The iconic photo of Bobby Orr scoring the winning goal of the Stanley Cup finals in 1970 is probably one of the most famous hockey pictures of all time. I can't remember watching the game, though I probably did, since hockey was a mainstay of my family growing up. There wasn't any other choice on Saturday nights during hockey season other than Hockey Night in Canada - I'm sure there were other TV shows, but none would have been deemed acceptable in our home. The opening bars of Hockey Night in Canada can now be heard on TSN (I've never quite forgiven CBC for foolishly giving up the rights to that music), but since 1952, those notes of Dah da-Dah -da da (it's very hard to sing via spelling) meant that you were about to see some thrilling hockey.
It wasn't just Hockey Night in Canada were the action was. I'm old enough to remember the first Canada - Russian Series. In fact I'm old enough to remember the Cold War (which Madie thought was a war fought in the Arctic ... sigh). I can clearly remember leaving my class to go to the Library to watch the final game and going crazy over Henderson's winning goal.
The Canadian win was a moment of intense national pride for Canadians. Until that point, Russia had dominated most international events, since only amateurs were allowed to play. The Russians had managed to neatly maintain the amateur status for their athletes by having them play hockey full time, though they were technically members of the military. The '72 Summit Series feature the elite of both countries striving for dominance - Canada won!
Since I grew up in Toronto, I became a Leaf fan through default - it was simply the team I saw and heard about the most growing up. I clearly remember watching the game where defenceman Borje Salming was knocked to the ice and was accidentally cut by another player's skate blade.
Originally, the mode of thought in North America was that Europeans lacked the toughness to play in the NHL, Salming quickly put that issue to rest. I have never considered playing the game without a facial cage for protection.
Through the 70s and the 80s the equipment certainly improved.
Who could ever forget Gerry Cheevers mask, that could have been his face?
Hockey photos aren't the only realm of how important the game is to Canadian. Artist Ken Danby captured the essence of the game in two of his famous pictures.
I could probably go on and on, but I'll end here. The game has produced so many heros, so many incredible moments and has entertained and delighted so many. It's a game that requires sacrafice and dedication. Maybe one day there'll be a photo of me ... but no, that's not why I play, I play for the fun, and because I play, I can appreciate all that I see about the game.
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