The views expressed in the following text do not necessarily match the views of this site or the Government of Canada.
Canada and Hockey
December 3, 2002
by Ashleigh, Alberta - Encounters with Canada
 What is the fascination with Canada's most popular part-time? Is it the fast action packed periods or the finesse and skill of scoring a goal?
For this small town girl, it's all of the above and more. I was first introduced to hockey at the tender age of 2 in the backyard rink that my dad built for my brother and I. We would stay out late and skate around, I was always trying to catch up to my brother and dad.
I was never allowed to join a league team because my mom thought it was 'too rough for a girl.' My brother never had the ambition to play, so my family didn't really have any involvement in the sport. I was about 10 years old when my love for the game was rekindled. I began watching "Hockey Night in Canada" every Saturday night, along with the rest of the country, cheering on my hometown team... until I discovered Mike Modano and the Dallas Stars. Ever since, they have become my all-time favorite team with Mike Modano being the epitome of NHL stardom. What makes this player and team so exciting to watch is the skill and intense competitiveness with which they play. Hockey alone gives the average Joe-Canadian a rush of adrenaline like no other sport can provide. It's fast, hard-hitting, competitive with bone-crunching hits and a feeling of pure joy and excitement of scoring that winning goal.
The Stanley Cup is one of today's most prestigious awards given to the team which beats all others in the playoffs. If someone has never watched the Stanley Cup playoffs, I recommend you do. You can just see and feel the excitement in the players, each hoping to bring home that coveted Cup. And since Canadian teams seem to have a hard time winning the Cup, Canadian viewers have turned to the Olympics for comfort. Canadians had not won the gold medal in men's hockey since the Winter Games back in 1952, until Salt Lake City, 2002! We have once again proven to the United States and the whole world that Canada is once again, the best hockey country in the world! Both men's and women's teams beat out the heavily favored hometown Americans, to proudly display the symbol of all their hard work and dedication.
The pride that all Canadians felt that day will keep the Nation watching for at least another 50 years.
The views expressed in the following text do not necessarily match the views of this site or the Government of Canada.
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