Regina author's new book examines Sask.'s once-dominant but now declining presence in the NHL
CTV
Saskatchewan has always been proud of its deep roots in hockey and those from the province who have made it to the National Hockey League (NHL). However, a new book says there are now fewer players from the prairie province than ever before making it to “the show.”
Saskatchewan has always been proud of its deep roots in hockey and those from the province who have made it to the National Hockey League (NHL). However, a new book says there are now fewer players from the prairie province than ever before making it to “the show.”
Titled “A Whole New Game: Economics, Politics and the Transformation of the Business of Hockey in Canada,” author Neil Longley dedicates part of the book to exploring why at one point in time it was commonplace to have players from Saskatchewan on NHL rosters to why those numbers have declined to now its lowest point than ever before.
Longley, who shared some details of his book in a recent interview with CTV’s Cole Davenport, now lives in Las Vegas but was born and raised in Regina.
He documented that at one point in time, 26 per cent of all NHL players were from Saskatchewan.
That was during the 1950-51 season, a time Longley says Saskatchewan accounted for just six per cent of the country’s total population.
“In fact, Saskatchewan produced the second-most NHLers that season, trailing only Ontario, who produced 50 per cent more players than Saskatchewan, but whose population was 400 per cent larger,” Longley says in his book. “So, on a per capita measure, Saskatchewan was far and away the leading source of NHL talent.
According to Longley, one of the major reasons many Saskatchewan players made it all the way was the province’s cold climate.
