Canadian players who advance to the NHL do so in spite of the system, not because of it, critics say. And even those who are good enough to play in the NHL still can't match the Europeans in skill because they weren't adequately taught as children. The elite players are the ones advancing, but they would advance anyway. Neville and other coaches say minor hockey's obsession with winning is the most destructive element of the Canadian youth system. Moreover, it is one of the fundamental reasons the country is no longer producing top-level talent.
Canadian children play in an environment that stresses winning over developing skills.
Coaches, desperate for victory, use only their best players in key games. They teach defence and intimidation rather than offence and creativity. Instead of learning the game, the focus is on playing. In Canada, children as young as 6 participate in twice as many games as practices. In the old days, Canadian children learned fundamentals on rinks and ponds away from organized hockey.