My Stolen Nation

Many people don’t realize that hockey began in Canada, because it is so widely appreciated in Europe and the United States. There are many differences in the three regions attitudes, however; the international men’s ice hockey world championships are looked forward to in Europe and less so in America because it coincides with the Stanley cup playoffs. Many of the best players in any given country go off to play in the NHL and play for the Stanley cup trophy; this is particularly true in nations that have an already high rate of NHL players in their country.

There was a time in which professional players could not play internationally; with many Europeans now playing in the NHL, the world championships do not reflect the best players in the world any more. Hockey has been a major Olympic sport since 1924 and its country of origin, Canada, took home gold medal 6 out of 7 times that year. The United States won the gold medal in 1960, Russia won all, but 2 gold medals between 1956 and 1988, but it was professional Americans, Swedish, Finnish, and Canadians that were banned from Olympic competition. U.S.Non-pro College students went on to beat the Russians and win the gold medal in 1980 in Lake Placid, New York.

At the time, many Americans hadn’t paid much attention to the goings on of this particular sport, but a new surge of popularity followed. By the 1972 and 1974 Summit series, Canada and Russia were definite hockey rivals. Then came the Canadian Cup, a competition reserved only for the world’s best players. The name of the Canadian Cup was altered to the World Cup of Hockey and following that decision the United States won the match in 1996; Canada won in 2004. In 1998, the Olympics decided to allow NHL professionals to compete in their games; as a result, many of the top players were permitted to play in an area with other top players. Women have made their mark upon this sport, as well; there have been nine women’s competitions and the women’s game has been part of the Olympics since 1998.

Women have been able to make a noticeable amount of noise in this sport, as they play their games with the same fierceness of women. Although they still have a way to go in terms of really being there with males at the domestic and international levels. Hockey was always that sport dominated by males and yet women still have long way before they’re really taken seriously. The millions of people in Canada and the United States who love this sport break attendance records frequently. In the way that many Americans treat baseball, football and basketball, it is also a tradition to go see this sport.

Regardless of whether the sport is being played to pros or not, hockey to many players is a sport that has its own mini world. For many, the sport is a very time consuming one that is as much a part of their life as the air they breathe; many are as involved in it day to day as some people are with soap operas. Playing of the game can last long hours into the night, as rinks stay open to accommodate those fans.