The Hockey Conference: Halifax's Unknown Gem
Written by Liam T. Buchanan
Thumbnail and Header Photo by The Hockey Conference
Hockey means many things to Canadians. For some, it is the epitome of Canadian culture – from 5am ice times to grabbing a double-double from Tims before a relative’s game. For others, it is a burden to group all Canadians as hockey-lovers, since they may prefer another sport, like basketball, which is being played more and more by youth, catalyzed by the 2019 Toronto Raptors victory. Whether you like the sport and the culture that surrounds it or not, it cannot be denied that hockey has played an integral part as a foundation of Canadian identity. Recently, the Montréal Canadiens defeated the Vegas Golden Knights to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, which ultimately culminated in a 4-1 series victory for the Lightning.
Because hockey is undoubtedly one of Canada’s most recognizable symbols, it ought to be analyzed by academics that share a passion for the sport. Saint Mary’s University has done this by creating The Hockey Conference, a biennial event that brings together different academics to discuss matters pertaining to hockey. Beginning in 2001, and originally hosted by now-retired SMU professor Dr. Colin Howell, the Conference has traveled to different universities throughout Canada and the United States. Its tenth biennial event, originally slated for 2020, was hosted this past June by Dr. Cheryl A. MacDonald. Dr. MacDonald is the current Associate Director of Outreach for SMU’s Centre for Sport and Health. I had the opportunity to attend the final two days of the event and was pleased to watch presentations by like-minded academics on a wide-range of topics from feminism within hockey to the role of medicine in hockey. Furthermore, I spoke to Dr. MacDonald on her experience as a former hockey player and what it means to host the Conference.
The Conference featured many speakers within the hockey world that have changed the game forever. Angela James, a trailblazer of women’s hockey, was the keynote speaker for this year's Conference. Bob Dawson, a Saint Mary’s alumnus who was a part of the first all-Black Canadian university hockey line in 1970 introduced James. Other speakers included Kaleb Dahlgren, who was a part of the 2018 Humboldt Broncos team that collided with a semi-trailer truck; Brock McGillis, a former professional goaltender who is recognized as one of the first men’s professional players to publicly identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community; Kieran Block, who played on Canada’s national men’s sledge hockey team; and Savannah Newton, a Nova Scotian that has recently played for Linkoping HC in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League.
Photo by Matthew Fournier on Unsplash
Attending the virtual panel moderated by Courtney Szto titled “Hockey Killjoys: challenging the institution of hockey through the work of Sarah Ahmed,” I was able to learn a lot about what analyzing hockey from a feminist perspective entails. Brett Pardy’s “The Promise of Grittiness” critiques the current situation surrounding the cause of grittiness and what this means for hockey players. Being a former player myself, it was really eye-opening to see a rebuttal of the demand to have grit as a hockey player and how this mentality manifests on and off the ice. Courtney Szto also spoke about women’s hockey and the demand for evidence by minor league organization’s regarding formal complaints. This included elements from her research on Indigenous peoples as she concluded that minor league hockey organizations need to have a policy-making process that includes Indigenous ideals and one that is formulated by Indigenous peoples themselves. Furthermore, the Race and Racialization panel had the likes of Martine Dennie of the University of Calgary, whose presentation was titled “Seeing Red: Colour-Blindness and The Performance of Whiteness in the Calgary Flames ‘C of Red.’” It should be noted that “C of Red” is the colloquial term for the Flames’ fanbase. Dennie stated that “fans must blend into the whiteness of hockey culture to fit in.” She came to such a conclusion by conducting 42 semi-structured interviews in Calgary. It was very intriguing to hear her present and dissect the true identities of the so-called ‘C of Red.’
Recently, I spoke with Dr. MacDonald about her experience hosting the event and being a former women’s ice hockey player. Regarding the conference, she stated that she originally became involved due to her field of study being the masculine environment that engulfs hockey; moreover, her love for social academic events allowed her to bridge two passions to flourish as a host. She began to play organized hockey at 15 when her high school started a women’s team, which allowed her to gain traction within the hockey world and truly begin to immerse herself in it. I also asked why the National Hockey League (NHL) lags behind other major North American professional sports leagues regarding diversity and inclusion. Her response: “I do think the NHL lags behind other major pro sports in North America. With the recent coming out of an NFL player, it’s becoming more and more clear that there is something about men’s pro hockey culture that makes closeted players feel unsafe disclosing their sexual orientation. This is ironic given the NHL was the first to partner with the You Can Play Project in 2013.”
While this year’s Hockey Conference has wrapped up, its guests have only been further encouraged to study hockey and the social aspects that surround it. It was a fantastic event to attend, and if Saint Mary’s does host another one in the future – in person hopefully – I encourage every Husky to attend.