Academic literature on the topic 'Canadian Hockey stories'

Abstract Due in large measure to its iconic Hockey Night in Canada telecasts, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) is known nationally for its interest in sport. The network has also sponsored its own sport-themed dramatic and documentary productions. Examining filmic representations of the history of hockey, this paper considers the 2006 CBC docudramatic production Canada Russia ’72. This paper explores the use of the docudrama form for telling historical sport stories while examining the role of Canada’s public broadcaster in producing sport films and promulgating national mythologiess.

If sport scholars are going to contribute to a critical (inter)national dialogue that challenges “official versions” of a post-9/11 geo-political reality, there is a need to continue to move beyond the borders of the US, and examine how nationalistic sporting spectacles work to promote local military initiatives that are aligned with the imperatives of neoliberal empire. In this article we provide a critical reading of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation’s nationally-televised broadcast of a National Hockey League game, colloquially known as Tickets for Troops. We reveal how interest groups emphasized three interrelated narratives that worked to: 1) personalize the Canadian Forces and understandings of neoliberal citizenship, 2) articulate warfare/military training with men’s ice hockey in relation to various promotional mandates, and 3) optimistically promote the war in Afghanistan and the Conservative Party of Canada via storied national traditions and mythologies.

In an attempt to understand the lived experiences of those individuals who grew up within the fan region of one professional hockey team yet chose instead to identify with a nonlocal alternative, the authors interviewed 20 Ontario (Canada) based fans of distant National Hockey League teams. Utilizing Brewer’s (1991, 2003) theory of optimal distinctiveness to examine the stories of participants, it was found that these fans maintained their team allegiances over time because doing so allowed them to achieve feelings of both uniqueness and belongingness. Sport managers can help facilitate feelings of belongingness by utilizing various communication and marketing strategies to better recognize and include their distant fans. Such strategies should ultimately result in the strengthening of the fan-team bond.

Anatoly Tarasov was the architect of the Russian ice hockey system—one of the most storied program’s in the history of International ice hockey. As a head coach, he led his team to 3 Olympic gold medals, 9 World Championships, and 18 National Championships. He was also the first European inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in Canada. Given all that he accomplished, it is surprising that relatively little is known about Tarasov outside of Russia. The purpose of this paper is to introduce coach Tarasov and, through an analysis of his own writings and what others have written about him, shed some light on his coaching methods that we believe comprise his coaching philosophy. As we will demonstrate, Tarasov’s coaching methods, which would have been viewed as unusual at the time—particularly by ice hockey coaches in North America—are now widely supported in the coaching science literature and practiced by some of the world’s most regarded coaches. Rooted in Tarasov’s coaching methods, we also provide a number of “best practices” for ice hockey coaches, which we believe might also be applicable to coaches working in other contexts.

The paper refers to the history of Olympic art competitions which at one point were part of the Olympic Games competitions. In that vein, the author of the paper analyzes the Canadian short story Hockey Night in Canada, written by Diane Schoemperlen, which is inspired by sport as other sports stories are but, as a matter of fact, does not have much to do with hockey. The story illustrates how domestic objects could be turned into objects of art and how they help Schoemperlen reflect on her characters or apply her own technique of writing.

MacGregor, Roy. The Highest Number in the World. Illus. G. Despres. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2014. Print.It shouldn’t surprise you that Roy MacGregor writes a good children’s book about hockey especially if you read the Globe and Mail where he is a sports writer. Admittedly, I’m not a big fan of professional sport with little interest in stats, trades, and game results. However, Roy MacGregor always finds an interesting twist to set his stories apart.So it is with this book. On first glance, it seems to be about a hockey-prodigy; a 9-year-old girl idolizing a famous Canadian female hockey player so much she would give up playing because she has to wear #9 on her new team (not the #22 of her idol). How predictable and boring is that? BUT… her grandma sets her straight on why #9 is actually a better number to live “up” to (incidentally, “highest” in the title refers to height).The illustrations are fantastic - filled with witty references to the life of a Canadian, 9-year-old, hockey-loving girl such as drawings hung with hockey tape, embarrassing Velcro skates with toe-picks, sock-monkeys, and many more.A small quibble is the passive voice used in the first few pages; while chronologically correct, it detracts from the opening action just a little. Then again, hockey games themselves usually build up in intensity and excitement. The main reason for loving this book is the use of history to change perceptions. In a world so concerned with the desires of now, this book reminds us that the present is intimately shaped by the past (even if we don’t quite yet know how). Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4Reviewer: David SulzDavid is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta and liaison librarian to Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics; he formerly taught in schools and museums. His interests include physical activity, music, home improvements, and above all, things Japanese.

Carrier, Roch. The Hockey Sweater: 30th Anniversary Edition. Illus. Sheldon Cohen. Trans. Sheila Fischman. Toronto: Tundra Books, 2014. PrintWhat can one say about “The Hockey Sweater”? Could we simply say it is “most beloved”? No, that was used by Ken Dryden. How about “undeniably a Canadian classic” or “iconic depiction of a truly Canadian experience”? Nope, both done ( by Stephen Harper and Justin Trudeau respectively). Maybe, “will always stand the test of time”? That was taken by Cassie Campbell-Pascall. Could we even go all out and call it the “Bible” of “the Canadian religion”? Roy MacGregor claimed that one. Indeed, the 30th Anniversary Edition has these and more fascinating testimonials by a Who’s Who of Canadian culture.Perhaps, one could highlight why you would add the 30th anniversary edition to your collection (not already having it is reason enough!). This full reproduction of the 1984 illustrated version includes some interesting background by Roch Carrier himself. For example, he reflects on the unexpected popularity of the story (it was originally a last-minute essay for a CBC radio time slot that couldn’t be cancelled) and also relates the challenge for Sheldon Cohen to come up with only thirteen illustrations out of the 10,000 he used for the animated film (the illustrated book – though not the published short story from the radio essay – came after the film). I don’t know about your copies, but mine are a flimsy paperback and a VHS tape, so a longer-lasting hard-cover and DVD would be good (did I mention a DVD of the National Film Board film is included)?If you need more, how about inspiration to do some historical digging? I was inspired to see if the University of Alberta library had the Eaton’s catalogue for the winter of 1946. Fortunately, we do have it on a microfilm (which is always fun to use); unfortunately, the focus is not great. I wasn’t sure whether to look in the Fall/Winter 1945-46 catalogue (if Roch’s story took place in January/February 1946) or in the Fall/Winter 1946-47 (if it was November/December 1946) but that’s the sort of thing historians tend to worry about. The entries are almost identical except the price had increased from $1.65 to $1.75 for “boys’ sizes 28 to 34-inch chest” – so hopefully Monsieur Eaton sent Mrs. Carrier the correct change she asked for. The catalogue text says “many a Canadian boy has his idol in the N.H.L. and wants to have a sweater to represent his favorite team or player.” How intriguing is it that this almost summarizes the story perfectly. Also, only four team jerseys are offered for sale (Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, and New York but not Boston or Chicago); why was that? I won’t even get into whether “jersey” or “sweater” is correct (hint: Eaton’s uses both).It turns out there is lots of material on the internet as well. Here are just a few:Roch Carrier reading the whole story (not the abridged text in the film) and Peter Gzowski responding with his own hockey story. From the CBC digital archives http://www.cbc.ca/player/Digital+Archives/ID/1752124840/A virtual museum exhibit on the history of Canadian mail-order catalogues with a whole section on Roch Carrier and The Hockey Sweater. From the Canadian Museum of History http://www.historymuseum.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cpm/catalog/cat2208e.shtml#050A 2014 CBC interview with Roch Carrier for the 30th Anniversary Edition of the book. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/the-hockey-sweater-by-roch-carrier-celebrates-30-years-1.2845752The 1980 film itself. From NFB https://www.nfb.ca/film/sweater (or in French https://www.nfb.ca/film/chandail_le) A cleaner digitization (than the microfilms in our library) of the hockey sweater page from Eaton’s Fall and Winter 1948-1949 catalogue. However, the entry is completely different than 1946 with all six NHL jerseys offered and price jump to $2.15. From Library and Archives Canada: http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/cmc/009002-119.01-e.php?&page_ecopy=nlc003958.490&&&&&&PHPSESSID=t03oo56jrsil3o0q9v5esobn02There are some things I’m still wondering about. Is the story as iconic in French as it is in English? If not, is there something about Sheila Fischman’s translation that makes it so special? (translators seldom get enough credit). The short story version appears in two collections (one English, one French) before the film and illustrated book came out, so was it immediately popular or was it the animations, illustrations, and Roch Carrier’s own beautifully accented narration that created the magic? And, where can I see the symphony version composed by Abigail Richardson who was apparently introduced to it “in grade three when a librarian read it to [her] school class”?I guess there is a lot to say, after all. Like, Roch Carrier was the National Librarian of Canada. He has written many other great stories. A quote from “The Hockey Sweater” and “Le Chandail de hockey” (or is it from “Une abominable feuille d’érable sur la glace”) was on the five-dollar bill. And more …, but I will stop here and let you explore on your own - if you even got this far without jumping up to go read and watch and listen to the real thing. Which you should do. Now. Stop reading and go! P.S., it was suggested I add a short synopsis.Young Quebec boy outgrows his favourite Montreal Canadians jersey. His mom orders a new one. Eaton’s mistakenly sends a Toronto Maple Leafs one. Boy has temper tantrum. Pragmatic mother convinces him to wear it. Boy is ostracized at the local rink; throws another tantrum. The young curate orders him to church to pray for forgiveness. Boy prays for “a hundred million moths” instead.Hmm, Carrier and Cohen’s version is much better. Read and watch theirs instead!Highly Recommended: 4 out of 4 starsReviewer: David SulzDavid is a Public Services Librarian at University of Alberta and liaison librarian to Economics, Religious Studies, and Social Work. He has university studies in Library Studies, History, Elementary Education, Japanese, and Economics; he formerly taught in schools and museums. His interests include physical activity, music, home improvements, and above all, things Japanese.

Schultz Nicholson, Lorna. Puckster’s First Hockey Sweater and Puckster’s First Hockey Game. Toronto: Fenn/Tundra, 2011. Print. These two volumes are the first in the new Puckster series, a collaboration between Fenn/Tundra of Tundra Books and Hockey Canada. The stories are about an after-school team of hockey-playing animals. The team is inclusive in terms of gender, ability, colour and species, being comprised of a raccoon, a squirrel, a brown bear, a moose who plays on a sledge, a pink fox who is female, and of course, Puckster, who is a polar bear. The dressing room also appears to be unisex. Each book tells a story that also teaches values. In Puckster’s First Hockey Sweater, the animals want team sweaters, so they work as a team to make enough money by shoveling snow. In Puckster’s First Hockey Game, they play a see-saw game which ends in a tie. Throughout they console and encourage each other as they score and are scored upon. Each player is shown making an important contribution to the team. On the last page of each book is a definition or a hockey tip. Lorna Schultz Nicholson includes lots of hockey detail and authentic “hockey talk”. For example, Francois “blasted a shot right into the five-hole, between the goalie’s pads”. Puckster wonders “…what should he do. Deke or shoot?” Parents who are fans will find the text comfortable and familiar. Kelly Findley’s cartoon illustrations are bright and her characters are expressive. She has worked as a graphic designer with Hockey Canada, which probably accounts for the fact that the team wears current Team Canada sweaters. Both the use of the current Team Canada images and references to players such as Hayley Wickenheiser and Roberto Luongo will date these books in time. However, they are fun books for today’s young hockey fans and players and the values they teach are laudable. Highly recommended for elementary school and public libraries. Highly recommended: 4 stars out of 4 Reviewer: Sandy Campbell Sandy is a Health Sciences Librarian at the University of Alberta, who has written hundreds of book reviews across many disciplines. Sandy thinks that sharing books with children is one of the greatest gifts anyone can give.