Hockey In The 20th Century

As hockey continued to grow it was beginning to be seen as a form of entertainment that brought the nation together (unit 4). Through the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth century the Canadian society had less concern towards where the players on the team where from, how they looked, and who they are as the society just wanted to have the greatest team to win (unit 4). Hockey was seen as a sport that united people together. This was evident during the Summit Series as Canada had very high confidence when they won against Russia 4-1, but then lost their confidence when they tied with Winnipeg and then lost to Russia 5-3. Canada’s hockey team was booed off the ice at this time and Canada's confidence plummeted. This show how Canadians were passionate about the game, but it also showed how they had no

loyalty to the team. A public announcement was made by Phil Esposito explain how the team feels betrayed and hurt by the way Canadian fans reacted to the game.

He explained how they need the support of the fans as the players are doing their best and giving their all. This public announcement changed the hearts of many Canadians as 3,000 loyal Canadian supporters went to Moscow to watch the games at the Luzhniki Sports Palace and the rest of Canada watched the games on the television. In addition, the last 34 seconds of the eighth game, Russia verse Canada was a huge event that millions of people watched. It was evident that this was a huge deal as many people did not show up to work that day and gymnasiums were transformed into large cinemas to watch the game. This shows how important hockey was as everyone was watching the game. This announcement and game changed the way hockey was perceived as it was now something that all Canadians can come together in unity and bond over. Overall, hockey in Canada had adjusted to the needs that society was facing during that time periods ranging from the lack of masculinity, to military need, to political views, and unity in the

country.