When Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the first Canada-Russia hockey series the whole country went on a high the like of which no drug could induce.
Only a hockey game it seems can get Canadians en mass to shuck their reserve and yell their heads off. Every country, of course, has a favourite team-sport and legions of fans to cheer or jeer them. But only in Canada will you find a national sport that is virtually a religion for everyone regardless of his or her ethnic origin or religion. Back in 1966, the late John Lennon, of the Beatles, caused an uproar in the pulpits of the United States, and, in fact, received numerous death threats, when he claimed that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. Actually, for a time, they probably were.
Somehow, I don’t think it would create much turbulence in the land of hockey if someone like Wayne Gretsky, for instance, were to claim title for hockey. While world famous rock bands and movie stars come and go with the changing times, hockey, and hockey stars, are forever. Americans refer to baseball as their national pastime, but in many areas of the U.S. South, football is the game of choice. And in the big northern cities, basketball is the only game in town.
Australian and New Zealand sports fans are divided between cricket and rugby. In Ireland, the national sports are Gaelic football and hurling, but soccer is a bigger draw than either one.
In England sports are, as you might expect, class related. The upper classes wouldn’t be found dead at a soccer game, and the Hoi Polloi consider cricket to be an effete pastime.
The Scandinavians, Germans and Dutch are big on skiing and skating, and while hockey is also popular in these countries, soccer remains their number one sport. Even in Spain, where the bull-fights draw millions, soccer is the number one spectator sport.
So, you see, Canada is unique among nations in having one national sport that draws its fans from all walks of life. Sure, the Toronto Blue Jays have their fans, too, especially when they are on a winning streak.
And the Canadian Football League lives in constant fear of being sacked by the NFL. In fact, the Super Bowl is more popular here than the Grey Cup. Hockey, though, is part and parcel of the Canadian psyche. Even those who never watch hockey, or any other sport for that matter, have the names of the big NHL teams, and its star players such as Lionel Conacher, of long ago, and Wayne Gretzky of not so long ago etched into their subconscious.
From Quebec Separatists to disgruntled westerners, from Bay Street barons to skid row bums, all are agreed that hockey is, absolutely, more than just a game. And when a Canadian team takes to the ice against a foreign team, (and we now include our terrific female hockey teams) even the fans of sissy games like curling and soccer turn out in force to worship at the shrine of St. Puck. These days, except for the Grey Cup.
I seldom watch football. And I only watch a few hockey games, usually when the Leafs are playing, as I am basically a fan of the hapless Blue Jays.
Nevertheless, I have no hesitation whatsoever in stating that hockey is Canada; and Canada is hockey. And whether you are a native born or naturalized citizen, I’m sure you’ll agree that Canada is the only country in the world that has a national game that’s a virtual religion.
And the name of the game is Hockey!
