| Considering the country's love affair with the game | | | | homegrown players thanks to high salary demands. |
| most people would be surprised to learn that hockey | | | | This is also the key issue in the 2004 dispute which |
| is not the national sport of Canada. Many people in | | | | has resulted in no games thus far for the season. |
| Canada eat, sleep, and breathe hockey. The roots of | | | | Hockey is a very violent game, and spectators love |
| hockey are in Ireland, back when it was called Hurley, | | | | to watch the opposing team get crushed against the |
| but hockey is defiantly a Canadian sport. Due to its | | | | boards. Many people wonder what this is teaching |
| infectious nature, hockey has caught on all over the | | | | young fans and, unfortunately, violence is very |
| world. It became very popular throughout Canada, | | | | common in the little leagues. Many leagues have |
| especially the East coast in the 1800s. | | | | adopted a no tolerance policy for aggressive play, |
| In 1917 the National Hockey League (NHL) was | | | | and some have banned this type of contact all |
| formed and it consisted of five original teams. By the | | | | together. The NHL however, has yet to follow suit. |
| end of the century there would be 30 teams from all | | | | These days' parents have become a bit too |
| over Canada and the USA. People are passionate | | | | passionate at little league hockey games. There is an |
| about their hockey and one look at some of the fans | | | | increasing number of fights between parents and |
| at the arenas show that they mean business. | | | | verbal and physical abuse against referees and |
| While the US teams have dominated the hockey | | | | coaches. This has prompted many people to stay |
| playoffs, called the Stanley Cup, in recent years, the | | | | away from the sport or putting their children in after |
| sport still has a bigger following in Canada. Hockey | | | | school hockey programs. The thought of knowing |
| Night in Canada is quite an event in many households | | | | that the parents care more about who wins than the |
| and sports bars. Several teams in Canada have fallen | | | | kids do is frightening. Regardless of this hockey will |
| by the wayside in the past several years such as the | | | | always be a popular game in North America. |
| Winnipeg Jets and the Quebec Nordiques. This is an | | | | Europe also enjoys much success in the world of |
| unfortunate cause of the high player salaries. | | | | hockey. Little known places such as Belarus has been |
| Hockey stars are among the highest paid in any | | | | highlighted after the recent world championships. Little |
| professional sport. This is partly the reason that | | | | ice hockey can be played anywhere you can find |
| many of the top players head to teams in the US. | | | | frozen ponds in the winter. This is not always the |
| Many Canadian teams have a hard time retaining their | | | | case though, look at the Los Angeles Kings. |