Participation in our national sport is in a rapid decline, particularly from those in the next generation. As someone in this generation, I find it alarming and worrisome, especially since the national population is increasing. Perhaps kids are just lazy now and would rather play video games or watch YouTube instead. That could be a reason but more serious ones are prevalent and have been highlighted by the public including increases in costs and the toxic hockey culture.
Declining registration numbers
The data (in the graph below) shows that the number of registered hockey players in Canada has declined since 2014-15, when it peaked. Currently, the number is 548,800, which is lower than that of the 2010-11 season. A plausible reason for this could be the lingering effects of COVID-19 as the numbers could start increasing again. However, this doesn’t explain the gradual decline before COVID-19. Possible reasons could include the worsening stigma surrounding hockey culture and the significant cost increases.
Sudden growth in 2013-15
Another interesting trend in the data is the sudden growth in 2013-15. This coincides with the most-watched Stanely Cup Finals series in the salary cap era, which averaged 5.7 million viewers in an exciting duel between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. I wasn’t following hockey heavily back then but I wonder if this caused a significant uptick in the numbers. Yes, both these teams are American but are also part of the Original Six. Perhaps this series rejuvenated hockey participation again, especially among those who grew up watching these two teams. Further, the level of hockey might have been so captivating that even newer fans wanted to try out this sport.
During this period, I was just starting to get into hockey so I would frequently visit hockey shops. As written in an earlier blog post, I would seek out Ottawa Senators merch and collectibles but would not find any to my dismay. What I did find were a significant number of Blackhawks goods, along with several players repping their merch. In particular, the stickhandling god, Patrick Kane. The number of Kane jerseys I saw was pretty incredible, considering I was on the other side of the world. I also remember talking about this video with other players and trying to recreate it. If he had this profound of an impact in Japan, I can imagine it doing something similar in Canada. Even more interesting, the two other times the Blackhawks won the Cup, the series was the second and fourth most watched series, on average, in the salary cap era.
Gender and age-related registration numbers
Looking at the numbers of registered players regarding gender and for the younger age group tells a slightly different story. According to the New York Times, the number of registered players in Canada declined by 2% for boys over the past four seasons. Interestingly enough, on the other hand, it increased by 18% for girls over the same span. Increased participation among girls makes sense due to increased effort by Hockey Canada. Such events include IIHF World Girls’ Ice Hockey Weekend and IIHF Global Girls’ Game. The reasoning behind the decline of registered boys is more murky but could be attributed to increased unaffordability and stigma surrounding hockey culture.
Costs associated with hockey
Hockey is expensive and that is widely known. In a 2016 story by The Guardian, a family would have to spend $3,700 for 1 youth (age 11-17) to play one year of hockey. When breaking down the costs associated, registration fees were the biggest factor, with it being 507% more than other sports. Significant reasons for the high registration fees are due to reasons such as ice rental fees, which makes sense as it costs more to maintain an ice rink than an outdoor field.
As a player wants to get to higher levels, a greater financial commitment is required, and it can get to the point where families prioritize hockey over pressing issues. One mother of an 11-year-old AA player in Toronto Life said that their annual financial commitment is $20,000. “I have a leaking roof that I can’t afford to fix,” she says, “but somehow we find the money for our son to play hockey.” Further, attending elite hockey academies can add to the cost, as it can cost up to $40,000 annually. For families, these commitments may be much more difficult to make in hockey compared to other sports, like baseball and basketball, where professional players make more on average. Hence, there is a lower incentive due to the end goal not being as attractive financially.
Macroeconomic issues
Canadians also face other monetary difficulties compared to their neighbour across the border. Their disposable incomes aren’t as high, on average, and housing prices are drastically higher, as shown in the graph below. While hockey in the USA is growing, this is not the case in Canada since families have less income to spend on hockey. So, rather than having their child(ren) play hockey, they may put them into other sports that are more affordable. This means that part of the lack of hockey participation can be pointed towards macroeconomic issues as well.
Toxic hockey culture
Another possible reason can be pointed to the toxic stigma surrounding hockey culture. Numerous reports have come out in recent years, where players were racist, sexist and/or homophobic towards others. A report by Hockey Quebec found at least 14 “racist gestures and remarks” during the 2021-22 season within a U-15 triple-A league. Further, when players switched to other sports like football, they found that they had better experience there. They were even stunned that they were looked at primarily for their athletic ability and not their skin colour. However, this shouldn’t be surprising and should be the norm for all sports.
High pressure on kids and racist incidents
Pressure on these kids can be incredibly high sometimes, with it occasionally ending with parents belittling players, especially goalies, to the point where they start breaking down. Further, you have adults who poured beer on and hurtled racist insults toward Indigenous kids watching a hockey game. This did happen in the US but this does happen in Canada as well. In the 2021-22 season, there were over 900 recorded or alleged incidents of on-ice discrimination affecting all age groups and levels according to Hockey Canada. Hockey is a fun sport and there are definitely competitive aspects to it (which I know from my own experience) but there is a line you need to draw somewhere. As Ilya Bryzagalov said, “It’s only game, why you heff to be mad?”
World Juniors 2018 sexual assault scandal
Brought into the scene on May 2022 was the seriousness of the toxicity of hockey culture capturing the attention of the public. Rick Westhead reported on a lawsuit settlement between Hockey Canada, the CHL and a woman for a sexual assault incident. Players were eventually named but it initially seemed like another incident that Hockey Canada was going to hide. Following this news, another investigation was opened up, this time for the 2003 Canadian World Junior team. It seems like this is a common theme for Hockey Canada. Since 1989, Hockey Canada Executives revealed “they paid out $8.9 million in sexual abuse settlements”, “excluding the 2018 deal.” Seeing such news is discouraging for any parent wanting to put their kids in hockey, and perpetuates the image of a toxic hockey culture.
Changing demographics
There are also a lot of immigrants moving to Canada, with it being around 500,000 people annually, one of the highest rates per population in the world. From 2001 to 2021, the racialized population increased from 3.85 million to 8.87 million people. The major drivers came from Arab (254%), West Asia (214%) and Filipino (207%). These are places that one wouldn’t think of when thinking of hockey due to their lack of the sport within their home country. Further, according to Stats Canada, those who move to Canada typically make beneath the median salary. Meaning, that even if they were interested in hockey, they likely wouldn’t be able to commit financially.
The changing demographics pose an interesting for Hockey played in Canada. How will they be able to incentivize families who may have never heard of the sport before to play? Factor in the unaffordability, and getting them into the sport seems far-fetched. But for the growth of the sport, tapping into this new demographic is a must.
Conclusion
In short, hockey is getting more difficult to play at all levels, and increasing prices make it more unaffordable. Other sports tend to be a lot more captivating now for parents as a result, and the toxic culture of hockey adds to their justification. It will be interesting to see what organizations like Hockey Canada do from here on outwards. Especially with the changing demographics, they will need to think differently about how to approach families in such a way to incentivize them to play the game. As a whole, there needs to be major systematic changes in hockey so that families are more interested in putting their child(ren) through hockey.
