The great offside: How Canadian hockey is becoming a game strictly for the rich

Globe and Mail ^ | November 9, 2013 | James Mirtle

[Loyalist]

Karl Subban knows the cost of being a hockey parent in Canada.

The patriarch of one of Canada’s most successful hockey families – his boys P.K., Malcolm and Jordan have all been drafted by NHL teams – he and his wife paid $5,000 each in one year just to register them in minor hockey in the Greater Toronto Hockey League (GTHL).

“And that’s not including equipment and what not,” Mr. Subban says. “It was very expensive. But you make sacrifices. That’s what we did.”

It’s widely known that Canada’s national winter sport is expensive to play. But various factors have conspired over the last 10 to 15 years to make minor hockey dramatically more expensive, pricing out many middle-class families. These days, more and more of the players that go on to play major junior, college and, ultimately, pro hockey are from wealthy backgrounds.

It’s a development that threatens the sport’s blue-collar roots, including the idea that the next Gordie Howe or Wayne Gretzky will come from backgrounds as modest as theirs were. Players of modest means in this generation must beat out peers who are often better trained and have spent many more hours on the ice, thanks to wealthy parents.

....

[gusty]

To add, both MLB and the NHL will find those great athletes of modest means. In the Dominican Republic and Russia.

[SeminoleCounty]

Ironic, with this article, KUs top freshman recruit, Andrew Wiggins, is from Toronto area. His folks saved some money (though I’m sure his dad earned some $$ his few yrs in NBA)

[SeminoleCounty]

Those same things happen in other sports, too...especially football

[EQAndyBuzz]

My son played ice hockey from the time he could walk. He wasn’t the biggest, fastest or strongest on the ice. Couldn’t take a slap shot without falling over. Never took more than two penalties a season. Was a very good skater, but not Tier 1.

After a AA game, a coach asked me to bring my son to one of the “get on the radar” camps. I laughed at him and told him my kid would be lucky if he got out of the locker room without being cut. Coach told me my kid plays with his head up, has the best ice awareness he ever seen and passes and catches passes as well as any Tier 1 player he ever coached.

I told him my kid is currently playing single A, he was invited to the tournament only because 5 other kids said no and he is happy where he is. Coach wanted to talk to him and I said ok.

Coach introduced himself and asked my son what his hockey aspirations were. My son said and I quote, “see all these kids who want to play in the NHL? I want to pay their salaries.”

My kid is a business major in college and wants to run an NHL franchise. While these kids were practicing shooting and skating, mine was learning French, spending his summers teaching hockey at clinics throughout North America and reading business books.

I probably have the only kid who worked to buy his XBox so he can use the NHL game to practice being a GM. He had no clue how to play the game.

[Night Hides Not]

Great story!

My 11YO son packs all of 90 lbs on his frame, but he absolutely loves football. He sometimes brings so much passion to the game that he scares his teammates, let alone the other team.

Looking into the future, I could see his potential as a broadcaster. He likes to do play be play while we're watching the HS games, and he's pretty darn good at it.