During the NHL season and Canadian international games on television, Alan has posted comments and initiated discussion about his beloved Habs and Canada on his official social media sites. There is nothing Alan likes better than going to a game with friends and singing the anthem at games. He met his good friend and music partner Russell Crowe at a hockey game in Toronto. Alan loves his hockey both as a player and spectator. Canada is a sports mad nation and hockey is one of the games they love the best.
(From the official Twitter account of Alanthomasdoyle. No copyright infringement intended)
For those of you who have never read my blog I am an Australian. Australians are also a sports mad nation. We are interested in, play and watch a wide range of sports including Australian rules football, cricket, rugby league, rugby union, field hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, netball, swimming, tennis and a range of other sports. Sports lovers come from both genders, all age groups, socio economic groups, language, religious and cultural groups and geographical regions. Together we have experienced great highs and lows from winning and losing local, state and territory and international tournaments that have brought people from all walks of life together. We are if I might be so bold to say good at a range of sports.
So where does my love of sport come from? As a young person growing up in an age without computers and the internet and very limited television I played a range of sports year round. Until I was teenager I played basketball, netball, cricket, softball and field hockey both at the school level and as part of a club. My friends also played sport. On the weekends when most kids kick a footy around with their dad and siblings, our dad who loved to skate, took us to the local skating rink. At home we had a swimming pool in the backyard where our friends and family would come over on the weekends and during the school holidays in the hot Australian summers. So most people my age grew up where sport was an integrated part of our life.
Australian sport has brought me a great deal of pleasure as an adult. I fell in love in with the game of rugby union and the national rugby union team the Wallabies in 2003 when Australia played Ireland in my home state and I attended a player promotion event. Rugby union was very exciting, Australia were at the top of their game and the players were, well good looking and really educated. Most of all they were respectful towards women and didn’t have cheerleaders like a lot of other Australian sports. I read everything I could especially the newspapers, watched all the games no matter what time they were telecast and listened to the sports sections of the news.
But sport has also been more to me than watching at home on the television and reading. I have become members of teams I have loved, met some amazing rugby union fans, travelled interstate to watch the games, attended annual meet the player events where I have met my favourite players, watched the games on television with family and friends, participated in social media with other fans and bought a range of merchandise which the players I have met graciously signed. I take great pride in our national team, the players and the way they go about their business of playing sport. They do Australia and the game of rugby union proud in the way they play the game, whether they win or lose.
However, I am wondering if being a sports fan in Australia is different from being a sports fan in another country such as Canada and in a game like hockey? Canadian hockey fans may like to know that my city in Australia has a couple of ice skating rinks and a local hockey competition. When I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, I learnt Australia has a national hockey team. During the Canadian and American summer (our winter) or off season players from the NHL come to Australia and do a couple promotional tournaments as do other major sporting leagues in North America. Hockey is definitely an exciting and very skilled game and the fans are passionate at all levels. Those who love the game articulate and share that love in many ways.
So how does a person become a good hockey fan and what does it mean to be a hockey fan? Wikihow.com have a range of posts offering wannabe hockey fans some advice. To become a hockey fan a person should find the closest professional or minor team in their area, watch a few games, read some statistics and decide what team to follow. Then learn the rules (for when they meet people later on and or participate in social media). Wannabe fans are encouraged to meet other like-minded fans by going to the games, joining fan-based clubs, or interacting on social media. They encourage fans to look the part by buying merchandise.
There is a bundle of advice if the wannabe hockey fan wants to be a good Canadian hockey fan. Other wikihow.com pages describe how being a good hockey fan includes being respectful, knowing the game, knowing the players and learning the history of their favourite franchise. There are also a whole range of other social and cultural norms for going to a hockey game and fitting in with other fans for example knowing about fighting in hockey. But hockey I gather is more than what a fan knows, how they look and act during a game.
As I researched what hockey means to Canadians I found there were literally thousands of articles and books, both fiction and non-fiction, that write about what hockey means to Canadians. I only read published articles identified on a page on Wikipedia, not fan pages on blogs, websites or social media posts of which I am sure there are hundreds all passionately told and written. I will let the writers that I read speak for themselves and for their love of hockey and what they think it means to Canadians.
“Hockey is more than a game to Canadians” by Steve Keating published on the 29 January, 2010 for Reuters discusses the importance of Canada winning its first gold Olympic medal at home in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Keating provides a really good summary within the discussion on Canada, hockey and its role in shaping cultural identity…
“Hockey’s place in Canadian culture is closer to religion than a simple sporting pastime, a unifying force in a country of 33 million people that is often split by politics and language.
The sport is part of the national identity, a rite of passage between fathers and sons and more recently mothers and daughters as the game has evolved beyond its traditional gender boundaries.
Generations of Canadians grew up listening to Hockey Night in Canada on the radio and decades later the Saturday night tradition continues intact on high-definition television….
To the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the sport is classified as “ice hockey.” In Canada, which regards itself as the birthplace of the game, it is simply referred to as “hockey” and anyone describing it any other way risks a disdainful look or a puck in the head…
From Newfoundland to Vancouver Island hockey touches the lives of Canadians young and old. Children are introduced to the game at an early age, some learning to skate and hold a stick as soon as they can walk, while some people go to the graves wearing team jersey’s...’
In the Canada Guide for those visiting Canada there is chapter titled “Ice Hockey – the national sport of Canada” under culture. The author discusses the origins and importance of ice hockey in Canadian culture.
“A symbol of Canada, a national sport, and even a way of life – ice hockey. Perhaps it may seem ironic that a country renowned for being so peaceful is so deeply connected with sport where fighting is not only accepted but even commended…
From frozen-over ponds and community rinks, to the top arenas, you will find Canadians practicing everywhere, but you will find all ages and levels participating – from children who can barely walk to those in the National Hockey League (NHL)…
Needless to say that Canada created, embraced and continues to adore ice hockey. In a country divided by political views, hockey is seen as unifying force forming a great part of Canadian cultural identity…”
Ben Cousins “Hockey: Canada’s Pass Time, Religion and Way Of Like” writes about hockey and Canadian culture….
“….Hockey is our identity because it seems like it is the only that can unify Canadians, it embodies the political system, identifies the Canadian sense of Anti-Americanism and has some of history’s greatest Canadians.
Fostering a Canadian identity is a difficult task to do as Canadians are so divided. It seems as though other than Hockey, little can be agreed upon across the nation….
In many ways, hockey is the way of life for Canadians. Taking an entitlement to the game is something that all people of Canada do. It is the one source of arrogance in a nation that is known for its quiet voice and neutrality. It is the one stereotype Canadians take pride in. There is no doubt hockey is the Canadian identity, whether it be from the water cooler to the bar, in the early morning Timbit practices or late night beer league, the World stage or one on one in the backyard rink. Hockey is just in the Canadian blood stream, it is a simple as that.”
However there is a whole range of writers who disagree and argue hockey and its impact on Canadian culture is changing for a number of reasons… One of those articles “When Sport Defines a Nation.” by Sam Riches writes…
“Cultural symbols are constantly being re-invented, their meaning and interpretations anything but static: in Canada, hockey a game once so closely tied to the every man, steeped heavily in blue-collar, working-class ideals has become something else. It is now modern, commercial a sport privilege because of the costs associated with playing it, and increasingly, a game that has limited historical and cultural significance for new generations of Canadians…
There is still the thrill of spectatorship in hockey, of Canadians organising around the game – using cultural activity to help whittle out a collective identity – hockey can no longer speak to the concept of unified, singular Canadian. To be effective, it must speak to all of us…
Other sports like soccer and basketball, which are more affordable to play, and came without the same cultural baggage, are quickly building their own significance in the lives of Canadians…”
Wiki.com suggestions on how to become a hockey fan are not connected to socio-economic status, being able to play and operate independent to culture and family traditions as suggested by those who make observations and write about the game. To those who write about being a hockey fan it is more than playing the game, putting on a jersey, watching and following team and knowing how to behave at a hockey game, although they are all certainly part of it. Being a hockey or sports fan is about a genuine love of the game and belief and support in those who play and the game. It involves constantly changing shared values, knowledge and understandings of the game and their culture that connects fans to the game, team, community ultimately to a nation.
References
Cousins, B. (2010). “Hockey: Canada’s Pass Time Religion and Way of Life”. Retrieved from m.bleacherreport.com on the 20 January, 2017.
Keating, S. (2010). “Hockey is more than a game for Canadians.” Retrieved from mobile.reuters.com on the 20 January, 2017.
Riches, S. (2015). “When Sport Defines a Nation” Retrieved from psmag.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“How to Become a Hockey Fan.” Retrieved from m.wikihow.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“How to Be a Good Hockey Fan.” Retrieved rom m.wikihow.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“Canada Guide: Ice Hockey – the national sport of Canada.” Retrieved from justlanded.com on the 20 January, 2017
So where does my love of sport come from? As a young person growing up in an age without computers and the internet and very limited television I played a range of sports year round. Until I was teenager I played basketball, netball, cricket, softball and field hockey both at the school level and as part of a club. My friends also played sport. On the weekends when most kids kick a footy around with their dad and siblings, our dad who loved to skate, took us to the local skating rink. At home we had a swimming pool in the backyard where our friends and family would come over on the weekends and during the school holidays in the hot Australian summers. So most people my age grew up where sport was an integrated part of our life.
Australian sport has brought me a great deal of pleasure as an adult. I fell in love in with the game of rugby union and the national rugby union team the Wallabies in 2003 when Australia played Ireland in my home state and I attended a player promotion event. Rugby union was very exciting, Australia were at the top of their game and the players were, well good looking and really educated. Most of all they were respectful towards women and didn’t have cheerleaders like a lot of other Australian sports. I read everything I could especially the newspapers, watched all the games no matter what time they were telecast and listened to the sports sections of the news.
But sport has also been more to me than watching at home on the television and reading. I have become members of teams I have loved, met some amazing rugby union fans, travelled interstate to watch the games, attended annual meet the player events where I have met my favourite players, watched the games on television with family and friends, participated in social media with other fans and bought a range of merchandise which the players I have met graciously signed. I take great pride in our national team, the players and the way they go about their business of playing sport. They do Australia and the game of rugby union proud in the way they play the game, whether they win or lose.
However, I am wondering if being a sports fan in Australia is different from being a sports fan in another country such as Canada and in a game like hockey? Canadian hockey fans may like to know that my city in Australia has a couple of ice skating rinks and a local hockey competition. When I went to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, I learnt Australia has a national hockey team. During the Canadian and American summer (our winter) or off season players from the NHL come to Australia and do a couple promotional tournaments as do other major sporting leagues in North America. Hockey is definitely an exciting and very skilled game and the fans are passionate at all levels. Those who love the game articulate and share that love in many ways.
So how does a person become a good hockey fan and what does it mean to be a hockey fan? Wikihow.com have a range of posts offering wannabe hockey fans some advice. To become a hockey fan a person should find the closest professional or minor team in their area, watch a few games, read some statistics and decide what team to follow. Then learn the rules (for when they meet people later on and or participate in social media). Wannabe fans are encouraged to meet other like-minded fans by going to the games, joining fan-based clubs, or interacting on social media. They encourage fans to look the part by buying merchandise.
There is a bundle of advice if the wannabe hockey fan wants to be a good Canadian hockey fan. Other wikihow.com pages describe how being a good hockey fan includes being respectful, knowing the game, knowing the players and learning the history of their favourite franchise. There are also a whole range of other social and cultural norms for going to a hockey game and fitting in with other fans for example knowing about fighting in hockey. But hockey I gather is more than what a fan knows, how they look and act during a game.
As I researched what hockey means to Canadians I found there were literally thousands of articles and books, both fiction and non-fiction, that write about what hockey means to Canadians. I only read published articles identified on a page on Wikipedia, not fan pages on blogs, websites or social media posts of which I am sure there are hundreds all passionately told and written. I will let the writers that I read speak for themselves and for their love of hockey and what they think it means to Canadians.
“Hockey is more than a game to Canadians” by Steve Keating published on the 29 January, 2010 for Reuters discusses the importance of Canada winning its first gold Olympic medal at home in the Vancouver Winter Olympics in 2010. Keating provides a really good summary within the discussion on Canada, hockey and its role in shaping cultural identity…
“Hockey’s place in Canadian culture is closer to religion than a simple sporting pastime, a unifying force in a country of 33 million people that is often split by politics and language.
The sport is part of the national identity, a rite of passage between fathers and sons and more recently mothers and daughters as the game has evolved beyond its traditional gender boundaries.
Generations of Canadians grew up listening to Hockey Night in Canada on the radio and decades later the Saturday night tradition continues intact on high-definition television….
To the International Olympic Committee (IOC) the sport is classified as “ice hockey.” In Canada, which regards itself as the birthplace of the game, it is simply referred to as “hockey” and anyone describing it any other way risks a disdainful look or a puck in the head…
From Newfoundland to Vancouver Island hockey touches the lives of Canadians young and old. Children are introduced to the game at an early age, some learning to skate and hold a stick as soon as they can walk, while some people go to the graves wearing team jersey’s...’
In the Canada Guide for those visiting Canada there is chapter titled “Ice Hockey – the national sport of Canada” under culture. The author discusses the origins and importance of ice hockey in Canadian culture.
“A symbol of Canada, a national sport, and even a way of life – ice hockey. Perhaps it may seem ironic that a country renowned for being so peaceful is so deeply connected with sport where fighting is not only accepted but even commended…
From frozen-over ponds and community rinks, to the top arenas, you will find Canadians practicing everywhere, but you will find all ages and levels participating – from children who can barely walk to those in the National Hockey League (NHL)…
Needless to say that Canada created, embraced and continues to adore ice hockey. In a country divided by political views, hockey is seen as unifying force forming a great part of Canadian cultural identity…”
Ben Cousins “Hockey: Canada’s Pass Time, Religion and Way Of Like” writes about hockey and Canadian culture….
“….Hockey is our identity because it seems like it is the only that can unify Canadians, it embodies the political system, identifies the Canadian sense of Anti-Americanism and has some of history’s greatest Canadians.
Fostering a Canadian identity is a difficult task to do as Canadians are so divided. It seems as though other than Hockey, little can be agreed upon across the nation….
In many ways, hockey is the way of life for Canadians. Taking an entitlement to the game is something that all people of Canada do. It is the one source of arrogance in a nation that is known for its quiet voice and neutrality. It is the one stereotype Canadians take pride in. There is no doubt hockey is the Canadian identity, whether it be from the water cooler to the bar, in the early morning Timbit practices or late night beer league, the World stage or one on one in the backyard rink. Hockey is just in the Canadian blood stream, it is a simple as that.”
However there is a whole range of writers who disagree and argue hockey and its impact on Canadian culture is changing for a number of reasons… One of those articles “When Sport Defines a Nation.” by Sam Riches writes…
“Cultural symbols are constantly being re-invented, their meaning and interpretations anything but static: in Canada, hockey a game once so closely tied to the every man, steeped heavily in blue-collar, working-class ideals has become something else. It is now modern, commercial a sport privilege because of the costs associated with playing it, and increasingly, a game that has limited historical and cultural significance for new generations of Canadians…
There is still the thrill of spectatorship in hockey, of Canadians organising around the game – using cultural activity to help whittle out a collective identity – hockey can no longer speak to the concept of unified, singular Canadian. To be effective, it must speak to all of us…
Other sports like soccer and basketball, which are more affordable to play, and came without the same cultural baggage, are quickly building their own significance in the lives of Canadians…”
Wiki.com suggestions on how to become a hockey fan are not connected to socio-economic status, being able to play and operate independent to culture and family traditions as suggested by those who make observations and write about the game. To those who write about being a hockey fan it is more than playing the game, putting on a jersey, watching and following team and knowing how to behave at a hockey game, although they are all certainly part of it. Being a hockey or sports fan is about a genuine love of the game and belief and support in those who play and the game. It involves constantly changing shared values, knowledge and understandings of the game and their culture that connects fans to the game, team, community ultimately to a nation.
References
Cousins, B. (2010). “Hockey: Canada’s Pass Time Religion and Way of Life”. Retrieved from m.bleacherreport.com on the 20 January, 2017.
Keating, S. (2010). “Hockey is more than a game for Canadians.” Retrieved from mobile.reuters.com on the 20 January, 2017.
Riches, S. (2015). “When Sport Defines a Nation” Retrieved from psmag.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“How to Become a Hockey Fan.” Retrieved from m.wikihow.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“How to Be a Good Hockey Fan.” Retrieved rom m.wikihow.com on the 20 January, 2017.
“Canada Guide: Ice Hockey – the national sport of Canada.” Retrieved from justlanded.com on the 20 January, 2017
