# Why is Scandinavia best in ice hockey? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 24, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992 "2006-02-24T23:11:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/1 "2006-02-24T23:11:14Z")
The best of the best in the tournament. Canada and USA out in the quarter finals. All European countries in the semi finals. Sweden and Finland playing OS hockey final Sunday. Each country about as big as New Jersey in population. Hockey fans, what’s your thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/2 "2006-02-24T23:18:36Z")
Possibly for the same reason that people in California are good at surfing. ---
**Author:** ![Kid\_A\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Kid\_A\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kid_A_1)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2006, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/3 "2006-02-24T23:57:16Z")
Good goaltending that is helped by playing the trap to a tee. It’s one tournament and hardly indicative of the “best” country. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/4 "2006-02-25T00:01:28Z")
> [@Finagle](#): > > Possibly for the same reason that people in California are good at surfing. I see, you mean Scandinavians have _ice_? – Man, that’s cheating! ---
**Author:** ![PastAllReason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f07891/32.png) [@PastAllReason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastAllReason)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/5 "2006-02-25T00:05:38Z")
I assume you’re talking about the men’s competition, since in the women’s, Canada won gold. And it was remarkable that the final was not Canada/US. And in the last winter Olympics, Canada won gold in both the men’s and women’s competitions. ---
**Author:** ![rocking\_chair](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rocking_chair/32/2918_2.png) [@rocking\_chair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rocking_chair)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/6 "2006-02-25T01:53:44Z")
once again a country with an abundance of ice. where there is ice there is ice hockey. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/7 "2006-02-25T02:16:32Z")
The NHL game does not translate well to international rinks and the required style of play. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/8 "2006-02-25T02:49:04Z")
You don’t exactly notice the Danes and Norwegians burning up the rinks. To say nothing of the Icelanders. I mean, they _invented_ the stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2006, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-scandinavia-best-in-ice-hockey/345992/9 "2006-02-25T06:18:32Z")
The Canadian men just didn’t gel as a team. They got what they deserved. Sweden and Finland have always had good teams and good players.