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

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, Sweden 28 for 1 against The $100 skates

1924 Chamonix, France Toronto Granites First Round: Canada22Sweden 0 33Switz 0 20Czech 0

1924 Round 2 Canada 19Britain2 6US1

1928 St. Mortiz Toronto Grads: 3 pools Canada11Sweden 0 13Switz0 14Britain0

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” Lalonde Best 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 & Hanlan Club to promote Paris Crew promoted themselves

Louis Cyr promoted himself as entertainer-strongman

Burns (born Noah Brusso) and pro promotion Jimmy McLarnin retired bec of skilful promotion

Lionel Pretoria Conacher Pro in Football, Hockey, Baseball, Lacrosse, Boxing, Wrestling

Canada Cup 1976; 1 st time pro hockey players included in all national teams for “best” in the world

R Tait McKenzie ’32 Ol Shield

Brothers of the Wind Joy of Effort

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 ?