Canadians say only two seasons exist in the country: winter and construction. .While an argument can be for it, another argument can support a third season: the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and that season is underway. .It’s when all things hockey are discussed and debated over a brew or two, and to help you become hockey’s master debater, we take a deep dive into hockey legends and lores..Hockey was not invented in Canada, according to the Canadian Encyclopedia (CE)..“There’s a painting in the 1500s of people playing something on ice that looks like hockey,” says Phil Pritchard, curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame. “They even had sticks.”.According to the CE, evidence exists of a similar game played in Scotland in 1608. .In 1840s Great Britain, newspapers referenced hockey played on ice. A Scottish newspaper reported in 1842 about a fatality during a hockey game on a canal, when “The ice suddenly broke in, and several were immersed, but rescued, except an unfortunate lad.”.In 1864, the Prince of Wales played hockey with a London skating club. “The game was kept up with great animation until 2 o’clock,” a London newspaper reported.. Screen-Shot-2022-05-02-at-8.57.01-AM1893 hockey game in Montreal .Originally, the game was played with wooden balls and was known as shinty, bandy or hurley, with the name hockey perhaps arriving with casks of beer..The casks had stoppers called bungs, which resembled today’s hockey pucks, and replaced the wooden balls..Hockey historians Carl Gidén, Patrick Houda, and Jean-Patrice Martel suggest the casks contained hock ale, a beer brewed for the festivals at Hocktide. The locals used the slang term for the beer, ‘hocky,’ which was also a euphemism for ‘drunk’.. Screen-Shot-2022-05-02-at-8.57.12-AMMontreal hockey club 1893 Stanley Cup .There are other tales as to the origin, but Canadians will like this one best, because it involves beer..The CE notes some of the earliest evidence of hockey in Canada was recorded by British officers. .In 2002, researchers discovered two letters written by Sir John Franklin mentioning hockey being played on ice..Newspapers report hockey being played by British soldiers on Chippewa Creek in the Niagara region in 1839 and in Kingston, Ontario in 1843, as well as in Halifax and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.. Screen-Shot-2022-05-02-at-8.57.22-AMWinnipeg Falcons 1920 Olympics winners .However, in 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation declared the first game of organized hockey was played in Montreal in 1875, so it comes down to the definition of ‘organized.’.Canadians did not invent the game, but certainly took ownership of it..In the late 1800s, leagues were formed, with new rules, including the size of the net and number of players on ice at one time — six per team with a goaltender. .By the early 20th Century, Canadian rules reshaped the sport and were adopted worldwide..In 1920, Canada dominated the first ice hockey world championship at the Winter Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. The winning team, the Winnipeg Falcons, outscored their opponents in three games by a combined total score of 29 – 1. .Canadian teams dominated Olympic hockey for over 30 years, winning six of seven tournaments between 1920 and 1952. They took silver in 1936, when Britain won the gold medal with a team largely made up of Canadians..Canada continues to be a powerhouse in international competition, winning the majority of the 12 ‘best-on-best’ tournaments held between 1976 and 2014. Canada has been the single biggest contributor to ice hockey’s evolution into the popular fast-action sport that it is today..NHL TRIVIA.• The National Hockey League, was formed in 1917, as a successor to the National Hockey Association, one of the first major leagues in professional hockey, which began play in 1910..• In those days, several leagues competed for the Stanley Cup in an annual inter-league competition. By 1926, however, the NHL was the only league playing for Lord Stanley’s mug..• From 1942 to 1967, ‘The Original Six’ comprised the league: Boston Bruns, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadians, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leafs..• Expansion to 12 teams came in 1967, to 18 teams in 1974 and it now consists of 32 teams, with the Seattle Kraken coming off its first year of play..• Only one Stanley Cup finals series featured expansion teams: the Philadelphia Flyers’ 1975 win over the Buffalo Sabres..• Gordie Howe was the oldest player in the NHL, retiring at age 52..• The youngest player to start a game was Bep Guidolin, playing for the Boston Bruins on Nov. 24, 1942 at the age of 16 years, 350 days..• The Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups at 24. The ‘Habs’ are taking this year off to give others a chance to catch up..• The only team to defeat the Canadiens for the Stanley Cup in the Montreal Forum was the Calgary Flames in 1989 — three years after the Habs beat the Flames for the Cup in the Saddledome..• And we’d be remiss not to mention the Toronto Maple Leafs last won the Cup in 1967, a 55-year drought that is the longest in NHL history..Myke Thomas is a Western Standard contributor and Calgary Flames fan
