The game of hockey

A lot of Canadians, from boys and girls, to men and women play hockey, but why hockey?  But why does a singular sport, played on ice with sticks and a puck run so deeply in our blood? Where did it come from? Why do we love it so?

The first indoor hockey game was played in 1875, when James Creighton a rugby player, created the game.

The teams played the game using rugby rules.  The players weren’t allowed to pass forward and the goalies weren’t allowed to go on their knees.  The goalie’s rule isn’t a part of rugby but it was a rule that isn’t used in the game today.  Hockey is also a mix of shinty, hurley, bandy, lacrosse and a few other games.

The Aboriginals played a similar game called battaway/lacrosse.  They would play these games to test each other’s physicality, using sticks and balls.  In some of the Aboriginal cultures, games were believed to have supernatural powers and healing properties.

Freddie Sasakamoose was the first Aboriginal hockey players in the National Hockey League.  He was called up to play 13 games with the Chicago Blackhawks.  He was born on the Sandy Lake reserve in Saskatchewan in 1933.  Sasakamoose made his very first stick out of a red willow and used frozen apples as pucks.

Hockey has been around for a long time and the hockey is great, but why do people play this sport?

Nikko Sablone, Graham Pickard and Nicolas Crescenzi are all LaSalle Vipers Junior B hockey players and Sablone is a call up for the Ontario Hockey League’s Windsor Spitfires.

“I play hockey because it keeps you in shape and you’re always playing with a good group of guys,” said Pickard.

Crescenzi has been playing since he was five and said he fell in love with the game at a young age.

“The best part about playing hockey is working hard, playing hard as a team,” said Pickard.  “The team atmosphere.  And being able to play and win as a team makes winning that much better.”

Sablone says he plays hockey because of the love of the game.  He got involved with hockey at a young age and says because of that, you fall in love with the sport.  Sablone explained that you build bonds and create friendships over the years and that’s one of the best parts.