The Rise on the Ice

Hockey in the U.S Has Skyrocketed

Photo by Richard Ciraculo on Unsplash

Even without freezing temperatures all around the United States, the fast-paced excitement of hockey has gained significant traction in popularity. The sport has seen a major surge in viewership and participation in the past decade. While hockey is a fundamental part of Canada’s culture and history, the game has begun to shape the U.S. as well. With hockey becoming more popular, even in warmer states, the sport will only continue to bring in more fans.

While the first formal game of hockey was in 1893, the sport did not seem to attract Americans like football and baseball did. When the National Hockey League (NHL) was created in 1917, only 41 players participated in the league. Also, only a couple thousand Americans followed and played hockey during this time. Today, there are over 1,000 professional NHL players, with over 1 million players hoping to reach the professional level and 2.5 million players from youth to college. Viewership has also skyrocketed as almost 10 million people in the U.S. watched the Stanley Cup Finals matches.

A significant reason for this surge is the rivalry between the U.S. and Canada. For over a century, the two countries have battled in every sporting event. In hockey, these countries do not just dislike each other–they despise each other. The recent four Nations Face-Off earlier this month highlighted the U.S. and Canada’s hatred against each other, with three fights ensuing in the first nine seconds of play during their first match. Also, Canada’s booing of the national anthem sparked even more drama between the two teams. The intense emotions bring in even more viewers, even if they are new to hockey. 

Other factors, such as the “Miracle on Ice” and professional NHL players have influenced the American fanbase. “Miracle on Ice” was the match between the U.S. and the Soviet Union during the 1980 Winter Olympics finals matchup, with over 34.2 million Americans watching. The upset over the Soviet’s 4-3 reached every corner of the U.S. Professional NHL players have also greatly influenced Americans, especially the youth. Wayne Gretzkey, for example, is widely known as the greatest hockey player of all time and has inspired countless Americans, helping increase hockey’s popularity.

Overall, with the attention on NHL, Canadian-American rivalry and famous players, hockey will only become more popular in the U.S. and draw more attention at every level.