If you want to learn, play hockey, or are interested in the game, Canada is the best country to visit. Many people consider Canada the ultimate hockey country, making it a well-known symbol of the country alongside the maple leaf.
Close up of hockey player skating with stick and puck.
What Is Hockey, And Why Is Canada Considered As Its Birthplace?
Hockey can be traced back to the Middle Ages when people played stick and poke as a pastime. The term ‘hockey’ first appeared as a reference to Juvenile Sports and Pastimes in the 1700s. On March 3, 1875, they played the first organized ice hockey game in Quebec, Canada, with the Victoria Skating Club in Montreal fielding nine teams.
The first puck used in the game was a flat wooden block that glided across the ice without rising. The game featured two teams of nine men and has since been recognized as the International Ice Hockey Federation’s first official game. It was then further developed and quickly recognized as an official game worldwide, with Canada serving as its birthplace and epicenter. Now, the country’s massive arenas, such as Rogers Arena, hold numerous major hockey games every year.
So Why Is Canada Considered The Ultimate Hockey Country?
Significant events, such as national and international hockey competitions, draw sports fans worldwide to watch. Thousands of people read hockey news to find out which teams and games will be played in the upcoming season. However, Canada remains the most well-known country for having this sport as its national symbol. So, what makes Canada the ultimate hockey country?
- Hockey Is Accessible In Every Part Of The Country
Canada is the best hockey country because it has enough resources and schools to teach the sport to anyone. High schools have made hockey one of their primary sports, and the Hockey Canada Skills Program now has over 150 schools across the country for this reason. The National Hockey League has 32 stadiums, and Canada has 2,860 indoor and 5,000 outdoor ice hockey rinks, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation. This makes the sport more accessible to young learners and those who wish to learn and participate in the sport.
- The Canadian Hockey Team Has An Impressive Win Record
Since introducing ice hockey to the Olympic Games in 1920, the Canadian national ice hockey team, also known as Team Canada, has brought home nine gold medals, four silver medals, and three bronze medals. The team has a total of 27 gold medals from the International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships. Team Canada also won the World Cup of Hockey six times, establishing an impressive record in their most celebrated sport. This record places them as one of the world’s top countries in the game of hockey.
- Hockey Has A Significant Effect On Canada’s Economy
According to a 2015 study, hockey generates USD$2.6 billion in the Canadian economy. Every year, hockey-related tourism benefits the Canadian people in terms of direct economic impact, particularly in smaller communities and areas. Over 5,000 Canadians work full-time in hockey-related industries, with thousands more working part-time. At the same time, the construction of hockey rinks has become a feature of the Canadian landscape, with approximately 2,500 rinks located throughout the country.
- Ties With Their Culture
Hockey will permanently be embedded in Canadian culture as one of their identifying icons, whether in local community rinks, schools, or mega-stadiums. The game is linked to the collective sense of what it means to be a Canadian. According to the Angus Reid Institute, 62% of their Canadian respondents have either played hockey in the past, know or are close to someone who currently plays hockey, or are simply fans. In a broader cultural sense, hockey reflects the country’s geography, the cold weather, and the act of uniting people in difficult times, making it one of their most prominent icons.
The Canadian government has even legally designated hockey as the country’s winter sports symbol. According to the National Sports of Canada Act (S.C. 1994, c. 16), ‘the game commonly known as ice hockey is now recognized and declared to be the national winter sport of Canada.’
- Advantage In Geography
Canada’s weather and geography are fundamental reasons why it’s the ideal country for hockey. Because Canada is in the northern hemisphere, they have cold winters and short, cool summers. Local parks are usually frozen, and ice-skating rinks are naturally frozen, giving Canadians an advantage because they can play hockey all year. Canadians can play and practice the game virtually indefinitely as long as they find a frozen lake, a stick, and a puck. This gives them an edge compared to warmer countries because rinks and frozen parks are usually more limited in those climates.
Conclusion
Many teams from different parts of the world can try to compete with hockey’s home country, but they’ll find themselves coming up only second best to Canada. Simply put, the sport is a central part of their culture, with its accessibility and the people’s competence having had a significant effect on their country’s economic state and notoriety. The fact that the country also seems built for the sport with its weather and geographical advantage adds to the many reasons why any part of the world can undoubtedly consider Canada the ultimate hockey country.
If you want to learn more about hockey, go to the nearest NHL stadium or immerse yourself in a room full of Canadian sports fans to see how deeply ingrained hockey is in their daily lives. To quote the Canadian sportsman Mike Weir, “Canada is hockey.”
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