Canada is a hockey nation, of that there is little debate. But is it still our most popular sport?
Seven NHL teams in Canada garner more attention than the three Major League Soccer clubs in Vancouver, Montreal and Edmonton. But nearly one million Canadians play soccer, according to Canada Soccer, far more than the estimated 600,000 registered to play hockey. At the grassroots level, although not widely realized, it’s not close.
Youth will continue to look up to Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner and other star players on Canadian NHL teams, but soccer players Alphonso Davies, Jonathan David and Milan Borjan, among others, are drawing more and more attention to the pitch, rather than the ice.
After a frenzied week of action featuring our men’s national team, during which victories over Honduras, El Salvador, and the United States all but guaranteed a berth in this year’s World Cup of Soccer, is the beautiful game catching up to hockey, or surpassing it?
NHL players not participating in the Beijing Olympics has taken some shine off that event, which starts this weekend. Is anyone even thinking about it?
Come November, when Canada steps onto a pitch in Qatar, how many Canadians will be caught up in the biggest sporting event in the world? How many youth are influenced by this team, and last year’s Olympic gold-medal-winning women’s team?
We have to wait six weeks before Canada returns to qualifying and officially clinches its ticket to Qatar. In the meantime, for longtime soccer fans and enthusiasts drawn in by recent successes who can’t wait for a fix, Powell River Villa plays at home on Saturday, February 5.
