Most NHLers From Small Towns

This I believe has long been suspected but now it's confirmed. If you want to make it to the NHL it turns out your odds of accomplishing that are MUCH HIGHER if you come from a small town.

a new study shows that those born in smaller cities have a better chance of becoming professional athletes.
Nearly 85 per cent of Canadian hockey players are from cities with populations under 500,000, according to research by Jean Cote, a professor of physical and health education at Queen's University in Kingston, Ont.

..."We have this stereotypical image of hockey players as these big boys who come from small towns," Cote said in an interview from Ireland. "It turns out, the odds of making it are much better for those living in smaller populations."

...Cote said the numbers are surprising because, in 1976, only 40 per cent of males under the age of 14 lived in cities between 1,000 and 500,000, but they grew up to dominate the NHL.
"You have to ask yourself how 40 per cent of the population produced 80 per cent of the players."

Coming from a small town I always knew there were a lot of advantages associated with that kind of environment BUT having a better chance of making it to the NHL wasn't one that I was aware of.