There’s an interesting stat I’d like to share with you before I get into this post…
The number of registered hockey players in Canada is 428,390 or 1.11% of the population and in the U.S. 435,737 or 0.15% of the population.
I find this stat very interesting not only because I would have never guessed it but because it’s nice to see there’s that many registered hockey players here in the U.S. The game of hockey has definitely had it’s ups and downs over the years but things seem to be rolling along nicely at the moment. That’s why I say it’s definitely not the time to take the foot off the pedal. This is precisely why I’d like to see events similar to Kraft Hockeyville and Play On here in the U.S. (Note: Play On is looking for people to organize here in the U.S.). The potential for growth in the United States is huge and with the number of professional teams here, the NHL and everyone involved should be sponsoring, starting or assisting in events such as these to help promote grassroots hockey.
I guess what I’m getting at is I’m ready to plug away and help be apart of promoting hockey here in the U.S. and around the world. I’ve already registered www.hockeyvilleusa.com to get the ball rolling.
If you’d like to be part of this project, support it by replying to this post with some feedback. Or if you have any other ideas on promoting grassroots hockey in the U.S. please contact us.
August 20th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
I agree that there could be more programs that help promote the sport in the U.S. and love the site! Did you know that USA Hockey created a new program called “Hockey Weekend Across America” last year. It was the first year the program ran and seemed to be successful. There are some things that need improving, but most NHL teams seemed to pick up on it and helped promote it. Keep up the good work and love the site!