Nananna

We continue with Part Two of Sydney hockey “lifer” Blair Joseph who, for the majority of his 70-odd years, has been deeply devoted to the sport.

Faulkner, in his sports essay, describes the actions of hockey in order to convey the excitement derived from playing the sport. He successfully achieves this portrayal of action and excitement by his deliberate use of syntax and imagery.

While being a talented and dominant hockey player, James Marsh indicates that while “[h]e came from humble beginnings, [he] fought for the culture he believed in, by way of sport. ” That is, throughout his career, he recognized that the English establishment of the NHL treated French Canadian players unfairly and intolerantly in comparison to English players. This is especially distinct in the events leading up to the Richard Riot of 1955, a sign of the growing French-Canadian nationalism in Quebec and the eventual onset of the Quiet Revolution in the 1960s.

A tale can be told in several different ways. Many people are aware of the astonishing feat of the 1980 USA Olympic Men’s Hockey team, who were huge underdogs in their bid to win the gold medal against the powerhouse USSR. The movie “Miracle”, directed by Gavin O’Connor, is the dramatic journey taken by this team, from the anxiety-filled tryouts in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to the exhilarating game against the USSR in Lake Placid, New York. The book, “The Boys of Winter” written by Wayne Coffey, is based on the same events, but takes a less emotional, more factual approach to the subject. The purpose of this essay is to compare these two resources, and to discuss how they differ in tone, style, and theme.

History has framed the Miracle On Ice as one of those rare sporting achievements that transcend sport. The two hockey games that comprise the “miracle” – the 4-3 win over the mighty Soviets and the 4-2 gold medal clincher against Finland – are credited with lifting Americans from a decade of gloom and despair, reviving patriotism and foreshadowing a national renewal.

set and experience hockey as a community. Hockey Night in Canada reflects an idea that hockey brings together Canadians in a common experience of the game. In this case the sport does not play the role of glorifying masculinity and violence, but it unites Canadians in the understanding of our own culture, preferences and values. For example, the values respected in hockey could be an aspect contributing to principles Canadians try to uphold on the world stage, and as

The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.

Sometimes it is easy to forget the game played on frozen ponds and backyard rinks, and get lost in the overwhelming professional sport known as hockey. However, we strive to remember that hockey became Canada's game because it made our never-ending winter months more bearable . The game gradually became a sport, then an entertainment industry. It seems like the lockout was one of the biggest news stories of the year. Part of the amazing nature of the game is that it's origins are fairly vague. However, we always remember that hockey is our game. It may not be our official sport, like lacrosse is, but hockey is what Canada seems to be most well-known for, and it continues to have immense influence on our free society, with its unique style

Hockey is “closer to a religion than a simple sporting pastime” in Canada. It is “a unifying force” in a nation where one state wanted to separate from the rest of Canada. Hockey has a major impact on the social, economic, cultural and political realms of Canada. In the 2014 olympics, alcohol laws in bars were lifted when Canada was in the finals for the gold medal. People were drinking in 5 o’clock in the morning which would be frowned upon in many social circles in any other circumstances. Maurice is “credited with raising the National Hockey League to major sport status”, he simply “sold the game” to french canadians post great depression and you could say he stopped the National Hockey league from folding as teams were dropping every

Silence intoxicated the stadium as Patrice Bergeron glided to the face-off dot against Nazem Kadri. Tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. Above, the massive scoreboard read 1-1, which was way too close for comfort. The ref then took a brief glance, analyzing the positions of each player, to ensure they were in their correct positions. He blasted the whistle and the game was on. Next, the puck was dropped in a sudden motion, keeping it remaining completely horizontal the whole way down until it was swiped at rapidly by the Men’s sticks. For me, it felt so surreal to be at the Air Canada Center, observing the action with my own very eyes. In front of me, were the very players I’ve dreamed of witnessing all my life. I could

Justin Bourne of The Athletic Toronto recently wrote a piece “A closer look at who makes the NHL, who falls short and why” and joined Dimitri Filipovic a journalist for Sportsnet.com on his podcast.( https://hockeypdocast.com/2017/07/20/ep-184-the-bourne-resurrection/)

“I Was a Teenage Hijabe Hockey Player” by author Shema Kahnh is an essay that humorously, and candidly responds to the stigma of a Hijabe woman playing hockey. In the essay Kahn, a Hijabe describes how her co-workers are surprised that she follows and has in the past played hockey. In a candid conversation her she demonstrates that she is like any other Canadian, and enjoys hockey despite, her ethnic background. Kahn lightheartedly discusses her vast knowledge in player statistics and stories from her favorite hockey team the Montreal Canadians. Throughout the story Kahn discusses her collection rookie cards and meeting some of the game's top players. She continues her stories boasting that hockey has always been a part of her life “ I grew

So where does all the codswallop, all the stories about hockey’s demise come from? They come from immigration patterns which have seen millions arriving in Canada from cultures where hockey is barely heard of. They come from melting ice caps, a dwindling number of backyard rinks, falling enrolments in hockey youth programs.

Inside a packed Nassau Coliseum at the end of a game crying out for an overtime winner, John Tavares delivered the goods with 24 seconds to go. The incredible atmosphere inside the Coliseum set the stage for the play that would end in Tavares’ ninth goal of the season. The fans sang the familiar “Let’s go Islanders” chant, while children could be heard screaming for their team to push forward. When Tavares received the puck on the right hand side of the rink, the volume inside the stadium stepped up to that of its ancient Roman namesake. Cries of “Shoot!” rang around, and the Islanders forward listened with aplomb. Cutting inside, he unleashed a fiery shot past the despairing Capitals goalie, and mass celebrations ensued. A wave of elation

When being at the arena there is a whole new set of traditions and rituals surface from where you sit, with who you sit with, and to the music played for the warm up. It is all part and parcel of being part of the hockey community. According to Inglis, “The upshot of all this for the understanding of everyday life is that it is not just the social position of a person that structures their everyday activities but the cultural conditions they operate too” (5). This is an important part of everyday culture that can be overlooked as it becomes part of your weekend routine. MCGarry, stated “Because sport evokes a variety of discursive and non-discursive experiences for those involved, these experiences need to be understood as experiences that ‘‘matter’’ anthropologically. Indeed, seemingly everyday, mundane, yet embodied experiences are often overlooked by anthropolo-gists and they have historically eluded the capabilities of traditional anthro-pological representation” (161). We as a fan population spend countless hours together, when there is a new member of the team it allows for the addition of new traditions pending on the participation of the new member. As individuals or as a collective group we can follow old traditions and rituals as well as putting a new spin on it making it our own.