Hockey: A Global History

by Stephen Hardy, Andrew C. Holman

Overview

Long considered Canadian, ice hockey is in truth a worldwide phenomenon—and has been for centuries. In Hockey: A Global History, Stephen Hardy and Andrew C. Holman draw on twenty-five years of research to present THE monumental end-to-end history of the sport. Here is the story of on-ice stars and organizational visionaries, venues and classic games, the evolution of rules and advances in equipment, and the ascendance of corporations and instances of bureaucratic chicanery. Hardy and Holman chart modern hockey's "birthing" in Montreal and follow its migration from Canada south to the United States and east to Europe. The story then shifts from the sport's emergence as a nationalist battlefront to the movement of talent across international borders to the game of today, where men and women at all levels of play lace 'em up on the shinny ponds of Saskatchewan, the wide ice of the Olympics, and across the breadth of Asia. Sweeping in scope and vivid with detail, Hockey: A Global History is the saga of how the coolest game changed the world—and vice versa.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780252042201
Publisher:	University of Illinois Press
Publication date:	11/05/2018
Series:	Sport and Society
Pages:	600
Sales rank:	549,493
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Stephen Hardy is a retired professor of kinesiology and affiliate professor of history at the University of New Hampshire. His publications include Sport Marketing, Fourth Edition, and How Boston Played: Sport, Recreation, and Community. Andrew C. Holman is a professor of history and the director of Canadian studies at Bridgewater State University. His publications include Canada's Game: Hockey and Identity and The Same but Different: Hockey in Quebec.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Part 1 Early Games to 1873

1 Searching for Hockey's History 3

2 Folk and Field Games 16

3 The Montreal Birthing: 1875-77 31

Part 2 A Game Becomes the Game 1877-1920

4 Global Capitalism and the World of Sport: 1877-1920 49

5 Breakout in Canada: 1877-1900 64

6 Alternative Games: 1880-1900 84

7 Forecheck into America: 1890-1920 100

8 What Game? Forging a Distinct Product: 1890-1920 120

9 Whose Game? Class, Language, Race, Sex, and Nation 145

10 Across the Ponds: 1895-1920 166

Part 3 The Diverging World Of Canada's Game, 1920-1971

11 Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and Brand Wars 191

12 North American Core Brands: 1920-1945 206

13 Diverging North American Brands: 1920-1945 229

14 Teams and Leagues of Their Own: 1920-1945 251

15 Europe, the LIHG, and Olympic Hockey: 1920-1945 273

16 Strength Down Center-North American Brands: 1945-1971 295

17 Cold Wars and International Ice: 1945-1971 317

18 Postwar Brand Wars: 1945-1971 338

Part 4 The Rise of Corporate Hockey, 1972-2010

19 The Old Order Disrupted: 1972 363

20 Restructuring North America: 1972-1988 365

21 Global Visions of Open Ice: 1972-1988 407

22 The Game on the Ice: 1972-1988 428

23 From Calgary to the KHL: 1989-2010 448

Epilogue: Back to the Future? 475

Notes 487

Index 569

Editorial Reviews

Paul Kitchen Award, Society for International Hockey Research, 2019

"Hockey: A Global History helps the reader further understand and push beyond his or her viewpoint of the history of hockey by offering a vast range of pivotal moments, shifts, perspectives, and insights related to the social, cultural, political, and economic background of global hockey development." —Journal of Sport History

"In 23 chapters, the two authors, historians, American and Canadian, succeed in bringing together the state of the art of historiography on the sport and providing a long-needed global narrative that other scholars will be able to benefit from for years to come." —Social History

"This is a book—well-written, accessible, lucid, and compelling—that is teeming with ideas and deserving of a wide readership." —International Journal of the History of Sport

"This book captures the sport of hockey from its beginnings throughout the world and how it has evolved into the great international sport that we have today. A must read for anyone with a passion for hockey."—Bill Cleary, 1960 Olympic gold medalist
 

"Hockey: A Global History is a major hit. . . . If you want to delve deep into the sport you love and have an interest in being educated and immersing yourself in a great story, it is for you and you’ll enjoy it."—HockeyWriters

"Their expansive and very detailed study of hockey's evolution, structures, and culture is required reading. . . . The library of the sport's literature is an extensive one, but there's nothing in it like their Hockey: A Global History." —H-Net Review

"Hardy and Holman provide a highly readable account of the story of hockey. Recommended." —Choice

"This is a book that should be on every bookshelf for sports fans and a definite must for hockey aficionados." —KNUP Sports

"Hockey: A Global History is a complex and well-researched book that deserves the attention of scholars, hockey enthusiasts and all others with an inquiring mind." —Central European Journal of Canadian Studies

"Hardy and Holman provide a highly readable account of the story of hockey. Recommended." —Choice

"Hardy and Holman write a gracious prose, that draws upon essential scholarly works as well as popular and contemporary first hand sources from different parts of the world, which makes for a seamless and engaging account for academics and avid hockey fans alike." —idrottsforum.org

"Hockey: A Global History helps the reader further understand and push beyond his or her viewpoint of the history of hockey by offering a vast range of pivotal moments, shifts, perspectives, and insights related to the social, cultural, political, and economic background of global hockey development." —Journal of Sport History

"As a hockey fan and scholar who enjoys learning something new about the sport, this book captured my imagination. Hardy and Holman’s storytelling style and seamless scholarly commentary create an engaging account for hockey devotees and academics alike. Their explanations of convergence and divergence in the game leave me asking—when is the next pivotal shift in hockey going to happen, and what change will it bring to the game?" —Julie Stevens, Brock University

"This book is truly amazing! I've been involved in hockey all my life and I didn't realize all of the history behind it. A great read for all hockey fans and anyone wanting to learn more about a sport that speaks to people in all corners of the world."—Karyn Bye Dietz, 1998 Olympic Gold Medalist

"Hardy and Holman have produced a classic world overview of our sport. It will unquestionably stand for years to come."—Roger A. Godin, former executive director, United States Hockey Hall of Fame

"Founded on scholarly research and several years in the making, it should be on the bookshelf of every student of hockey. In four sections it tracks the origins of the sport from pre-1877 folk games to the beginnings of 'corporate hockey' in the 1970s. Based on themes such as 'convergence and divergence,' the two authors are to be congratulated for such an in-depth analysis of key moments in the story of hockey both in North America and internationally."—Martin C. Harris, author of The British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame

"This study of hockey is an exhaustive history of the nearly 150-year trajectory of Canada’s great contribution to the world. But it is more than that. Hardy and Holman provide a fascinating tour of hockey’s development over time, as it became a truly global sport. In the process, they take the reader to times and places as varied as the old Soviet Union, Finland, and Israel. Hockey: A Global History is full of insights on the politics, economics, and culture of this great game. It’s a fascinating read for players, fans, experts, and novices alike."—Jeff Frieden, Harvard University

From the Publisher