This year has seen the sporting world in awe of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on professional sports. While sporting events have largely been postponed to ensure the safety of fans and players, interest in amateur sports such as hockey has soared.
In the month of April alone, North American teams alone reported a 489% increase in total hockey tickets sold compared to the same month in 2019. In Canada, the NHL reported an increase of 24.9% while the KHL saw a 16% spike in interest.
It would seem that with fans wanting to keep fit and stay active, interest in hockey – usually a winter sport – has simply shifted to the fresh air of summer.
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Why Is Sport Traveling To A Summer Season?
The short answer is because there’s no other practical solution right now. The long answer is because we’re not quite sure why this has happened, but there are a few possible explanations.
First, the novelty of the pandemic may have temporarily shifted people’s interest from sport to health and fitness. Second, people are looking for something to do since the world of work has largely shut down. Third, people want to stay fit and active despite the pandemic since they feel that being active can help improve their health. Finally, people may simply want to enjoy a summer season without worrying about their health.
Whichever the case may be, the increase in popularity of hockey in the summer may simply be a consequence of the current situation and nothing more. So while we wait to see if and when professional sports will return, we should enjoy the good things that come with a longer summer season.
Is This A Trend?
We can’t help but wonder if this sudden spike in interest in hockey is a trend or a one-off event due to the pandemic. After all, aside from the COVID-19 pandemic, our world is a relatively normal one and there have been no other major changes that would suggest a permanent shift in the collective minds of sports fans.
It would seem unlikely that a health scare like this would suddenly ignite an interest in a winter sport, but given where we are right now, it’s quite possible that this curiosity to see what all the fuss is about has simply stuck. Now, it’s the perfect opportunity to dive in.
What Will The Future Of Hockey Look Like?
The future of hockey looks very uncertain right now, with the NHL and other North American leagues deciding to pause their seasons until further notice while the KHL continues to operate as usual.
There’s a chance that once the dust settles from this pandemic and fans can slowly return to normal, we could see a shift in the popularity of hockey as we know it. As things stand, there’s no telling when – or even if – professional sports will return. For now, it’s a waiting game.