Origins and a Tale of two Hockeys
By Frank Cosentino
Antique relief of a ball game. It was probably keretizein, a game similar to hockey. Two players hold sticks with hooked ends, and each tries to drag the ball. The base of the statue (around 510-500 BC) once stood on a pillar integrated in Athens into the city wall of Themistodes.
Photo: National Archaeological Museum Athens
"Hockey" has been an Olympic sport since 1908 but How to differentiate? Stick and ball games have been that depends on the type of hockey. To some it's only common throughout history'. Indeed there is an natural to speak of hockey as the "field" variety; others ancient Greek bas-relief snowing a game very similar to think of "ice". Each has its roots in so-called "ball hockey2. and stick" pastimes played throughout the ages. Each Similar images appeared in the stained glass windows was ritualised through the British Public School and of cathedrals in Canterbury and Gloucester during the eventually found the climate to support its growth and medieval period. This pastime was deemed to be so development. popular that townspeople were neglecting archery, the One of the facts that people ignore when they speak result being that they were ill prepared, it was felt, to about hockey is that like "football", the descriptor defend the realm should it be necessary to fight a war. "hockey" is a "family term". In "football" there is And there were many to be foughtin the century. So the Association (soccer) game. Its style of play was this game, as were many others, was banned by King understood and accepted until 1823. In that year Edward III in 1365.’ Rugby School student William Webb Ellis picked up the A feature of this pastime was its stick, bent like a hook association game ball and ran with it. It was against or a "J" at place where the object, a small ball of some the rules but students chased after him. The game sort, was to be struck. At some point, probably with the Rugby was born. Association Football came into formal establishment of the British Public Schools, the activity existence 8,hDecember 1863. Rugby Union followed in was given the name hockey. Some said it was because 1871. the stick was shaped like a shepherd's crook, the French Then came Rugby League, Aussie rules, American rules, Canadian rules, seven man football, touch Frank Cosentino *1937. Professor emeritus and senior football, women's football, etc. Each one is its own scholaYork University, Ontario, played ten years in the CFl style; each one differentiates itself from the others yet and coached t2 yea s intercollegiate football. He was on two Grey Cup winning teams and coached 2 Vanier (up winners. has some semblance to them at the same time. So too He has authored or co-authored 15 hooks. His new book is in "hockey". There is "field hockey" and "ice hockey", Canadian Football 1995-2014: Home Again published in indoors and out, rules for women and men, hockey 5s as JDecember, 2011* well as roller hockey, all with distinguishing variations.
JOH 1 I 2015 Origins and a Tale of two Hockey: 39 Perhaps the oldest term "hocquet"; others ponder as to the blade is always used to strike the ball. representation of an whether the term came from the hook If "stickhandling" as it is called in ice ice-hockey player is shaped stick. (If this were the case hockey, is to occur, the stick must in the possession of one has to ask whether the term be rotated so that the blade is an American collector. "playing hookey" indicating pointing down allowing contact The hand-coloured that a student was skipping by the face side with the ball. g rap h ic, sh o w in g a school, also meant that he Unlike field hockey the ice player w ith a puck, was off indulging in this hockey stick may or may not b ears th e date activity). be straight or curved but in 1'1 Septem ber 1797. In any event, after the every case both sides of the It was published in game's appearance at stick are flat and may be London by Joseph Eton and Winchester in the used at an time. Le Petit Jr., a French 1750s, other public schools So it goes without saying im m igrant. adopted it. Each had its (but I’ll write it anyway), own local version. Graduates there is no question that national Hockey Research of these schools became the Canada is a nation formed by professional classes, leaders > British and French influences. of the military, members of the Field hockey, a British term for the civil service. The game also offered "stick and ball" sport made its way a cold season alternative to cricket, to the colony through immigration of perhaps the chief game in Britain at the settlers, graduates of public schools, the time; a frozen pond could be the setting, with or military and civil service people. Canada, having without skates. ice-producing winters presented the opportunity of At a time when the British Empire was expanding playing a field hockey type of game on ice. It is also very to the point that the sun never set on some part of it, possible tha: French influences in Canada might have games as developed and codified by the public schools used the term for a shepherd's crook (hocquet) which appeared in every part of the empire. So it is no surprise sounded much like the British term "hockey". It is also that Darwin or the Franklin expedition made mention of difficult to te I from a picture whether the ball, and later playing hockey, no skates or skates. puck, is being struck by only one side of the stick or if, The key to what differentiates the type of hockey being indeed, the back of the stick blade is rounded. played, it is submitted, lies in the stick and a particular All of that notwithstanding, of all the areas in Canada rule of field hockey. Both cricket and field hockey use which claim the birthplace of (ice) hockey, Kingston, a bat or stick, the contact part of which have a basic Ontario, Windsor, Nova Scotia, Halifax, Nova Scotia similarity: only one side is used, the flat side. Moreover, have to measure their criteria to those established the back of the striking surface is rounded, deepened by Montreal, 3rd March 1875. where the first indoor ice along the so called "sweet spot". There are other hockey game notably different from field hockey was peculiarities: All sticks are right handed, i.e. the face of played unde'specific rules.
Canada is considered the mother country of ice hockey. In the early years people played on iced-up rivers, lakes and bays. Some rules of play formulated in
1875 are still in force today. The first ice hockey club in the world was founded in 1880 at McGill University in Montreal. "Field" hockey developed fixed rules at Eton in 1868 and in North America, beginning with the International Ice an English Hockey Association was reconstituted in 1886 Hockey League in 1896 culminating with the National after first having been formed in 1875. Based in London Hockey Association which became the National Hockey itwasquicklyfollowed by similar associations in Ireland League in 1917. in 1893, Wales in 1897 and Scotland in 1901. The outdoor The International Ice Hockey Federation was formed game quickly moved to the colonies through the British in 1907 to convene European Championships, the first military and immigrants. India, Pakistan, Australia and one taking place in 1910. Interestingly, Canadian teams New Zealand became hotbeds of the sport. England were not allowed to compete in those tournaments; won the Olympic gold in 1908, Great Britain was the they were not then known as World Championships, winner of the 1920 tournament in Antwerp. Two times Canadians were gaining a reputation for their skill: in (1912 and 1924.) hockey was missing in the Olympic 1911, a team of Canadians who were studying at Oxford programme. played the university rep team and won handily, so Thereafter, the Asian period began. India won six much so that Cambridge University would not play consecutive gold medals beginning in 1928 among a Oxford if the latter'steam included Canadian players, total of 8 and Pakistan 3. Germany (a), the Netherlands students or otherwise. (2), Australia (1), New Zealand (1) have also won gold. The British side won its last gold in 1988. Field hockey for women wasn't included in the Olympic programme until 1980 when two rival organisations, the Women's International Hockey Federation (IFWHA) and the International Hockey Federation (FIH) merged. Zimbabwe was the gold medal winner of the 1980 Games to be followed by Netherlands (1984, 2008, 2012), Australia (1988,1996, 2000), Spain (1992) and Germany (200/4.). As for ice hockey, its manifestation appeared under several forms including "shinny”, "hurley", "bandy" "ice polo" or "hockey". All could be played on land or in cold regions on ice; forms of skates have appeared for 2000 years. Early rules in Canada were an amalgam of lacrosse, polo, shinny, rugby anc field hockey. The so-called Halifax rules of hockey (01850) did not allow Ice hockey was also part of the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Field hockey entered any lifting or raising of the puck, a flat disc which had The Canadians, represented by the Winnipeg Falcons, the Olympic pro replaced the ball but it did allow forward passing. won handily and thought they had won a gold medal but gramme in 1908. Oddly, its goals were set sideways as opposed to the found out later that it was not deemed to be a bona fide Of the six teams, four normal location today where they face each other up Olympic event. Hockey would be part of the 1924 Winter were from the British the ice. Olympics. Canada went on to win gold in 1924,1928,1932, Isles. England won the As mentioned previously, the first game played under 1948,1952,2002,2010 and 2014. Great Britain won in 1936, final against Ireland organised explicit rules was played indoors in Montreal the United States in i960 and 1980; USSR in 1956 and from 8:1. An extra match 3rd March 1875- Various leagues were formed and the 1964 to 1976, afterthat also in 1984 and 1988. The Olympic was organised for the impetus to be known as "the best team in Canada" was champion in 1992 was the Unified team \ Sweden in 1994 two foreign teams. created when Eton graduate Governor-General Lord and 2006; Czech Republic in 1998. In this Germany beat Preston of Stanley (1888-1893) took an interest in hockey Women's ice hockey was accepted to be part of the France. when he watched games in Ottawa. His two sons also 1998 Games of Nagano. The United States team won played and were part of a club; Lord Stanley decided to the gold medal those first Games while Canada reigned donate a cup, named after him, to honor "the leading supreme during the 2002, '06, '10 and the 2014 Games hockey club in Canada." The first winners were the of Sochi. Montreal Amateur Athletic Club in 1894. Hockey has had a cascading growth from its days The cup became a much pursued symbol throughout as a simple pastime of a "ball and stick" game. It has Canada. It appealed to those particularly of a social adapted itself to the climate, for example in warmer class who sought prestige in a trophy. It also was much weather climes of India and Pakistan. It has also been sought after by professionals when Trustee William a catalyst for adapting the climate to its needs, e.g. ice Foran declared in 1906 that the trophy was to be arenas in Northern Europe and North America. awarded to the "best" team regardless of amateur or It was used as political tool, a war without weapons, professional status. Professional Leagues were formed in the cold war era between east and west. In a way
10H 1 I 2015 O rigins and a Tale of two Hockeys 41 The Canadians didn't wait. They swooped upon the poor ball carrier and scored again and again. They were booed for what they thought was good, sound hockey. "After a while we had to lay off", (Angela) James said. "We had to remember we were guests".8
The Canadian women also introduced in-line skates instead of the boxy, four-wheel version. Both innovations helped the Canadian team register an undefeated championship to go with the two previous world ice-hockey championships it had won. And so it is that what was a stick and ball game in the beginning morphed into many variations. Once innovation was introduced and with the assistance of technology different sets of rules fell by the wayside and were replaced with another style of play. Some became more popular; associations, leagues unions, governing bodies and competitions led to more structure, better practices and techniques, national With the hoc