European Players Making It
While the majority of players in the NHL are from the USA or Canada, there is now a large number of professionals coming from Europe. Countries like Sweden, Finland, and Russia have got world-class hockey players, especially if you look at recent Olympic medals won.
Except for American and Canadian players, the rest of the playing roster is basically made up of Europeans. The more success European players have in the NHL, the more interest will grow from their nations.
It’s An Indoor Game
Baseball has always been a popular sport in America, and even though it has plenty of followers, the game is weather dependent. In other parts of the world, they cannot rely on the weather, but ice hockey is an indoor sport, so it doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, or hailing.
Hockey can be enjoyed all over the world because the games aren’t going to be canceled and its fans can be guaranteed the matches will go ahead. That’s in contrast to outdoor sports like baseball and football which are far more likely to be canceled and lead to disappointed fans. Hockey fans can also enjoy the games without being burnt from the sun, or soaked from the rain.
The Speed Of The Game
Ice hockey doesn’t take long to get exciting, and there is no need to build the tension as it begins from the first second. Some sports like football and baseball can take hours to finish and for some sports fans, that’s just too long.
The game is end to end, and it keeps the spectators hooked as the second they take their eyes off the action they know something important is going to happen. There might not always be a big scoreline, but there’s always some kind of drama to keep people entertained.
Ice hockey has been one of the major sports in the USA and Canada for generations, and while soccer reigns supreme around the world, the NHL is growing.