While hockey is undoubtedly one of Canada’s national pastimes and passions, the NHL occupies an outsized presence in our collective cultural imagination.Īlthough the league is a business that straddles the Canadian-American boarder and draws from an international talent pool, the NHL’s seven Canadian teams loom large over the landscape of Canadian culture, dwarfing almost any other institution.Ĭanada is not the only country with a keen interest in its teams, but our shared investment in the performance of our teams throughout Canadian history - despite the existence of other leagues, sports and other cultural touchstones that represent us on the national and global stages - sets us apart. Perhaps the answer lies within the connection between Canadian national identity and the National Hockey League itself.
So while it might seem natural for Canadian fans to seek an oasis in a time of drought by rooting for any Canadian team, the question remains: Why do many Canadian hockey fans feel the urge to support teams they would ordinarily delight in rooting against? Hewitt, Sporting Editor of the Toronto Daily Star noted in 1930: “Montréal’s Canadiens today returned the Stanley Cup to Canada, birthplace of hockey … the Stanley Cup is returned home after a two-year sojourn in the United States.” It’s plausible that fans of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators and Montréal Maroons were relieved when the 1930 Stanley Cup was won by the Montréal Canadiens over the heavily-favoured Boston Bruins. Goaltender Patrick Roy hoists the Stanley Cup after the Montréal Canadiens beat the Los Angeles Kings to win the Stanley Cup in June 1993.
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