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Hockey is not a dying sport in the United States! Hockey in the northern states along the border, in fact, has never been healthier. But there most definitely is a grassroots problem with hockey in the southern states - there are too many obstacles for it to ever catch on. These obstacles have nothing to do with the NHL though Gary Bettman has not done anything to help matters in these states.

The problem stems from the fact that people in the southern US do not understand the game because they have not been around the game. Really why would they want to be? It is significantly more expensive for a parent than to simply have to buy a ball and glove for the child. It requires a significant time commitment from the parent getting their kids (more specifically their equipment) to, and from, practices and games. Worst of all it requires ice which means local governments have to build special facilities to produce ice. Where is the incentive for parents to get their kids involved in hockey? There is none and until kids start playing the game - which creates interest, awareness, and understanding of the game - it will never be taken seriously in the southern United States.

But please don't lump in the northern states where hockey thrives. There are great grassroots programs from Portland, Oregon, to Grand Forks, North Dakota, all the way over to Maine and the east coast and points in between. I personally think people in the northern states happen to love hockey as much as Canadians do because they understand that the most talented athletes in the world play the sport.

Learn more about this author, Kristian Johannes.
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