Why doesn't Norway have good hockey players?

Question

Norway is next to Finland and Sweden, both very good hockey countries, so why isn't Norway good at hockey? Is hockey popular over there, but they just have no talent? (kind of like U.S. with soccer lol) Or is hockey just not popular at all, so no one really plays it? I've always wondered this and yesterday's "all time country teams" question reminded me of it.

Answer 1

How about I give you a sample of my blood and you can have the hockey scientists find some answers?

-----------------------
'North American fans often wonder why ice hockey took off so dramatically in Sweden and Finland, while remaining essentially a cult sport in Norway and Denmark.

"We wish we knew a short and succinct answer to that one," says Jon Haukeland, the sports director for the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association. "The main reason, superficially, is the growth in the number of ice rinks in Sweden during the 60's and 70's, which led to the popularization of hockey in that country, not only as a spectator sport, but also in giving thousands of people the chance to play and establish a personal relationship to the sport. Now, Sweden has approximately 10 times as many indoor rinks as Norway and, crucially, 10 times as many players, too."

But why did that happen?

Norway is among the most athletically inclined nations in the world -- nearly half of its 4.6 million people participate in individual and/or team sports of some kind. Norway is a winter sports powerhouse at the Olympics and has a strong tradition of developing speed skating champions. What's more, the Nordic climate and the open spaces in many areas of the country seem perfectly suited to ice hockey.

"That's where things get complicated," says Haukeland. "Undoubtedly the Swedish hockey association at the time did an excellent job of selling their sport to the municipalities and city councils around Sweden, but in all due respect I think that was easier than doing the same in Norway. The traditional winter sports of skiing and (individual) ice skating were much more dominant in Norway than in Sweden. In Norway, the bulk of the funding stayed in those sports. Over in Sweden, as the number of rinks grew, so the popularity of hockey grew."'

Answer 2

On an individual bases, Canada definitely has a much more talented roster. Canada isn't the best at Hockey. Both Russia and Canada are the best at Hockey, and both nations absolutely love Hockey. As for why Canada lost, bad goal-tending had a lot to do with it, as well has horrible organization. The Canadians looked completely disorganized, and even had 6 consecutive minutes of penalties against them. That was just bad. It was just a really bad game for Canada. Ryan Miller is the reason the USA one though. 42 saves! Phenomenal game by Miller. The man is absolutely brilliant. He carried that game for the USA. Brodeur is a veteran player and is retiring soon. He's past his prime. Hopefully he'll be replaced by Luogon or Fleury for the rest of the games. If Canada beats Germany, then they have to face Russia in the Quarter-finals. There is a chance that Canada may not even take home a medal.

Answer 3

Norwegian Hockey Players

Answer 4

Bob, Devon White was Jamaican.

Norway has a smaller population base than the other two, and hockey was introduced quite a bit later as well (almost 15 years after Sweden)

You could say the same thing about Speedskating - there are several Norwegians ranked in the top 50....but no Swedes!

Answer 5

Those crazy Norwegians are always strapping boards to their feet and trying to fly off mountains. Maybe they think hockey is too tame,
Good article Green. Thumbs up for you. This question has always been an enigma really.
And Norway isn't a poor country either. They have such a wealth from their share of north sea oil that no one has to work past the age of 55!

Answer 6

They're primarily and, almost entirely, a skiing country so that's what their best athletes commit to and pursue. That also means facilities and resources are dedicated to developing skiers, not hockey players.

The Lillehammer rink built for the '94 Olympics is one of the coolest things you'll ever see, though. It's built into and under the side of a mountain. Feels like you're going into a cave, which you technically are, I guess.

Answer 7

It is a cultural thing Mike. A good example of this would be looking at the proximity of Jamaica to the Dominican Republic and Cuba and looking at the wealth of talented baseball players in those countries but what baseballer has ever come out of Jamaica? They prefer their soccer and cricket in Jamaica (British colony). Norway prefers soccer and skiing.

Answer 8

I know they have an olympic hockey team, so it can't be that unpopular. I guess it's the same reason I wonder why there aren't more Taiwanese baseball players in MLB. Perhaps they in that country don't grow up dreaming about playing sports for a living?

Answer 9

Espen Knutsen had a respectable run with the Columbus Blue Jackets, making the All-Star game, but quickly dropped back into obscurity after a few years.

Now that you bring this up, it is pretty strange. I guess they prefer their other sports like football(soccer) or the snow sports over there more.

Answer 10

Mike, while Norway isn't as much as a hockey staple as the aforementioned countries, it is forever immortalized in The Beatles classic "Norweigan Wood"! I once had a girl, or should I say she once had me...