Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Hockey History



Stephen Harper as a
Leaside Lions (1970)

 Hockeyhistory.org is interested in the role of hockey and hockey history in Canadian culture.  This role is clearly evident in the involvement of the Prime Minister of Canada in hockey. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, a hockey player in his youth,  is a long time hockey fan and student of hockey history.  His project of writing a book about hockey history has been put on hold due to his duties as PM. He has definite opinions on the game, has made a mark on hockey history and is not afraid to be seen with the hockey "brand". PM Harper is frequently photographed in a hockey setting.

1) On Hockey History:  Prime Minister Harper paid tribute to the "father" of organized hockey. In his speech he said, " In Canada, hockey is not just a game. It is part of our way of life, which is why it's a great pleasure for me to pay tribute today to James George Aylwin Creighton, one of the most influential pioneers of our national winter sport."Read the full speech:  Prime Minister Harper Pays Tribute..  Prime Minister Harper has also written about hockey history. In 2006, he wrote an article commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Toronto Professionals, a  Toronto based hockey team that preceded the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Read his full article here: Long Before Leafs, T.O. had a Team to Call its Own. See photo below post.

 

Crieghton Memeorial Unveiling: From the SIHR Web Site

2) As  a Student of the Game:  PM Harper is writing a book about hockey history and is  a member of the Society for International Hockey Research. One of the SIHR projects was to follow-up on the tribute to hockey pioneer James Crieghton with the project of raising funds for a memorial.  PM Harper was on hand to support the SIHR's unveiling of the memorial.For more details on this project and photos go to: SIHR Crieghton Project

Photo: Tom Hanson/Canadian Press

3) On the Hockey "Brand": Writing about Prime Minister Harper and the hockey brand, David Akin writes of the political use of hockey by Harper, "The word "hockey" appears on 447 different pages at the prime minister's official Web site, pm.gc.ca". Perhaps it is prudent for the PM to promote this brand as Akin's further writes, "Presumably, hockey is a frequent theme because, in this country at least, hockey is a unifying force. From Chicoutimi to Calgary, Canadians can talk about hockey the way Canadians can talk about the weather. But unlike the weather, key hockey events -- that gold medal game or a Stanley Cup final -- are one of the few common shared experiences of the country." To see numerous photos of the PM and hockey and read the full post go to: Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Hockey

4)  On Concussions: Prime Minister Harper also weighed in on the concussion controversy in hockey saying, "I just say this as a hockey fan, I'm very concerned about the growing number of very serious injuries, and in some cases to some of the premier players in the game," Read the full Canadian Press article: PM Harper Concerned About Number of Serious Injuries in the NHL  

1906 Toronto Professionals:  Hockey Hall of Fame

Other hockeyhistory.org posts involving Prime Ministers:

Canada Flag Day: The Canadian Flag Design and its Intriguing Connection to Hockey History

Oxford Canadians: The First Hockey Team to Represent Canada by Wearing a Red Maple Leaf

Mike " Herr Zigzag" Pearson: Lester B. Pearson's Passion for Hockey

The Lester B. Pearson Trophy

Concussions and Hockey: When the Stars Go Down: Top Reasons for Hockey Concussions

WHEN THE STARS GO DOWN: Top Reasons for Hockey Concussions  Fans, advertisers, and hockey players have united and expressed concern and alarm over the number of career threatening head shots in the NHL! The images of when the stars go down below should be all that is needed to provide strong incentive to stop the practice!  How is hockey served by allowing head shots?

1)  Hockey Culture I:  The vicious head shot to Paul Karria that caused this concussion has been considered by hockey culture and hockey media  as one of the greatest hits of all time.   This head shot and the one on Eric Lindros, both by Scott Stevens have been  celebrated as great hits by hockey culture.  In fact, Scott Stevens may have made it into it into the Hall of Fame on the back of this type of head shot!  Take another look at Scott Stevens' "greatest hits" on youtube. Judge again in lieu of the concussion debate.

2)  Don Cherry has it partly right!  Inflexible glass and hockey boards, rock hard-oversized equipment, and improper padding on edges play a key role in causing concussions.

3)  Lanny Mcdonald, who had numerous concussions himself, had it partly right:  Players are much bigger and faster than when he played and they lack respect for each other on the ice. He said,"The players today are bigger, faster, stronger, in phenomenal shape, more so than they were 15, 20 years ago. With the speed of the game and the size of the players and how quickly those gaps close out there" We wonder if  bigger ice surfaces are needed.

Read Greg Harder's article from the The Leader-Post : Lanny McDonald Worried About Concussions

 4)  Hockey Culture II:  Hockey people like Bruce Boudreau are ranting that you are not a hockey fan if you campaign against concussions in the NHL. The attitude that as a fan we are supposed to accept concussions are part of the physical game of hockey is a sad reflection on hockey culture! Real  fans  cannot accept seeing Crosby or Karyia laying on the ice after a head shot. Bruce owes hockey fans everywhere a public apology.

5)  The NHL and its leadership behind Gary Bettman has been too lax on rules and rule enforcement for head shots! They just don't seem to get it!  The Chara hit and lack of discipline was confusing. Then Cooke got suspended for the balance of the season and the first round of playoffs.  The fans want consistency here!   When the fourth line player or another star takes out the star with a head shot, how does that serve hockey? How is it different?

6)  Hockey fights cause concussions!  Sadly, Bob Probert's brain can attest to this fact! The Mclean's article,
Bob Probert Suffered Brain Trauma, states "While the NHL has taken steps to reduce potential brain trauma, fighting has nonetheless remained a big part of the game."

7)  Hockey Culture 3:  As Lanny says in his article in 3 above,  hockey players were supposed have a few smelling salts,  to suck it up and go back out there.  The hockey culture has always been slow to respect head injuries. Was Crosby concussed from a previous hit by Steckel and sucking it up and getting back out there?

8) The competition committee needs to get involved to propose rule changes or adaptations that can make the game safer while being true to tradition. As Lanny says, start with making the equipment safer.

9)  The NHL Players Association has gone AWOL on the issue!  This seems like an issue they should be interested in?

* Hockeyhistory.org supports hockey insiders like Buffalo GM Darcy Regier who have the courage to say publicly that concussions need to be eliminated from hockey. Read: Darcy Regier's goal is to eliminate concussions in hockey

60th Anniversary of the Lethbridge Maple Leafs World Championship Victory March 17, 1951: Follow-up on lethbridgemapleleafs.com web site

On November 4, 2010 hockeyhistory.org wrote a post to introduce the launch of a special website to honour the Lethbridge Maple Leafs 60th Anniversary of their World Championship victory:  http://www.lethbridgemapleleafs.com/  Since then we have pleased to report that we have had 10,650 views of the site from fans all over the world!

Today is the 60th Anniversary day of  the Lethbridge Maple Leaf World Championship Victory, March 17, 1951 in Paris, France.

The Lethbridge  Maple Leafs began the journey in early December 1950 in Lethbridge, Alberta. Including games in Canada they played 62 games. They won 51, lost 7 and tied 4.  This included an amazing 44 game unbeaten string in Europe. By the time they were getting ready for home they had traveled close to 30,000 miles by bus, train, ship, airplane and car and played before about 400,000 people in 14 countries.
In the 6 World Championship games, the Leafs scored 62 goals and only allowed 6 goals against them.  A truly dominating performance!

For a look at our favorite pictures from the site please visit:
lethbridgemapleleafs.com

Great Firsts In First Nations, Métis, and Inuit (FNMI) Professional Hockey History: "Don't Call Me Chief" Series #5

Captain George Armstrong

1) First First Nations Players in the NHL:
This is debated.  Paul Jacobs may have played one game in 1918 for the NHL's Toronto Arenas, Albert Miracle played for the NHL's New York Rangers for 11 games in 1931,and Fred Saskamoose played 11 games for the NHL's Chicago Black Hawks in 1954.*

2) First Inut Players to play Professional Hockey:  Terrence Tootoo who played for the Roanoke Express of the ECHL in 2001-02, was the first Inuit to  play professionally but not at the NHL level. His brother Jordin was the first Inuit to play in the NHL with the Nashville Predators October 9, 2003.

3) First FNMI Player to Win the Conn Smythe: Reggie Leach in the 1975-76 playoffs. He scored 19 playoff goals, a NHL record at the time. Bryan Trottier won it in 1980.

 4) First FMNI Player to Score 50 Goals: Reggie Leach scored 61 goals in the 1975-76 season, Bryan Trottier scored 50 in 1981-82. The only onther FNMI player to score over 50 in the NHL was Jonathon Cheechoo, 56 goals in 2005-06.**

Reggie "Riverton  Rifle" Leach

5) First FMNI Player in the Hockey Hall of Fame: George Armstrong 1975. Bryan Trottier was inducted in 1997. During Trottier's Hockey Hall of Fame speech he thanked his mother for making him proud of his aboriginal heritage.

 6) First FMNI Player to Win the Calder, Art Ross, and Hart Trophies: Bryan Trottier.  Trottier is the greatest FMNI to ever play in the NHL! He lead the New York Islanders to four Stanley Cups

and played on two Pittsburgh Penguin Stanley Cup winners. He was assistant coach with Colorado for his 7th. He is seventh on the NHL all time players list with 1,279 games played, 524 goals, 901 assists and 1,425 total career points.In 1998, he received an Aboriginal Achievement Award for Sports.

 7) First FMNI Player to be Team Captain:  George Armstrong  1960 - 61 Toronto Maple Leafs.

 8) First FNMI player to Win the Stanley Cup:  Antoine "Tony" Gingras:  The Winnipeg Victorias, champions of Canada and winners of the Stanley Cup in 1901 were lead by the famous Métis player, Antoine "Tony" Gingras, of St. Boniface. George Armstrong won it in 1962,1963,1964, 1967. Trottier won it 7 times.

9) First FMNI Player to be an NHL All-star:  George Armstrong 1956 (7 times an all-star)

A Young Trottier With
 Hardware( Dennis Potvin on right)

"Don’t Call Me Chief” Series #5

At one time or another most First Nations and many Métis hockey players are nicknamed “Chief”. As Don Marks writes in his book, They Call Me Chief:  Warriors on Ice, it may be considered racist to call every First Nation hockey player “Chief” or it may be a case of ignorance. In either case it is a stereotype that is inappropriate and may be considered rude, racist, and offensive. Hockeyhistory.org's series of posts celebrates FNMI professional hockey players.

SIHR's Pucklore: The Hockey Research
Anthology Volume I

* James Milks, Paul Jacobs: First Native Canadian in the NHL?  in Pucklore: The Hockey Research Anthology Volume I, Society for International Hockey Research:   Compiled by James Milks
**Cardinal's book, First Nation Hockey Players mistakenly identifies Trottier as the First FMNI player to score 50 in the NHL.

First Inuit in NHL, Jordin Tootoo, Returns: First Point is Assist on First Fouth-Generation NHLer, Blake Geoffrion's Goal. "Don't Call me Chief" Series #4

Hockey History Firsts Combine for Dramatic Goal for the Nashville Predators.
Fans of hockey history took pride in Jordin Tootoo's return to the Nashville Predators. The first Inuit ever to play in the  NHL, Jordin Tootoo,  returned to Nashville Predators, scoring his  first point since he returned to the lineup Feb. 19, after missing 23 games while in the NHL's substance abuse program.
It came on March 3, 2011in a 3-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks.

Jordin takes inspiration from his late brother Terrence Tootoo, also a hockey player, who died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound. Jordin has been widely praised for how he has handled his substance abuse problems the "right way" by teammates and team management.

Blake Accepts Hobey Baker Award

What made the point even more interesting was that he assisted on Blake Geoffrion's second NHL goal.  Blake, the 2009/2010 Hobey Baker winner, is himself a hockey history first.  He is the first player in hockey history to be a 4th-generation NHL player.  His dad Dan, his grandfather Montreal Canadian great,  Bernie "Boom Boom", and his great grandfather the legendary Howie Morenz, all played in the NHL.

Grandfather Boom Boom

"Don’t Call Me Chief” Series #4

At one time or another most First Nations and many Métis hockey players are nicknamed “Chief”. As Don Marks writes in his book, They Call Me Chief:  Warriors on Ice, it may be considered racist to call every First Nation hockey player “Chief” or it may be a case of ignorance. In either case it is a stereotype that is inappropriate and may be considered rude, racist, and offensive. Hockeyhistory.org's series of posts celebrates FNMI professional hockey players.