For canadians who enjoy/like/love hockey...

[Mr.Federer]

I have to do a big project in my school year, an 8 month long project. And I've decided to do an essay about the popularity of hockey in canada. Why is it so popular?

So, if you enjoy hockey and happen to be Canadian please reply in this thread explaining why you love it. And if possible, say in what part of Canada you live in ( Maritimes, East, Prairies, West Coast, Up North).
How's the hockey scene where you live? Is it the most practiced sport? Does it have many leagues, teams and organizations ( amateur or pro).



All answers are greatly appreciated. I thought these boards might be a good place to ask such a question because I would like to know the place of hockey for Canadians which hockey might not be their favorite sport (tennis).


If you happen to not be canadian, you can still say why you like hockey.


Thank you, it's greatly appreciated.

 

[max]

Why Canada? I'm in Illinois and hockey is a close second to tennis for me. It's three sports in one!

 

[Mr.Federer]

Because hockey is basically a religion up here. But why? And Max, can you please elaborate by "three sports in one"? It's interesting.

 

[Hot Sauce]

I love hockey because it is very fun to play and watch. It's quite different from other sports which also makes it unique.
I live on the West Coast (BC) and hockey is pretty big here. There are tons of leagues like BWC, North Van. BC is also home of the Vancouver Giants who won the Memorial Cup this year. My sentences are very short.

 

[tbini87]

be sure to note that the very popular poker player daniel negreanu has been doing commercials where he is not playing poker, but hockey. he also wears hockey jerseys when he plays poker. he is from canada and obviously a huge hockey fan. maybe you can throw that random stuff in your paper somewhere to prove a point about how crazy canadians are about their hockey.

 

[tzinc]

You can do some research on google. Hockey is huge in Canada and huge in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). It's expensive but people still play it at all age levels. It's ingrained into Canadians it's our thing and that includes many immigrants who pick it up or their kids pick it up.

 

[Swissv2]

just google "hockey blog" and you will get all the answers you need.

 

[koopa_troopa]

It might be interesting to also talk about the lack of popularity in the US.

I really enjoy playing/watching hockey. I can't explain why its so popular, it just seems to be part of our culture. In Vancouver it certainly is the most practiced sport. If I had too choose I would choose hockey over tennis (sorry everyone ) anyday. There is nothing better than playing hockey with friends. The sport is really intense and emotional. Watching hockey is really exciting too. Seeing an incredible goal or a big hit or a good fight is always entertaining. I really wish more Americans would watch the sport, it really is a treat.

 

[max]

you get the skating, you get the fighting, you get the scoring. It's all good. Plus it's at a higher speed than you're used to; skating makes you go faster than running.

 

[CanadianChic]

I could describe what I love about hockey but it takes effort and I'm feeling lazy at the moment. It is a feeling - a warmth generated from growing up in a hockey country with neighborhood outdoor ice rinks littering the communities. I suppose it is comparable to growing up in a football town in the states (for example Texas where in many small towns the entire community shows up to watch the game).

At the risk of condoning violence, personally I enjoy a good fight on the ice - when the gloves come off and the players jump from their respective boxes you are looking at some prime entertainment.

 

[Mr.Federer]

Wow! Thanks for the replies! All of them had some good insight! It's greatly appretiated.



Keep on discussing!

 

[max]

You know, people look at me funny when I attempt to explain why the fights are part of the game. As an old defenseman, you just need to emphasize that you're not going to let the other team's offense just run silly over you. It's a territorial thing. Plus you're trying to defend the goal and the goalie.

 

[Deleted member 6835]

hockey is more popular here cuz its f'ing freezing more often during the year
no but seriously i personally like it or something like say football (american football, which i like btw, but not as much as hockey), because its so fast-paced and the fighting and hitting and stuff. its really exciting to watch. plus, its fun and easy to play on the street or with friends, etc.

 

[Richard Pur]

I'm not from Canada, but Illinois. I grew up playing pond hockey outside in the early 70's (before global warming kicked in). You're outside in the elements, plowing snow off the ice (as fast as you can so that you can play), and then skating on the fresh ice. Sure, my feet would freeze, and I would be cold as hell as the sun started going down. But there was a certain magic about it. And we would play using two shoes as the goal posts. You couldn't just shoot away at a net. You had to work on your stick handling skills.

The NHL was still relatively small and the talent wasn't too watered down like it is now. It wasn't too far removed from the original 6 teams (Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston and New York Rangers). Bobby Hull was my hero and Chicago was a big hockey town (the Bears sucked then, and they do now too). And the players were approachable. They would go out after the game as a group at a regular place/bar and you could mingle with them. I guess pros from other sports did that in that era too. I guess the pros today are just premadonnas and go off on the own after the game.

The sport is interesting because it takes a little of everything to play it, including strength, stamina and skill. Anyway, I'm sounding like a Wonder Years episode here. Sorry. But a hockey game always has something going on. Just an exiting game.

Rich

 

[max]

Rich, you and I have some shared history. Bobby Hull, what a God. . . I had a picture taken with him and Stan the Man long ago, when about 6. Used to go to the old Chicago stadium, sit up in the smoke-hazed cheap seats. Played outside as a kid, got skates at Gunzos. Summers, we'd put on a roller skate on one foot and play in the street, scraping up the bottoms of our sticks.

 

[Richard Pur]

Rich, you and I have some shared history. Bobby Hull, what a God. . . I had a picture taken with him and Stan the Man long ago, when about 6. Used to go to the old Chicago stadium, sit up in the smoke-hazed cheap seats. Played outside as a kid, got skates at Gunzos. Summers, we'd put on a roller skate on one foot and play in the street, scraping up the bottoms of our sticks.

Max,

I'm 45 and I only got ot meet Bobby Hull for the first time about a year ago. I was like a kid in a candy store (or a stalker). He did a signing session at a local ice arena in the suburbs of Chicago (like a mile from my house - I couldn't pass it up). In the 60's my dad got a Northland hockey stick (with the Gunzo's label and made for Stan Mikita) signed by most the team (including at the time Bobby Hull, Pat Stapleton, Eric Nesterenko, Chico Maki, Lou Angotti, Phil (yes Phil) Esposito - before he was traded to the Bruins, and many others. I have always treasured that stick and took it for Bobby to see. He was blown away and talked about the guys who had signed the stick. And then he said something about how Wirtz had traded away the franchise then by trading Esposito, Stanfield and Hodge to the Bruins for basically nothing. He used profanity, so I could see he was still carrrying a grudge with the Wirtz name. Then of course, the worst happens in the early 70's, where Wirtz didn't give Hull the money he deserved, and he broke all our hearts in Chicago. Now the youngest Wirtz who has taken over actually seems to have a good plan for the team.

Anyway, I guess you can see I get pretty exited about the good ole days of the Blackhawks. The team also used to practice occassionally at the Willow Ice Chalet in Willow Springs (near where I grew up) and my mom was speaking in Czech to me while we were waiting for some autographs and Stan Mikita (of Czech desent) heard her, and that sparked a conversation with us. That has a lasting impact on a kid which lives forever, just like your picture. A couple of years ago I bought a framed picture that had separate pictures of Hull, Mikita and Tony Esposito. When I met Bobby, he signed his picture. He also signed an original Blackhawks puck I got as a souvenier in the smoked filled Stadium days. My goal is to ultimately get the other two to sign their pictures.

I assume you're from the Chicago area? Feel free to share the memories. If you still live in the area, where do you play your tennis?


Rich

P.S. Sorry if I hijacked this thread.

P.S. Sorry

 

[max]

My dad had what I think were season tickets to that Blackhawks team. He was pretty good about trying to reach the players and I've got a signed Keith Magnuson photo and snapshots with Tony Esposito. What an amazing crew! I've been down on Bill Wirtz for a long time, threw in the towel on the team, but you're right: the recent changes are REALLY for the good. I grew up in Lombard; I'm now in Ottawa. It would've been very cool to hear Bobby Hull's comments on that team. I used to play a little as an adult and had a #9 jersey made up, which I stashed away: the new changes taking place made me pull it out. I'm hoping for a lot!

 

[Mingo]

I'm from the Winnipeg area and we bought Bobby Hull away from Chicago (sorry guys). But he brought us top line pro hockey for many years.

For Canadians it is what we do when we grow up. Even as an adult, I have played on 10 or more rec hockey teams over the years. I still play a couple of times a week. And I am looking forward to getting away at lunch tomorrow for my next game.

 

[Richard Pur]

Max,

Sorry, I've been away for a few days. From what I heard, Magnuson was awesome with people. Most people might think he was just a goon who fought all the time, but a friend of mine skated with him in some fundraising events and Mags was as genuine a person as you would ever find. He would remember my friends name a year later at the same event.

I also wore number 9 when I played hockey. One of my biggest fears right now is for some politically correct group to surface and force the Blackhawks to change their name. It happened to Chief Illiniwek. The Blackhawks have the coolest jersey. I screams tradition too.

Anyway, good luck out there in the soon to be suburbs of Chicago (ha!ha!). Just kidding. Must be a better quality of life out there in Ottawa.

See you.

Rich

 

[mrDamien]

I support the Sens since childhood boy. Why so popular :-? Hmmm fast paced with speed and most thing love to see those players fighting. All players are great fighter. It's just like England, why soccer No 1 sports in the country.