The topic of whether or not hockey is the ‘fastest’ sport has been debated for years. We take a look at the evidence and decide for ourselves.
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Which Sport Is Faster?
It depends on what you mean by ‘fastest’. If you watch a game and time the players’ skates (or tracks, as they’re often referred to in hockey), then it’s easy to compare the times across different sports. It’s not exactly scientific, but it is likely the most accurate way to measure speed.
In the 2018 season, Calgary Flames rookie Charlie Graham had one of the most unique stories of any hockey player this year. After sustaining an eye injury in a game that required over 80 stitches, Graham decided to keep playing hockey. Despite the fact that he couldn’t see out of his eye, he still managed to play a full schedule and had one of the best rookie seasons in Flames history. Based on that year alone, it’s fair to assume that Graham is among the fastest players in hockey history.
Are There Any Hockey World Records?
We’ll get to that in a minute, but first let’s discuss what exactly constitutes a ‘world record’. As mentioned, timing player skates is the most accurate way to measure speed, but there are also other methods that can be used. A player’s height or weight can be used to determine how fast they are or how strong they are. Checking a player’s slap shot or point shot is another way to measure their speed, as well as how big of a body checker (or blocker) they are. And, of course, there is always video evidence.
To our knowledge, there are no current world records for any of these categories, but several ones for the fastest skating, which is traditionally associated with hockey.
How Did The World Get Its Name?
The first hockey world championship was held in 1893, a decade after the sport came to be known as hockey. It was originally named the Chalmers Cup, after the company that sponsored the tournament. In the years since, the tournament’s name has changed several times, but it has always been played for and named after the Chalmers Cup. Once the tournament moved to Europe, the name changed to the Bernetti Cup to avoid any confusion with another tournament that also used the Chalmers name.
Is Hockey The Most Popular Sport?
Although opinions may differ, we can find some hard evidence to back up our claim. According to The International Hockey Federation (FIH), a sport’s popularity is typically measured by its world rankings. The more times a sport is ranked in the top 10, the more popular it is. In 2018, the top 10 ranked sports were:
- hockey (seven times)
- tennis (four times)
- basketball (four times)
- volleyball (four times)
- lacrosse (three times)
- baseball (three times)
- golf (three times)
- soccer (two times)
- Australian rules football (AFL, two times)
- rowboat racing (two times)
It’s not entirely surprising that hockey is the most popular sport for multiple reasons. First, it’s been around for many years, which gives people experience and confidence in playing the game. Second, the majority of the sport’s fans come from the United States, which gives them something to cheer for. And last but not least, it’s one of the safest sports to follow, which certainly doesn’t hurt its popularity.
To further explore hockey’s popularity, let’s take a look at the current world rankings for both men and women:
As you may have guessed, men’s ice hockey is currently the most popular sport, followed by basketball and football (soccer). The reason for hockey’s popularity is simple — it is one of the most popular sports with multiple world records.
Do People Participate In More Than One Sport?
It depends on what you mean by ‘sport’. If you’re referring to a specific sport that you believe people should participate in (such as running or hockey), then the answer is yes. If you mean ‘sport’ in the generic sense, then the answer is no.
In 2018, the most popular sports with participants were:
- hockey (1.36 million participants)
- tennis (1.26 million participants)
- basketball (1.17 million participants)
- volleyball (1.12 million participants)
- lacrosse (1.05 million participants)
- baseball (972,000 participants)
- golf (892,000 participants)
- soccer (809,000 participants)
- Australian rules football (AFL) (718,000 participants)
- cycling (696,000 participants)
- skating (678,000 participants)
- motorsport (632,000 participants)
- rowing (621,000 participants)
You may be thinking that there has to be some mistake here, as none of these numbers make sense. After all, isn’t participating in one sport enough? Unfortunately, these are the most popular sports in the world right now. Which means there are currently more people participating in these sports than there are people playing hockey, the most popular sport in history. So, it would appear that more than one sport is currently the norm rather than the exception.
Does Baseball Have A Chance Of Being The Next Big Thing?
Although it already has a big thing, baseball. It’s actually not even close to the next big thing, as the most popular sport with participants currently is hockey. However, with baseball’s expanding international appeal, maybe that will change. If so, it will be thanks to players like Shohei Ohtani, who played half of the 2018 season with the Los Angeles Angels and hit for the cycle three times. Ohtani, 22, is a two-way player who can hit a ball dramatically, but he can also field a grounder extremely well. In a time when baseball is still searching for its next superstar, Ohtani provided fans with some excitement and drew a lot of interest from around the world. The Angels will attempt to make Ohtani a starter in the 2019 season, which will make him the youngest player to ever start a season in MLB history. He will also attempt to break the single-season home run record, a mark currently held by Roger Maris.
Is It Possible For One Sport To Overtake All Others?
Yes, it is possible for one sport to overtake all others, but it will take a little bit of luck and a considerable amount of time. It’s very rare that one sport can overtake all others, but it is not impossible. The following are some of the most dominant sports and how long it took for them to become popular:
- Archery: 2,000 years
- Weightlifting: 400 years
- Boxing: 300 years
- Soccer: 200 years
- Rowing: 100 years
- Tennis: 60 years
- Gymnastics: 50 years
- Australian Rules Football: 40 years
- Hockey: 30 years
- Nursobo: 20 years
It’s not only the history that makes hockey the most popular sport in the world. It’s also the fact that it is one of the most popular sports with participants. While some may argue that baseball is the quintessential American pastime – with its famous ‘corners’, its relaxed pace, and its colorful history – it appears that more and more people are participating in hockey, which makes it the ultimate sports comeback story. Perhaps the next big thing in sports may be…hockey.