He’s also a competitor and leader for Canada internationally by winning multiple medals in the World Championship, Canada Cup, and World Cup. Even after retirement, Gretzky continues to be a great Canadian by launching The Wayne Gretzky Foundation as well as giving his time to countless other charitable endeavours. Wayne Gretzky should be considered a great Canadian because many has regarded Gretzky as the greatest hockey player ever in the NHL which made lots of people proud to be Canadian and changed hockey into a Canadian sport. Firstly, ever since Wayne Gretzky was a kid, he played minor hockey at a level far above his peers (Larry Schwartz). When he was six years old, his father, Walter, built a rink in the family's backyard, and it was there that Wayne skated for hours on end, every day, practising his skating, shooting and stick handling and learning everything about the game from his dad (Wayne Gretzky Biography).
For those who are not avid hockey fans, the stereotype is generally that hockey players fight each other for fun. There is a saying “I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out “(Clarey 2010) this is not the case, fighting within hockey has a very strict time and place for when it is considered acceptable by players and coaches. Fighting has been described as “a form of social control that has a moderating effect on the potentially serious unsanctioned violent acts between players”. (Kerr 2006) Unofficial
I can understand the body checks to a certain point, but a full on fight is not necessary to the overall game. The spectators lose sight of why they are truly watching hockey: because they love the sport. They love the game. Before watching another hockey game we should ask ourselves why are we really watching, because we want to encourage our team or because we want to see Kovalev beat up
For those who are not hockey fans, the stereotype is generally that hockey players fight each other for fun. This is not the case. Fighting within hockey has a very strict time and place for when it is considered acceptable by players and coaches. Former NHL player Ken Hammond described fighting as “a form of social control that has a moderating effect on the potentially serious unsanctioned violent acts between players”. Unsanctioned violent acts (a play that is deemed irresponsible and dangerous in a hockey game) come by way of striking an opponent with a hockey stick, or nasty attacks on an opponent such as hitting a player when he is not looking or from behind.
We have a country full of diversity, multiple cultures/races living and working together. Without these events we many not have the freedom and pride we have to be Canadian. Firstly, in canadian history one important event that is significant to Canada is the Battle of Vimy Ridge. This was the first battle Canada and the Allies had led and won in World War One. “Through preparation must lead to success.
Can Sport’s form a Nationality? Michael A. Robidoux, an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Lethbridge, Alberta had written an article by the name of “Imagining a Canadian Identity through Sport: A Historical Interpretation of Lacrosse and Hockey”. In this article there are many important points concerning these sports and how it is perceived to Canadians as our national symbol (209). Hockey and Lacrosse are two sports which have shaped the way sports in the world today are ruled out and played. In the earlier years, lacrosse was known as a very aggressive and rugged sport that was displaying what it meant to be a Canadian settler in an unforgiving northern territory (214-215).
Crosby vs. Gretzky Canada’s own Wayne Gretzky is undoubtedly considered the greatest player ever in the fast-paced game of hockey since he dominated the game in the 1980’s. However, the tables have been turning in the last a few years as Sidney Crosby, another young Canadian, has emerged as a dominant player and taken the professional league by storm. Comparing the two players isn't easy. The game of hockey looks drastically different than 35 years ago; it has been constantly evolving and technology has helped players move faster, become physically stronger and has made them better equipped to deal with injuries than ever before. Wayne Gretzky’s accomplishments are well known; he still holds many records in many different categories and is considered to be the best player in modern hockey.
Sebastian Gronborg Mrs. Wollman R/W 1 9 Dec, 2014 Swedish Hockey vs. United States Hockey When you start playing hockey, your dream is to one day play hockey in NHL, the greatest hockey league in the world. Back in the day, it was really hard to be brought up to the highest level, but now a days the availability of young talents are much larger. This is thanks to the awareness of the game, along with the now wide spread and the advancements in technology is developing. When you are a young hockey player no matter where you are from it is important that you make the right chooses depending on your quality. If you have either or both academic goals or an athletic goals.
With violence and fighting in a hockey game the game is better to watch. I can tell you this because I’ve played in both non-contact and contact hockey. Watching as I played contact hockey, the crowds of people who watch the games get more involved and cheer more than if you play non-contact as they just gently sit down and say “yay go get that puck it’s alright if you lose” while in contact there is no thought of losing only the determination to win and get to that puck first. Hockey is a sport that needs violence and fighting to please the crowds. One of the most well recognized players on twitter is biznasty2.0 a.k.a Paul Bissonnette.
And often times parents don’t want their kids to grow up to be like that so they don’t let them play the game. To somebody who is not involved with hockey, or doesn’t understand much about the game, this may be the case. But in reality hockey is a rather safe game, even at the pro level where players are getting into fights and receiving these bone-crushing hits. Youth hockey is made to be extremely safe, and the kids playing are required to wear full gear, helmets with full cages, and mouth-guards to help avoiding head injuries. There are also many changes being made to the game to help increase safety, like the rule that was put into effect in June 2011.