Football in the United States. Soccer in England. Cricket in India. Darts in the Netherlands.
There are many countries around the globe that have what can only be described as a national sport; that is, a sport that the nation either played a part in establishing or one that is ultra-popular amongst its population to this day.
For Canada, there’s no doubt about it: ice hockey is the national sport. And that’s officially so, too – the government’s Bill C-121 declares hockey as Canada’s official winter sport of choice.
For many Canadians, hockey is more than just a sport – it’s a way of life. Many dedicate their spare time to following the best NHL teams around, while hockey also remains one of the most participated-in sports in Canada, at the amateur level.
There are so many different reasons as to why hockey is so important to Canada, but here are some of the main points:
History & Culture
It’s thought that the sport of hockey was effectively invented in Canada – the indigenous First Nations peoples originated a game called ‘ricket’ that isn’t all too dissimilar to hockey as we know it today.
So, there are centuries of hockey heritage in Canada, which has enabled the sport to become ingrained into the country’s culture. While Super Bowl Sunday brings the United States to a standstill, it has less of a pull on the Canadian public – but the Stanley Cup, on the other hand, draws a huge TV audience; for the 2021 finals, it’s thought that a staggering 70% of the population tuned in.
Hockey dominates the sporting press in Canada, especially during the Winter Olympics – the Canadian team has won more medals than any other nation in the history of the Games, with their gold medal tally of nine dwarfing every other country (for context, the U.S. only has two golds to their credit).
Naturally, Canadian hockey players tend to return from the Olympics as heroes – another factor that has embedded hockey as the key sport within Canada’s unique culture.
Getting Involved
In many countries around the world, sports facilities are readily available and accessible to people, whether it’s a grass pitch on a recreation ground, a nearby golf course or tennis court, or a dartboard in a local leisure facility.
In Canada, ice rinks are in plentiful supply in many towns and provinces. According to data supplier Statista, as of 2022, there were 5,000 outdoor and 2,860 indoor ice rinks in the country – significantly more than any other nation on the planet.
That availability ensures that many people are able to slip into their skates and give hockey a try – whether they’re playing for fun or in a competitive local league. Apparently, there were also more than 500,000 registered hockey players in Canada during the 2021/22 season, while more than one million Canadians played hockey socially or recreationally.
Naturally, the typical weather in Canada drives sports fans indoors, hence the appeal of hockey both as a player and as a spectator. At the elite level, that also explains why the NHL has become the tournament of choice for Canadian fans, for the most part, over the NFL or NBA.
Even though the Toronto Raptors have been one of the most successful sporting franchises in Canada, the popularity of the NBA outfit is relatively small when compared to that of the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens and the Oilers. Around 2,000 more people watch the Canadiens’ home games than those of the Raptors, despite the fact that the Montreal team hasn’t won the Stanley Cup since 1993!
You can bet on the Maple Leafs, the Canadiens and any other team thanks to BetVictor’s NHL odds. But remember to always gamble sensibly and with money you can afford to lose – safe and responsible gambling is the name of the game.
Economic Gain
With so many Canadians engaged with ice hockey in one way or another, it’s not a surprise to learn that the sport has a considerable impact on the country’s economy.
Studies have found that, even with the most conservative of estimates, hockey adds more than $11 billion to the Canadian economy each year, with a hefty chunk of that money coming in the form of tourism – vital to powering local economies, let alone the national coffers.
More than $1 billion is made by communities with fewer than 100,000 people thanks to hockey – a crucial lifeline, while a 2015 Impact Study found that as much as $1 billion is raised in taxable income via player and staff salaries.
If we take those 2015 figures and add inflation to bring them up to 2023 levels, it’s clear to see the enormous impact that hockey has on the economy – and therefore financial health – of Canada.
So when you consider the economic benefits of ice hockey to Canada, but also the joy it brings to a huge chunk of the country’s population through participation on some level, it’s easy to see why hockey is so important to the Canadian way of life.
