Introduction

Hockey is a truly Canadian game, totally woven into our national fabric. As the game evolved in Canada and around the world, one thing has been constant, our country has produced the top players, the top administrators, the top teams and has laid the groundwork for hockey operations and associations that have been modelled around the world. This is Canada's game. If you are Canadian, you are introduced to the game early, and it remains a constant. It will be played all around you. It will be on television; it will be in your newspaper, on your radio and it will be discussed on the bus, at the bar or at work. Canada is hockey.

As Canada has become a truly multicultural country, its national winter sport has reflected this diversity. At the North American professional level, hockey is the only truly international sport, with players and coaches from all over the world. Here in Canada, the game also has a mosaic quality. Everybody plays our game - men, women, boys and girls, people of all ages, backgrounds, origins and sizes.

It's our game.

A young Syl Apps Jr. takes to the ice. Apps Jr. would grow up to become an all-star for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
© Imperial Oil-Turofsky/Hockey Hall of Fame


A truly Canadian thing - the backyard rink, complete with team logos at centre ice.
© Hockey Hall of Fame