If Canada were to have a state religion, it would be hockey. The surface the game is played on is kind of like Canada, a cold, wide open space.
The origins of the game are somewhat in dispute but we do know the first organized indoor game was played in Montreal in 1875. The NHL was formed in Montreal in 1917. Consisting of four teams, it would eventually increase to 10. The depression and World War II reduced that number to 6 by 1942. It is these 6 teams that we still call the original six. They are: the Montreal Canadiens, the Boston Bruins, the New York Rangers, the Detroit Red Wings, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Chicago Blackhawks.
Like most professional sports leagues, the NHL was no different in the exploitation of players in it’s earlier years. Players were in effect ‘owned’ by their teams. It wasn’t until Detroit Red Wings player Ted Lindsay helped form a players union, that players started to be treated more fairly. Unfortunately for Lindsay, the person brought in to run the union was Alan Eagleson.
Canadian players dominate the NHL. As of the 2007/08 season there were 385 Canadians playing in the NHL. In comparison, the next highest group are the Americans with 156 players. The reason for such dominance is due to our ‘farm’ system. The most productive league in Canada is the CHL which is the governing body for the 3 main junior hockey leagues in Canada. These junior leagues also provide scholarship opportunities for players who do not make it to the NHL.
Modern day hockey has it’s share of problems. First and foremost is Gary Bettman, who has expanded the league into non-hockey markets such as, Florida, North Carolina, Atlanta (2nd kick at the can). With Canada losing teams in Winnipeg and Quebec City, the expansion of teams into the South is seen as a slap in the face to Canadians. Not to mention, Carolina and Tampa Bay winning Stanley Cups in the last few years. The second problem is the lack of a television network deal for the league. Bettman mis-played his cards with ESPN and bungled the whole deal. It is now seen on Versus in the States. Versus! Good luck finding that channel on your dial. NBC is picking up a small handful of games during the playoffs. In Canada, we are not affected as we have 1 government sponsored network (CBC) and 2 major sports networks in TSN and Sportsnet, which carry most of the Canadian teams games.
So, why do Canadian players dominate the sport? Europeans and Russians have demonstrably better skating and puck handling skills. This suits the games played on the larger European ice surface. It is the smaller North American ice surface that has honed the Canadian player. It requires a grittier, more physical kind of play that the Euros tend to shy away from. And at the end of the day, it is the heart that makes the Canadians so dominant in the sport.
