Hockey in Canadian Culture

Hockey

History Leagues International competition The monopoly The dominant sport Marketing violence Canada’s game? The Sweater

Shinty Hurley Shinny Bandy Montreal 1875 – 9 men per side McGill University rules Montreal City Hockey League - 1885

AHA – 1886 OHA – 1890 Lord Stanley – Sir Frederick Arthur Stanley International Hockey League – 1904 National Hockey Association Pacific Coast League: The Patricks National Hockey League 1917 Western Canadian Hockey League 1922

Taylor’s salary in 09 of $5200 made him most highly paid pro player in any sport at the time

Lester Patrick

Hockey’s Popularity

1. Town boosterism 2. Commercialization 3. Popular press 4. International competition 5. American Money 6. Radio 7. Television

US, Czech, Sweden28 for 1 against

The $100 skates

1924 Chamonix, France

Toronto Granites First Round: Canada 22 Sweden 0

33Switz 0

20Czech 0

1924

Round 2 Canada 19 Britain 2

6 US1

1928 St. Mortiz

Toronto Grads: 3 pools Canada 11 Sweden 0

13 Switz 0

14 Britain 0

1932 Lake Placid

Winnipeg

1936 Garmish-Partenkirken

Canada-Britain

1948 St. Moritz

Royal Canadian Air Force Flyers

1952 Oslo

Edmonton Mercuries

American $$

US owners – monopoly Mobility, pay, playing rights

Hockey Violence

The law Expansion after 1967 The Broad Street Bullies The Big Bad Bruins Don Cherry and the marketing of

violence as entertainment

Why?

Safety valve theory – letting off steam Intensity creates hair trigger tempers Puts people in the seats How boys and men learn to understand sport

and its relationship to masculinity – confrontation is a test

Respect from opponents – stickwork Video sample

Summary

Small town, big city identification International success = expectation +

national identity Stars – icons of Canadian culture Monopoly

Whose hand ?

Edouard “Newsy” LalondeBest lacrosse player of ½ century

Imperial tobacco company cards Issued in 1911

BA Scott and St Lawrence foundation to promote and invest her commercial interests

Hanlan & HanlanClub to promote

Paris Crewpromoted themselves

Louis Cyr promoted himself as entertainer-strongman

Burns (bornNoah Brusso)and pro promotion

Jimmy McLarnin retired becof skilful promotion

Lionel Pretoria Conacher

Pro in Football, Hockey, Baseball, Lacrosse, Boxing, Wrestling

Canada Cup 1976;1st time pro hockeyplayers includedin all national teams for “best” in the world

R TaitMcKenzie

’32 OlShield

Brothers ofthe Wind

Joy ofEffort

Strathcona Trust

5 BX / 10 BX RCAF Programs

5 Basic eXrcises for Men 10 Basic eX for Women Graduated calisthenic exercises Very widely distributed and sold Indirectly gov’t since RCAF Note militarism of Strath Trust, NFPAct

and 5BX 10BX

PM John Diefenbaker "I am a Canadian, free to

speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand up for what I think is right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind."

F&AS Money spent on

Canada Games support Fed-prov cost-sharing to build elite

facilities for sport comp Coaching leadership tr programs Grants for internat’l compets Bursary programs for elite athls $$$ for world hockey chpships Joe and Jane Banana ? [ Fitn Thru Sport ]

F&AS Act

Thus, few grants to grass roots level Gold medal dream for gov’t couched in

“fitness and” words House of Commons debates thruout

60s are clear ~ quest was for internat’l sport prestige

“they watered the flowers instead of the fields”

Admin of F& AS Act

Admin by Nat’l Advisory Council NAC interested in mass particip

and fitness Gov’t interested in gold medals NAC advisory only and always in

conflict with Min of H & W

Task Force

Trudeau gov’t dual study commissions in 68

PS Ross to look at fitness of Cdns & resulted in PARTICIPaction

Nancy Greene plus 2 public administrators to study sport in Canada

Task Force Report in 1968

Report placed heavy emphasis on revitalizing sport in Canada re performance

Most comprehensive on Hockey Canada and ways to WIN (not since ’61 had Canada won worlds

Best result: Sport Canada / Rec Canada

Task Force Report in 1968

Noted how Pro sport had destroyed regional competition

Problems unique to Canada – huge geogr mass; 1000’s of $$ rinks; apathetic public; lack of athletic development programs

Signif and comprehensive report

F & AS Contributions ?

Systematized sport organization Created a bureaucracy of sport incl large

admin center in Ottawa Creation of Nat’l Coaching Assoc;

Canada Fitness Awards program; set up grants-in-aid to athletes program; founded Cdn Academy of Sports Medicine; grants to internat’l sport groups and games like Ol etc

F & AS Contributions ?

Set precedents for provincial gov’t programs/services

‘Best Ever’ programs like B Ever 88 Became THE control agency for

sport in Canada at all levels Bureaucratized sport; one more

step in its institutionalization

Who are the athletes ?

Next slide is from main page of our web site

Who are the athletes in the circular jigsaw puzzle ?