LCS Hockey - Canada's Got Worry

Canada's Got Worry
by Jim Iovino, Ace Reporter

For so many years, we were at the centre of the hockey world. We were the best and everybody knew it. But destiny caught us, as destiny always had.

Hall-of-Fame Canadian goaltender Ken Dryden wrote those words in his book, Home Game. The comments are associated with the Canada-Moscow Summit Series of 1972. At the time of the series, Canada was regarded as having the best hockey players in the world. But to the surprise of all Canadians, the Soviets not only hung in against Team Canada, they embarrassed the Canadian squad and nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets in the history of hockey.

It took a goal by Canada's Paul Henderson with less than a minute to play in the last period of the eighth and final game of the series to save face. But the series turned out to me way more important to the hockey world than just who won and who lost. The Soviets showed that they could keep up with the Canadians. They played a different, more team-intensive style of game that led to many changes in the way hockey would be played throughout the world - especially in the NHL. Their strong showing also gave hope to the rest of the countries playing hockey that they, too, could one day be as good as the Canadians.

Dryden contemplated the future of hockey after that series:

The Soviets had come so far so fast. Time was clearly on their side. ... If they were this good now, after our 71-year head start, how good would they be in just a few years? And what about us? It was a frightening thought.

So how far have the Russians, the Swedes, the Finns and the rest of the world come along? Has the Canadian stranglehold on the game diminished, or is Canada still the dominating force in the NHL?

What better way to find out what has happened in the hockey world during the past 26 years than by taking a closer look at the LCS Hockey player ratings by country? These rankings list the best players in the world through the eyes of the LCS Hockey staff. Our count will only include those ranked, plus honorable mentions and players we feel are on the rise. Using my own special rendition of The New Math for Journalists, there are 73 total players to choose from.

Overall by country:

Canada - 32
USA - 13
Russia - 9
Sweden - 7
Slovakia - 4
Finland - 4
Czechoslovakia - 2
Latvia - 1
South Africa - 1

Overall, Canada is still dominating the NHL, with 44 percent of the players in our ranking. Surprisingly, the United States is second with 18 percent, while Russia is third with 12 percent. So by our accounts, the threat of Russian dominance in the NHL, and hockey worldwide, that Dryden talked about never arrived. Or at least it hasn't yet.

There was a time when Canada dominated the NHL with about 80 percent of the league roster of players. So to see the Maple Leaf garner only 44 percent of the league's top players is somewhat concerning to Canadians. The United States percentage is also concerning, considering Canada's fears of America taking over the game Canadians love.

Upon closer evaluation, Canada still has a lock on several positions. Left wing seems to be Canada's strongest. Six of the top 10 left wingers in the game are Canadian. In goal, Canadians hold five of the top 10 positions. The same is true at center. Canada has five of the top 12 defensemen, as well, but three other honorable mentions.

Theo Fleury

Theo Fleury
by Meredith Martini

The weakest position for Canada seems to be at right wing, where Theoren Fleury and Mark Recchi are the only two Canadians in the top 10. Canada is not alone in its lack of depth at right wing. No other country dominates at that position, either. Slovakia and the United States have two wingers on the list, as well, but every other country has just a single member.

So what does this all mean? It means that while Russia or any other country has not overtaken Canada, the Great White North is feeling the pressure from all borders. Remember, Russians did not even play in the NHL until about 10 years ago, so the country has made great progress during that time. So have the other countries on the LCS Hockey player list.

The dream of playing in the NHL used to be reserved for Canadian kids and a select few from other countries. But today the NHL is being dreamt about worldwide. And as more kids dream about playing in the NHL, more will eventually end up living out that dream. Hockey is Canada's game no more.