O Canada: War & Hockey

Hockey seeps into virtually every aspect of Canadian life. The military and its heritage are no exceptions. The game and the country’s armed forces have been tied since Canada’s earliest days, from one of the first games on record in 1886 to the droves of players, pro and amateur, who volunteered for the Great War. Still more exchanged hockey sweater for military uniform in the Second World War, and the pursuit of pucks has been a welcome distraction for those in service all along.

Introduction

Ties that bind

Hockey’s physical demands and unrelenting vigour seem custom-designed, in many ways, for training soldiers. And the aggressive urgency of the game has a warlike quality—even more so with its weaponry of sticks, sharpened blades and body armour. But there’s more, much more, that connects hockey and Canada’s military.

Part 1

The Great War

As more and more volunteers flocked to the Canadian Expeditionary Force, it would have been impossible for units being formed not to absorb hockey players. Some suggest 75 per cent of the 30,000-strong first contingent had chased a puck in their time. Some of the game’s best talents and most famous names would enlist. And hockey at home was forever changed as a result.

Part 2

The Second World War

At the dawn of WW II, Canada’s hockey community was, like everyone, trying to find the proper balance between going about everyday business and failing in with the interests of a country at war. As the conflict wore on, the entire Canadian-born first line of the Boston Bruins departed mid-season to enlist, as did many other pros. More still worked in home-front war industries, while the game continued to adapt to the state of war.

Part 3

The Summit Series

If the eight-game matchup started off conventionally, it quickly evolved into something else. After the Soviets shocked the Canadians 7-3 in the first game, the Canadians “switched to a war mentality,” said their coach Harry Sinden. “They understood the politics at play, the Cold War backdrop. Imagine a team playing the Germans in the middle of World War II—that’s what it was like.” Imagine, indeed.

Conclusion

War is not hockey

Hockey’s institutions have consistently stepped forward to support the military. In WW I, leagues across Canada followed baseball’s example in adding anthems as a pre-game formality. In WW II, the NHL stood ready to suspend operations at the government’s request. But war is not hockey, just as hockey is not war. The connections are many, but the distinction is real.