Hockey is one of the biggest sports in Canada, perhaps even THE biggest. The love for hockey runs so deep that it’s often called not just a sport but a national obsession. Many will watch every single game in the season once the NHL gets underway (and you can learn more here about just how many that might entail), and it is a passion that they will try to encourage in their entire family. Although Canada is known to have some serious hockey fans, there are other places with equally passionate players and fans. Let’s look at which country has the best hockey fans.
But first of all… Why do betters love hockey?
What makes hockey so popular? Some love it for its speed, others love it more because of the tough physical nature of the game. Then some love that aspect together with the sport’s strategy, or they love all of it combined… But why does anyone love hockey at all?
It could be because some people are born with a love for the game, while others love it because they love sports in general and anything that requires physical activity. Some love it just because they love watching athletes compete at their highest level of skill – but either way, hockey is loved by so many people around the world… But who are the most passionate of them all? And most importantly, where are they from?
Top 5 List of Countries with the best hockey fans
So let’s look at which country has the best hockey fans starting from the bottom of the list and going upwards to the top.
#5. Finland
Although there are only about 5,000 registered professional hockey players in Finland, this small country has made a big impact on the world stage. Players from Finland have won medals in the World Ice Hockey Championships 9 times, the Winter Olympics 3 times, and the World Cup of Hockey once. Oh yeah, and they love hockey so much that even their police officers love to play!
Hockey fan love in Finland is strong – they love playing hockey at all levels… Even Olympians who are now retired still love playing recreationally. And since they love hockey so much, they love to watch it too.
#4. Czech Republic
The love for hockey in the Czech Republic is quite impressive – there are over 71,000 registered players in this country of only about 10 million people! Out of these players, some 5,000 are women and girls, which puts the love for hockey in the Czech Republic on a whole new level.
When we speak of love we can’t forget love for the sport in general and not just love for a particular team or player. If people love watching hockey too, even better! That love is also present among Czech citizens – some 4 million Czechs tuned in to watch one game during the last World Hockey Championships; that’s 44%of the entire country! The love for hockey in the Czech Republic is what keeps it competitive and strong.
#3. Slovakia
Slovakian love for hockey has been moving up the list over the past few years, and with good reason too… Slovaks love their hockey which means they love to watch it; during one World Hockey Championships game, more than half of the country (50.7%) tuned in! Not only did people love to watch hockey on TV, but many love to play as well – Slovakia has around 19,000 registered players, and it’s even growing every year! Even though they’re small in numbers, love for hockey in Slovakia is big.
#2. United States of America
Well, there’s no surprise here. The love for hockey in the United States is so widespread that there are a lot of fairly high-profile professional leagues. The country also has four out of six teams from the original National Hockey League (NHL), which makes them one of the most successful countries in terms of hockey as a professional sport.
Another impressive fact about hockey in the United States is that the National Hockey League organizes a special event called NHL Winter Classic where two teams play outdoors – not on an open field, but inside stadiums. And love for this sport runs deep in the United States!
When talking about hockey fans, the United States love for hockey can’t be emphasized enough. Their dedication to their favourite teams is astonishing and sometimes can go overboard, but that love is part of the reason why hockey is so popular in this country.
#1. Canada
Canada tops our list of countries with the best hockey fans. There are no surprises on this list – love for hockey has been too strong to go unnoticed among Canadians. Some love it because they love sports in general, love anything with physical activity or competition… But some so many Canadian players love their game that love for hockey is contagious!
The professional ice hockey league, the National Hockey League (NHL) is based in Canada. It was founded in Canada back in 1917. That’s how long the Canadian love for ice hockey runs. Since then, the love has only gotten stronger and stronger – there are now over 630,000 active players in Canada! This makes Canada the country with the largest number of registered ice hockey players in the world!
Canada also has the highest number of people who love to play hockey recreationally – a total of over 5 million Canadians love playing ice hockey at least once a week. These fans are willing to travel every week to watch their favourite teams play and love to watch it on TV.
Conclusion
So which country has the best hockey fans? Well… It’s Canada! But what do you think? Do you love hockey? If so, why do you love it? Leave a comment below!
