Hockey: A People’s History

Hockey: A People’s History is a CBC Television Documentary that first aired in 2006.
Much like an earlier documentray Canada: A People’s History, the series told the history of the sport of hockey from a personal perspective, giving voice to various individuals, major and minor, as the sport grows and evolves in Canada.

There was an accompanying book by the same name authored by award-winning documentary film-maker Michael McKinley.

We speak with Michael McKinley about Hockey: A People’s History, and about just what hockey has meant and continues to mean to Canada.

At: http://conversationsontheroad.com

Taped in Fall, 2008 - Aired on XM, January, 2009

Gallivan, Lecavalier turned Habs into Canada's team (Montreal Gazette)

From The Montreal Gazette:

By RED FISHER
February 24, 2009

The players and builders whose photos are part of the Ring of Honour that circles the Bell Centre are a testament to their greatness.

From Vézina to Roy, Morenz, the Richards, Béliveau and onward to the Big Three. Irvin, Blake and Bowman. Selke and Pollock. Forty-four players, 10 builders ... Hall of Famers all.

So what's at least slightly wrong with this picture?When you're talking builders, where are Danny Gallivan and René Lecavalier?

http://www.montrealgazette.com/Sports/Gallivan+Lecavalier+turned+Habs+into+Canada+team/1322044/story.html

Andy Bathgate

On February 22, 2009 Harry Howell and andy Bathgate were honored at New York’s Madison Square Garden by having their numbers 3 and 9 retired respectively.

Bathgate was an artistic, creative forward who saw the ice like few others of his era. He was the Rangers all-time leader in goals, assists and points at the end of the Original Six era and still holds the team record of scoring goals in 10 consecutive games.

Howell was a disciplined, steady defenseman whose greatness wasn’t fully appreciated until the latter stages of his career, when he became the last Original Six era blueliner to win the James Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best at his position. He remains the Rangers’ all-time games-played leader with 1,160. Given the nature of today’s free agency and salary cap restrictions, that could be the most daunting mark in the entire Rangers record book.

In anticiaption of the night honoring these two former greats, not too long ago we spoke with both Harry Howell and Andy Bathgate.

This podcast is our talk with Andy Bathgate. At http://conversationsontheroad.com

World Pond Hockey Championships

This unique event is an annual international competition that takes place outdoors, on bodies of frozen water, playing the pond hockey variant of ice hockey. The event takes place in and around Plaster Rock, New Brunwick.

The first championships were held in 2002. The 2007 event was opened by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the first time the Prime Minister attended the event and indeed the first time a prime minister had ever visited Plaster Rock.

We speak with Danny Braun from Plaster Rock about how the event started, what takes place, and just how they manage to pull it off in this community of 1,150.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com

Black Ice: “The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes: 1895-1925″.

Comprised of the sons and grandsons of runaway American slaves, the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes helped pioneer the sport of ice hockey changing this winter game from the primitive “gentleman’s past-time” of the nineteenth century to the modern fast moving game of today. In an era when many believed blacks could not endure cold, possessed ankles too weak to effectively skate, etc. (”and lacked the intelligence for organized sport”), these men defied the defined myths.

We speak with George Fosty, one of the co-authors of “Black Ice”.

Aired on Xm Radio - Channel 204 in February, 2009.

At:
http://conversationsontheroad.com