If we talk about the most famous games in Canada, most respondents will name soccer and ice hockey as their favorite sports to play or watch. Also, as per the National Sports of Canada Act, there are two main national sports in Canada, which are Lacrosse and hockey. In this blog, we will talk about both and go back into the past to know how these two sports were established into national games the nation.
About Lacrosse
The game Lacrosse has set colonies on the territories of modern Canada and Europeans, and the game came into existence in the 17th century. Like today’s sports, it was a game between two teams. Also, at those times, the team had formed from a hundred to a thousand men. Also, fields for Lacrosse were up to three kilometers. It is a special kind of game that is tough to think about in today’s world: matches might last up to three days and not only because of the total number of players that may reach 2.000 individuals but also great religious and spiritual basis with great enthusiasm. Before the lacrosse game, all players held the clubs in the air and named them to the gods. Also, Lacrosse was part of training sessions for warriors as it needs a lot of agility and stamina. These events were used instead of battles.
How was the state sport of Canada came into existence?
It was seen that hockey was related as the main sport of Canada non-officially in 1964. The investigation was done related to Lacrosse, as there was a bill filed to consider it the principal official sport in Canada.
Discussions were made regarding national sports, and finally, it was decided to divide the sports into two separate categories, including Lacrosse, the official national summer sport in Canada, and the national winter sport. Ice hockey is the winter sport and summer sport in Canada. The events are held during the complete year, outdoors and indoors.
Lacrosse is the National Sports of Canada.
The Europeans explored Lacrosse in the 17th century, but they did not accept it until 1844 when there the first game in the Montreal Olympic club. It brought up the first official version of a rulebook. The game was held between Native Indian and French opponents. Many years later, Lacrosse became well-known in 1856, and the Montreal Lacrosse Club came into existence. The rulebook was first edited by Beers, who considered the field size, nuances of the game, and the number of players. The rulebook was well-known and accepted by the NCLA or National Canadian Lacrosse Association.
What is the game like?
Lacrosse has various combinations and is also a game between two teams of six or ten individuals. The primary objective of the match is to score a goal into the posts with a small ball from an opponent team. The ball is driven by a special and unique Lacrosse club: it shows like a hockey club, but it has a net on the end that makes the complete construction look like a butterfly net. The ball is kept in the air.
Major lacrosse games in Canada
There are more than 30 lacrosse federations across the globe, but Canada still remains the principal nation where Lacrosse is the official national summer sport. The association of Canada is the oldest one on the globe, and Canada holds senior and junior championships. There are two primary types of lacrosse matches: open-air and Box Lacrosse. There are three open Lacrosse and four box lacrosse games in Canada. It was included in the Summer Olympics twice, but it is not acknowledged as among the Olympic sports.
Ice Hockey: National Winter Sport of Canada
Ice hockey is a sport that is quickly associated with Canada. It is a national sport, and unlike Lacrosse, ice hockey is the most famous game. There is an ice hockey rink in every school, city, university, and college that has its own junior league. The major games are always entirely booked at the start of top stars and sales of ice hockey that become the idols of the country. Hockey is a favorite sport and a national game of Canada.
How did ice hockey appear?
There are several forms, and one of them claims that it started with field hockey in England. The local citizens welcomed the new sport of Canada and played it on an amateur level. When Canada 1763 became a part of Great Britain, English officers domesticated hockey in Halifax by borrowing the game. There were up to 50 players on every team, and the field was limited y a lake size or a frozen river that acted as a hockey rink. Canadian winters have always been harsh, so field hockey has evolved into a winter game. Individuals, instead of skates, used cheese cutters fixed on the boots and plucked, replaced by a heavy ball.
History of Canada’s National Sport: Hockey
The history of Canada’s national sport, ice hockey, is quite contradictory. It is understood that hockey takes its origin in Montreal, but a few pieces of proof claim that it was set in New Scotland or Ontario.
Also, it is a well-known truth that games with the same laws played on ice with the use of clubs that existed before ice hockey was declared as a separate sport: matches of this type were rather famous in England, Scandinavian, and Holland countries. There are several controversies about the origin of the game. The motherland of classical ice hockey is played across the world in Canada.
Hockey is Canada’s national game.
Ice hockey started to gain much traction, and it was well-known as a famous sport in Canada. In 1910, the professional team began to participate in the Stanley Cup championship. Lord Frederic Arthur Stanley set up a championship that is called today the Stanley cup at the end of 20 century and is among the prestigious trophies in the international world of sports. The National Hockey League in 1917 and ice hockey was officially declared as a national sport.
The first formal ice hockey game
The first formal ice hockey game took place in 1885 in Ontario (former Kingstone). It showed more like hockey, with teams of nine individuals in each, and a wooden club was used instead of a ball. Also, this was the first game on a field with hockey goalposts. At that time, there were no special tools for ice hockey, and it was borrowed from baseball.
Ice hockey became a sport of all the national game events. Also, no rules were declared that might take a game to a national, official, or international level, as it happened later. Students from a Montreal university in 1887 discovered the first seven laws of ice hockey, and later the puck design was composed of rubber. Hockey games also became famous, and it was presented at the Winter Carnival. The first Hockey Amateur Association was established in 1885.
The National Hockey League of North America
The National Hockey League is an expert sports organization that associates hockey teams in Canada and the United States of America. Many sports specialists know Hockey League as among the strongest ones in the complete world. National Hockey League is among the major sports leagues of NA or North America. The first National Hockey League season began in 1917, and there are four teams took part in this season.
The National Hockey League is the only professional league in NA with clubs from both capitals: Ottawa and Washington. Also, it has more Canadian units than the other leagues. There are six biggest cities in Canada that are: Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver, and Edmonton, which have local representatives.
Hockey in the Olympic games
The first official international event took place in Antwerpen, the Winter Olympic games. The Olympic and the World Championship went along. Canada’s national team won matches at the Olympic games from 1920 to 1952. The national team of Great Britain consisted of athletes of Canadian origin. The primary opponent for Canada was the team of USSR defeated Canada in the period from 1964 to 1976.
Also Read: Most Popular Sport in Canada
