Hockey Culture in Canada

A McGill Hockey Game in 19011

The good old hockey game!
It's the best game you can name!
And the best game you can name,
is the good old hockey game!
© Tom Connors

Belted out proudly by six-year-olds and fifty-somethings alike, the Hockey Song rings through the chilled air of hockey sanctuaries across the frozen north. Written in 1973 by prolific song-writer Stompin' Tom Connors, the song achieved anthem-like status after it was played at an Ottawa Senators' game in 1993 and then shortly thereafter at a Toronto Maple Leafs' game.

	Backyard Hockey Pond in Long Reach, New Brunswick2

For many Canadians hockey is more than a sport – it's a way of life. Hockey parents spend every spare moment shuffling their children to and from the rink for every practice and game. Hockey enthusiasts don their favourite team's jersey and eagerly flood stadiums and bars at every available opportunity. Hockey players spend their entire lives improving stick handling skills, trying to skate with a little more speed, and studying the game with the hope that they can one day glide across the ice in front of throngs of screaming fans.

Hockey is a booming business in Canada with numerous leagues, teams, monuments, memorials and stores all dedicated to the game. Canadian leagues range from amateur leagues for children barely old enough to walk to the revered National Hockey League (NHL).

Whether it be an informal game of shinny on a backyard pond or the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Canadians embrace this game that makes the cold months of winter pass with a little more ease.

HISTORY OF THE GAME

The 1942 Montreal Canadiens Hockey Team3

The origin of this game is widely contested; there is some evidence of hockey-like games conducted on ice throughout Europe between the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, as well as claims that Windsor, Nova Scotia or Great Bear Lake in the Arctic are home to the first recorded instances of organized hockey. However, Kingston, Ontario was officially touted as the birthplace of ice hockey by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association in 1943. This was primarily due to an account of a game between Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada in 1886.

The groundwork for what is known as today's game was laid in Montreal, Quebec in the late 1800s. The first recorded indoor game was played in this French-Canadian metropolis in 1875 at Victoria Skating Rink. Enthusiasm for the game burgeoned as the McGill University Hockey Club was formed in 1877 and the first ''World Championship" was held at the annual Winter Carnival in 1883.

In 1888, the Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, attended the Montreal Winter Carnival and was noted by newspapers to exude a great deal of exuberance for the sport. After noticing there was no official trophy for the winning team, Lord Stanley bought a bowl, which was titled the Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup and later renamed the Stanley Cup. It was first awarded to an amateur team from Montreal in 1893 and thus began the longstanding tradition of the Stanley Cup. After a long season of high-intensity battles and four rounds of playoffs, the Stanley Cup is presented to the NHL's reigning victors each year. While there are many individual trophies presented to players and coaching staff, the Stanley Cup, which was redesigned in 1963, remains the most coveted of prizes to be won.

The National Hockey League is Born
In 1917 the NHL was formed in Montreal, Quebec. Beginning with only four teams, the league expanded to 10 teams in its infancy, but was reduced to only six teams by 1942 due to devastation caused by the Great Depression and the second world war.

The Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings remained the only six teams in the league for nearly a quarter of a century, resulting in the reference to these teams as the "Original Six." In the 1960s, the league resumed expansion plans after taking notice of rumours that the Western Hockey League was considering declaring itself a professional league. For the first time since the 1920s, new teams were added and the number of teams continued to climb to the reach its present-day total of 30.

ICE HOCKEY AT THE OLYMPICS

Making its debut at the summer Olympics in 1920, men's hockey was appropriately moved to the winter games in 1924. Winning six of the initial seven gold medals, Canadian teams excelled for the first decade, but suffered in years to come, because Olympic rules did not permit professional hockey players to participate. It wasn't until 1988 that these skilled players were afforded the opportunity to play in the games and even then scheduling conflicts between the NHL and the Olympics were problematic. It was in 1998, for the Nagano Olympics, that the NHL first paused its schedule to allow the league's elite to compete in the games.

WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

In the 1890s Lord Stanley's daughter, Lady Isobel was photographed playing hockey at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Over a century later, women's ice hockey is now rapidly gaining popularity throughout the world.

In recent years, the sport has made significant strides with the development of the National Women's Hockey League in 1999, as well as its incorporation into the Olympic Games in 1998. For many years, Canadian and American teams dominated the sport at professional levels and were the only two teams to ever reach a women's world championship final until 2006 when Sweden unsuccessfully attempted to take gold from the Canadian team in Italy.

	The Coveted Stanley Cup4

THE HOCKEY HALL OF FAME

Dedicated to the history of the game, this sanctuary of hockey paraphernalia is located in Toronto, Ontario. The league's ultimate prize, the Stanley Cup, spends half of the year displayed in the Great Hall of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Established in 1943, the Hockey Hall of Fame was originally located in Kingston, Ontario, but moved to Toronto and opened its first permanent location at Exhibition Place in 1961. Still at home in Canada's largest city, the hall of fame is now located downtown and draws 300,000 visitors each year.

There are 15 exhibits, which provide information about the history of the game and its past players, as well as current statistics, teams and players. There are also interactive displays, such as the Source for Sports Shoot Out, which allows visitors to shoot a puck at a computer simulated version of goalie Eddie Belfour.

Achieving celebrity status, Canada's favourite hockey players have sprouted up all over the country, from small towns in Saskatchewan to major cities in Ontario. There is a long list of past and present Canadian-born hockey heroes, including but not limited to Maurice “The Rocket” Richard, Mark Messier, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Doug Harvey, Patrick Roy, Gordie Howe and most notably, Wayne Gretzky.

Born in Brantford, Ontario, Wayne Gretzky is nicknamed the "Great One" and is commonly considered the best hockey player of all time. The game's only player to tally over 200 points in one season, Gretzky led the Edmonton Oilers to win the Stanley Cup four times in the 1980s before a controversial trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988 sent him to the United States. An upsetting day for Canadians, the trade was highly criticized. The leader of the New Democratic Party at the time, Nelson Riis, even went so far as to demand the government stop the move.

There are numerous monuments honouring the hockey icon, including a statue that stands outside of Rexall Place in Edmonton, Alberta where the Oilers currently play. Additionally, one of Edmonton's busiest streets, which passes by the Oilers' arena, was renamed Wayne Gretzky Drive in October of 1999. In his hometown of Brantford, Ontario most of Park Road is now officially titled Wayne Gretzky Parkway.

	Canada Post Stamp Commemorating Hockey5

HOCKEY DAY IN CANADA

Commonly falling in mid-February, Hockey Day in Canada has become an unstoppable phenomenon since its inception in 2000. This unofficial holiday celebrates the "triple header" featuring all six Canadian teams in action, as well as the culture of hockey across Canada. Recently, due to the NHL schedules, the day often features American-Canadian match-ups.

In addition to broadcasting the NHL games, Hockey Day in Canada highlights various tournaments, leagues and hockey players across the country. Each year, infamous Canadian hockey broadcaster Don Cherry and his better-half, Ron Maclean, report from a different remote area of Canada to promote the hockey efforts of smaller communities. In the past, Hockey Day in Canada has featured all-night pick-up hockey games from Red Deer, Alberta and Windsor, Nova Scotia.

THE SIX CANADIAN NHL TEAMS

Over the years, some Canadian cities have mourned as their teams have relocated to larger American markets, while other parts of the country have feverishly fought for a franchise of their own. Today, there are six NHL teams in Canada: Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Ottawa Senators, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens.

Vancouver Canucks
Joining the league in the 1970 expansion, the Canucks are one of two Canadian teams that have never won the coveted Stanley Cup. Advancing to the finals in 1982 and 1994, the franchise was unable to emerge victorious from either contest. The Canucks play at General Motors Place on Griffiths Way in downtown Vancouver near the waterfront.

The Pengrowth Saddledome is Home to the Calgary Flames6

Calgary Flames
After a stint in Atlanta, Georgia as the Atlanta Flames this team moved to Calgary in 1980 and in 1989 they acquired the Stanley Cup for the first time. In 2004, Calgary Flames fans erupted in manic excitement as the team made a historic, but unsuccessful bid for the hallowed prize. Cheering the team on as they made their way to the final game of the final round of the playoffs, the city came alive with elated fans who filled the Saddledome with a sea of red jerseys.

Edmonton Oilers
Dominating the NHL in the 1980s, the Edmonton Oilers were home to some of the greatest players of all time, including Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier. In their first season (1979-1980) the Edmonton Oilers made the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but ultimately lost the championship to the Philadelphia Flyers. Following that loss they would prove themselves to be fierce competitors winning five Stanley Cups in the 1980s. The Oilers' prominent rival is the Calgary Flames with the contest between the two teams termed the Battle of Alberta.

Ottawa Senators
The original Ottawa Senators team was formed in 1883, but eventually floundered and was no longer a professional team by the 1930s. Returning to professional level ice hockey in the 1992-1993 season, the Ottawa Senators made it to the Stanley Cup Finals in 2007, but were unable to topple the Anaheim Ducks.

Toronto Maple Leafs
One of the original six teams, the Toronto Maple Leafs is one of the most popular teams in the league despite its inability to win the Stanley Cup since their 1967 triumph over the Montreal Canadiens. The Leafs have battled fiercely against the Canadiens, as well as the Ottawa Senators, providing the league with some of the most heated battles and closely watched games. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at the Air Canada Centre, which is connected to Union Station on Bay Street in downtown Toronto.

Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal Canadiens are commonly referred to as the “Habs” derived from the French-nickname Les Habitants (inhabitants). This original six team has won more Stanley Cups than any other NHL team and is the last Canadian team to have claimed the cup with their victory over the Los Angeles Kings in 1993. The Canadiens play at the Bell Centre in downtown Montreal.