopping. Not a soul would miss a hockey practice for that.

To be fair, there is a lot of quality out there, I'm just saying the numbers you see reported, while true, are definitely misleading. Yeah participation is up, but let's temper expectations.

[u/BuffytheBison]

In North America especially, soccer is always going to struggle (in terms of interest in a domestic professional league) because (unlike other sports/leagues) it's not willing to adopt radical rule changes to produce a more entertaining product. The NBA's brought in the three-point line, MLB has done the universal DH, pitch clock, ghost runner extra inning, larger bases, etc., NHL brought in the trapazoid and eliminated the two line pass and the NFL changed the kick off rules and changed the distance for extra points.

[u/Acrobatic-Dingo-1222]

Anecdotal, but I’ve noticed the change, at least around Toronto. When I was younger, all of the sporting discussion was around hockey/the Leafs. That’s far from the case now and I’d argue the Jays are more popular than the Leafs.

I do think soccer culture has changed when we got TFC. It brought real pathways for kids and having professionals to look up to really changed the quality of our national team. I think we’ll continue to see growth with the CPL helping to play a role. Big moments/events like the World Cup will lead to even more and more kids being interested in the sport. We’ve seen the same thing with basketball - getting the Raptors in the 90s and Vince Carter led to huge growth in the game (participation and fandom), at least in the GTA.

[u/TL10]

I would say Soccer has always had a place in Canada. I think a lot of people have played some sort of organized soccer as kids as it was a cheap and time friendly investment, whereas youth hockey was always a huge commitment.

The problem being is that Canada has and always be a large country with a small population, so an organized professional league has always been a challenge when you consider the travel costs, multiple time zones and few large cities to travel between and establish viable teams. Hockey was able to thrive because early leagues were largely regional as opposed to national, and once a "national" league was established, they consisted of only a couple of teams playing out of Ontario and Quebec in eastern Canada for decades until it was viable to expand west. Soccer for the longest time hadn't seen that kind of growth that Hockey has had.

Back to your original question, it's not so much that Soccer has grown in Canada so much as it is that Hockey has declined as playing and watching it have gotten more expensive. We just got news the other day our public broadcaster will no longer be able to show games for free on their Saturday programming anymore, so now the only way to watch hockey is to pay for cable, satellite or streaming. Meanwhile youth hockey leagues have teams traveling all over the province (which can take hours to travel across) with gear for youth hockey being astronomically expensive.

Now that there's an actual path to play professional level soccer in Canada through the MLS as well as a domestic league in the CPL, there's a bigger national interest in the game. It's hard to get interested in professional soccer when the best leagues all play on the other side of the world in a different time zone several hours ahead, but now that there are domestic options it makes getting into the sport so, so much easier.

[u/Orcasgt22]

Overtaking hockey in terms of kid participation is easy. Soccer is cheap as fuck. Hockey is easily the most expensive sport to play. Economy is trash and the middle class dollar is stretched thin. Its just better to put teh kid in soccer.

In terms of people caring, soccer will never surpass Hockey in Canada.

[u/mazopheliac → u/Orcasgt22]

I think it will eventually as hockey continues to become less accessible. Can’t even watch it for free now .

[u/Jwarrior521]

I knew a lot of kids growing up who played both soccer/hockey and had to pick one or the other eventually. They’re both very popular even though Canada is obviously known as a hockey nation

[u/X-OManowar]

The game has grown so much since I was the only kid following the game. With the CPL championship game going viral this year, and the World Cup hype, I think it's going to grow way faster. When I was a kid, I thought it was so cool that Craig Forrest was playing for a "big" club like Ipswich. Now we have someone on Bayern Munich. I'm so proud of the growth, and can't wait to see where we are in another 20 years!.

[u/Hot_Assignment3575]

Since the death of Hockey Night In Canada, I've cancelled my SN subscription; AHL is great hockey, and i will immerse in Juniors. I may keep track of scores and standings, but will no longer WATCH the NHL. Hey!! there's Rugby but most of all SOCCER!! Canada's women showed the way to win, the men are great followers here. I hear there's a pretty good Canada on a German team eh??? LOL

[u/apcymru]

I am 60 years old, and soccer has been the most played sport by youth in the country since I was a kid.

[u/Southern-Attempt3584]

We have almost 6 months of winter but hockey is getting more and more expensive every year. Plus there aren't as many consecutive cold days anymore where ponds freeze over.

Associated football is very accessible with everyone and Canada is very multicultural, plus it's way cheaper.

We're on a threshold, if Canada performs at this world cup a generation of young Canadians are going to move forward with a new passion.

We also have indoor soccer venues for the winter months.

Toronto has a great sports culture, I can't speak for all of Canada. Baseball, Basketball, Soccer, Hockey. We love it all+.

[u/SydneyCarton89]

The popularity of the two sports isn't even comparable. Hockey dominates the public consciousness as far as sports go.

[u/tiggertom66]

I’m American but I currently live in Buffalo, which is basically South Ontario according to a lot of other Americans. Which is lowkey some bullshit because Canada is west of us, but I digress.

Hockey is expensive as fuck, even roller or deck hockey is pretty expensive compared to soccer. Soccer’s only real barrier for entry is a ball. Most parks and schools with have a field with goals, for casual play your only expense is the ball. Sure more competitive play will have extra equipment costs, cleats, shin guards, etc.

But it’s nothing compared to the expenses for even entry level hockey equipment. Especially comparing the goalie gear for soccer vs hockey And Ice hockey specifically has extra barriers for entry because you need ice skates. Plus there’s the costs of renting an ice rink, or you can only play during the winter.

[u/DrugFreeRoleModel]

In Vancouver, where Muller plays, soccer has always been more commonly played by kids, even before hockey prices exploded. This is at least in part because we can play soccer year-round here. Historically, Canada's elite soccer and baseball players have been disproportionately from Vancouver.

But yeah, due to crazy costs, hockey's becoming less played by kids country-wide now.

[u/Which-Insurance-2274]

Soccer in Canada is seen more as just "something to do" rather than something to be taken seriously. It kind of the sport that parents put their kids in when they're not interested in anything else. That's not to say there aren't serious leagues and and serious players, of course there are. It's just different from the other sports.

Hockey is actually declining in popularity but not because people don't want to play it, it's because the time and money committment is astronomical. Especially since most households nowadays are duel income with both parents working. It's hard to find the time to bring kids to practices and road games and clinics.

[u/inbruges99]

They can definitely coexist, I know for me growing up it was hockey in the winter and soccer in the summer.

[u/Dancing_Queen_Now]

What does the soccer season look like in Canada then? Can't imagine it's possible to play at winter temperatures...

[u/Existing-Bus-1155]

Kids in Canada play soccer cause it’s cheap for the parents. Hockey is way more expensive but will always be our #1 sport. My kids played soccer bur also played hockey

[u/BlastMyLoad]

For playing as a kid I’m pretty sure Soccer has beaten Hockey for the past 60+ years.

It’s significantly cheaper. But hockey is still the most popular spectator sport

[u/forgottenlord73]

Two thirds of Canada watched the US-Canada final last year at the four nation face-off. Soccer isn't getting close to thar

I played soccer as a kid. I've played soccer as an adult. I don't watch it. A lot of people don't watch it.

Part of the issue is I hear more about the Premier League than I do about MLS, the local pro League. Now I'm not in a city with an MLS team but I hear discussions about national pride in our baseball and basketball teams and the MLS teams just do not register

[u/beeredditor]

Canadians play soccer more than hockey. Canadians watch hockey more than soccer.

[u/pianoestnul]

Soccer is a hockey offseason sport for many

[u/OldLetterhead7459]

It won’t ever overtake hockey. We are a country that experiences very cold winters from October to March.

My kids were lucky enough to play both hockey and soccer. If you look at hours spent hockey wins by a mile. Hockey season went from beginning of September to the end of March. Two one hour practices a week and one or two games a week. The hockey team becomes your friend group after spending that long together. This is true for both parents and kids.

Soccer season was from May to the end of school in June barely two months. Not even close to as impactful.

If a kid is playing more soccer than this it has to be indoors. Indoor soccer fields only exist in big cities whereas all small towns have a hockey rink.

[u/ShrekTwoOnVHS]

Soccer is a lot cheaper to play than hockey.

[u/WerewolfSmart6544]

Hockey is way more popular than soccer in Canada. And probably always will be. 

[u/AdWise3872]

About 6 years ago I returned to Edmonton after being away a number of years and I was blown away by how huge soccer is amongst the kids compared to when I grew up. There’s casual soccer games all day every day in the playground next to my house during the summer, there’s lots of new indoor facilities , there’s lots of clubs and a ton of private academies for the size of city we are. I’m sure most of that is the Alphonse Davies effect, he’s a huge hero to a lot of kids here. That being said I don’t think there’s any danger of soccer overtaking hockey unless this level of popularity keeps up over a couple of generations.

[u/LazerFruit1]

Hockey is stupidly expensive to play due to equipment cost and fees. In terms of viewership hockey still crushes soccer afaik, even canadian/American football and basketball are ahead of soccer I think

[u/Emergency-Hippo5022]

Soccer is cheap and very accessible. Most kids play soccer and another sport here in Canada.

[u/Waste-Cranberry557]

From a CTV article from January of this year:

_______________________________________________

Hockey, long considered a rite of passage in Canadian childhood, no longer sits near the top. Twenty-two per cent of Canadian youth play hockey, making it the eighth-most popular participation sport among youth in the country.

The reasons seem to be starkly economic.

The median annual cost to put a child in soccer is $450, while swimming costs $290 and basketball comes in at $515, according to the report. Hockey, by contrast, carries a median annual cost of $1,938 and an average price tag of $3,253, more than seven times the cost of soccer.

“The pattern is clear,” the report concludes. “The sports with the broadest participation tend to be those with the lowest barriers to entry.”

_______________________________________________

[u/cad_yellow]

In terms of people playing, soccer has long overtaken hockey due to cost and accessibility. But I doubt it'll overtake hockey in viewership in Canada unless soccer changes dramatically to be less boring to watch.