Hockey: A People's History

Ian A. Andrews is a high-school social sciences teacher and editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus.

With the success of the monumental CBC television series Canada: A
People’s History, it was not surprising that its producer, Mark
Starowicz, would engineer a sequel based on the game so much associated
with this country. Hockey: A People’s History became a six-part series
that traced the sport from its beginnings to the present, showing how so
many people’s lives were changed in the process. Michael McKinley was
given the task of converting the show into print—a task he has
performed admirably. The result is one of the most comprehensive and
attractive books ever presented about Canada’s national pastime.

Although it could serve handsomely as a coffee-table book, Hockey: A
People’s History deserves to be read thoroughly from cover to cover.
Chronologically organized in 10 chapters, each section presents a major
theme, complemented by events deserving highlighted treatment. The
photographs are superb, and the captions provide detailed explanations
about the visuals.

The chapter, “The Temple and the Chalice,” explains how hockey
moved indoors from the ponds and was given a prize—the Stanley
Cup—to spur competition. “Gold After Silver” emphasizes the
professionalization of the game, and its inroads south of the border.
“Blood and Champagne” looks at the effects of World War I on the
sport. The construction of the Montreal Forum and of Maple Leaf Gardens
are central in “The Dustbowl Dream.” “A Cool Medium”
acknowledges the introduction of television and Hockey Night in Canada.
“Us and Them” features the rivalry between the Montreal Canadiens
and Toronto Maple Leafs. The threat to Canadian hockey supremacy in the
1972 Summit Series and the appearance of the World Hockey Association
are the focus of “The Soul of a Nation.” The remaining three
chapters look at key players (e.g., Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux), the
death of legends (e.g., Maurice Richard), and the prominence of Hockey
Night in Canada and the flamboyant Don Cherry.

Throughout, prominence is given to the role played by women and their
teams, culminating in the successes of the Women’s National Team. An
entry depicting the World Pond Hockey Championships held in rural New
Brunswick fittingly celebrates hockey’s roots in this wonderful work
of Canadian social history.