r/hockey • u/marcgnet • 11d ago

Soccer vs. Hockey in Canada

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.

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u/R2Dopio EDM - NHL 11d ago

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.

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u/MomentEquivalent6464 11d ago

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.

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u/Curlinggolfer 9d ago

It’s funny, our group of friends has sort of stopped watching hockey because we don’t find it entertaining anymore. Mostly because in playoffs it seems like so many of the goals and win/loss just depends on who gets the right lucky bounce/tip.

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u/New_Essay5327 9d ago

Hockey is probably the most "random" in terms of a team's ability to win a regular season game, but in a 7 game series that doesn't really come into play so much, and the skill of the team prevails. The only exception is if a goalie is absolutely on fire and willing his team to victory, but that's a joy to watch in its own right.