Hockey: Game or Religion

By David Newman

I know I've already written about sports but this weekend was St Patrick's Day and, I was thinking about Hockey. March 17th 1955. Sound familiar? It's the Day when 'Rocket' Richard's suspension provoked a Riot in Montreal. 45 years ago. You've got to realise that Hockey is more than a game up here.

Richard lost the rest of the Season and the Playoffs because he hit an Official, oh, and a player. The Montreal fans reacted badly to that starting a riot. We've got our heroes but Richard was being defended for an act similar to that which McSorley has just recently done. Its probably because Richard was a National Icon of the French Canadians and McSorley is just an enforcer that has played violently his whole life (although if I were him, I would have retired before they could hand me over the suspension because I'm sure he realised he'd done something wrong… But I guess that's too Nixon-like right?). I'm sure the Richard Riots were more than defending your idol. More like a fight against the English. It was all directed at Clarence Campbell (English) who had suspended Maurice Richard (French) earlier. Campbell went to the Habs games often and had his own seat. And while it was advised that he not attend the March 17th game against Detroit he did anyway and the crowds threw stuff at him, smoke bombs went off.

Hockey is our religion or it is for most of us. I don't think that league hockey is real. Shinny is the best hockey, most entertaining and fun. Its not about points its about fun. You go to the pond or the artificial City-runned rink to play for hours and hours just shooting the puck, dekeing the opposition… Damned winter is already over (at least in Toronto). Not to say that the NHL or even CHL hockey's not fun. But Seasons are too long games in March should already be playoff games. Expansion is the reason for this and players are less good. Stanley Cup winners used to be able to beat a NHL all-star team. Yeah fat chance that happens again. But I'm just saying that money is getting to be too much of the game. Why do I notice that all the old great players like Maurice Richard or Jacques Plante never really cared what the number was on the Contract which they didn't read: "Where do I sign?" Hockey should remain an underpayed sport. That's what made it so great. It wasn't money. It was the love of the game.

I started skating when I was very young. I didn't join any hockey team. I just skating occasionally with a stick, no other equipment. I'm not talking about the 60's here; it's the late 80's-90's I played in. Playing road hockey, shinny, floor hockey (at school). And when In line skates started to come out, added Roller Hockey. Winter: Ice Hockey, School: Floor Hockey, Wet weather: Road/Street Hockey, Sunny summer: Roller-Shinny Hockey (Roller Hockey alone would be at a rink).

But as much as what I said about the NHL earlier. It's still good to watch when you forget the least paid player gets more money than your father or mother does. When you don't listen to the crap they play at the ACC in Toronto or the Keg in Montreal. The adds on the boards for "Mon Chien Skip" (Okay I've been watching SRC Montreal games a lot. The Grey seats worth 100$ (of Course I'm exaggerating but not too far from the truth). But Hockey is the main subject of talk. I go to school. I haven't watched every game or listened to them but I know their results. That's when the newspaper comes in handy.

Americans (and actually many people around the world, including Canadians) will know where they were when John F. Kennedy was assassinated. Canadians have an event they know all where they were. Paul Henderson's '72 Summit series game-winning goal against Tretiak. Okay okay, of course everyone answers Watching the game on TV. But of course there's more details than that where they were watching the game (at the Hospital, my mom says everyone was in front of the series Canada was supposed to sweep).

Ah… Rivalry. An important part of the game. I'm a Montreal fan in Toronto. That's because I'm French-Canadian. I feel pride when Montreal beats the Leafs and rather stay home than go to school when it's the opposite. Okay its not that strong. I think it's amazing that if the rivalry in the games has started to be cut down (due to 5 games a season in 2000 instead of 14 games a season in 1967) between the fans yet keeping it friendly. One of my best friends is a Leaf fan. The Coolest Convenience store guy is a Leaf fan. Bans me out of his store every so-often just for saying something about the Leafs. Its not that serious but we would be better friends if we liked the same team.

Anyway, enough about that. Last time I'll even mention hockey… or you know, eh whatever

About the Author:

I was born April 12, 1984 in the small city of Toronto. Toronto is a city settled between Etobicoke and Scarborough and south of North York, East York and City of York. Okay they aren't cities anymore but we all agree that Amalgamation sucks. I'm interested in History, Geography and Culture. I share two different origins. On my father's side, i'm part of a first Canadian-born Generation, on my mother's side, its more like 13 or 14th generation (since 1644, too lazy to calculate). I Love Canada, all of It. and Quebec is unique just like everybody else. I will die 16th of July 2063 (according to some death test).There's not much interesting things about my life.

David may be contacted by email at  kelvinandhabbes@hotmail.com.