Why The NHL Will Kick The NBA’s Ass This Season

The U.S. Is Getting Better, Not Worse
When the so-called Dream Team IV could only secure a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, it became painfully clear that the rest of the world is catching up to the U.S. in basketball. Europe, Asia, Africa — they’re producing more and better ballers every year. Meanwhile, this past NHL Entry Draft saw a record 11 American-born players taken in the first round. What’s more, not all of these kids hailed from the usual hockey hotbeds of Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Michigan. Two of them emerged from the ice-choked tundra of Southern California.