Twilight of a National Game

Few Canadian symbols pack more power than hockey. Its influence is everywhere, ranging from classic fiction (Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater) to art (Ken Danby’s At the Crease) to music (the Tragically Hip’s ‘50 Mission Cap’ and Tom Connor’s ‘The Good Old Hockey Game’).  Or consider politics, where participants include a retired star (Ken Dryden) who became a cabinet minister; at least two players (Red Kelly and Howie Meeker) who served as MPs while still players); and the Senate, where members have included another retired star (Frank Mahovlich); a Stanley-Cup winning coach (Jacques Demers); and even the owner of an NHL team – Hartland Molson of the Montreal Canadiens. Not to mention Jean Béliveau – who turned down an offer from Jean Chrétien to become Governor-General — and a former prime minister (Stephen Harper) who wrote a learned book about hockey while in office.

But while the game’s hold on the Canadian psyche seems indisputable, it is increasingly tenuous. As noted sportswriter Sean Fitz-Gerald (of the website The Athletic) observes in his timely, meticulously-reported new book, Before the Lights Go Out, support at the minor hockey level is melting as surely as, well, ice on outdoor rinks in this era of climate change. For years, the number of participants in programs across Canada has been declining, while enrolment in soccer and basketball soars. The reasons include changing demographics, prohibitive equipment and enrolment costs, and concern over the game’s physical hazards (especially concussions).  [MORE]