I think we've just proved that hockey can truly be defined as a religion -- at least in Canada.

Now, as to its "ritualness." Is hockey played "in accordance with social custom or normal protocol?" That would be the question our friend Merriam-Webster would ask in order to define hockey as a ritual (Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary).

My question would be how could anyone look at the game of hockey and not see that there are social customs and normal protocols involved with it? Those customs might include ramming the opposing player into the glass, slashing him with the hockey stick, high-lowing the opposition in order to put him out of the game but hopefully not in the hospital, generously standing directly in front of the opposing goalie "to protect him" from those mean, onrushing players with the big sticks, swearing, and just general fighting. Now, those are some social customs! I'm not….

The spectre of assimilation, was even more pronounced in the native community. In the Hockey Game, es Fineday relates the memory of a game played on his reserve. Children were taken to boarding schools, where even the food was unfamiliar. Hockey was the one thing that Fineday could relate to and it brought him fond memories of home. The boarding school experience illustrates Canada's policies towards natives for most of the 20th century. This contempt towards native culture coloured the histories of hockey from that era. Thus, the history of hockey writing was coloured by racism that specifically excluded any special recognition of natives. Thus, even today it is mainly native people who are versed on the history of hockey among native Canadians.

Another contributing factor to the whitewashing of hockey's history is the fact that hockey is viewed as a national icon. Hockey is "an authentic and autonomous expression of….

Of course, Fuller is not the only one to draw connections among hockey, the media, and differences between Canadian and American national identities. In fact, Gruneau and hitson get the name of their book from Canada's most famous television program -- Hockey Night in Canada. Like learning to skate before learning to walk, the pair suggest that the Saturday night "TV program made us feel like part of a national community" (2). Thus, Fuller suggests that hockey is of utmost importance to the nation's identity, not only as a sport, but also as a major media event. In this world of globalization and satellite and Internet television broadcasting, media has become the defining feature of many nations. Thus, the use of media to depict Canadian and American values so antithetically is of utmost importance to Canadians and suggests that the sport is integral in the defining of a national….

While hockey may have masculine connotations for the single sportsman watching a game, a father watching the same game may see the sport as a way to bring the family together, while a mother next to him in the stands may marvel at its sociological implications as she watches her daughter bond with her father while discussing the intricacies of the game.
While viewing hockey as an art form allows Canadians to draw a variety of meanings from the game, the game's implications on Canadian society are hard to deny. A community affair, hockey has had the power to bind Canadians together, bringing communities and families into stands or next to television screens across the country to enjoy a good game. While some may view the action of the game to be "hypermasculine," the consequences are anything but, but are instead a common ground for community interaction -- a rather….

Finance Plan

Due to the relatively simple and straightforward nature of the proposed retail hockey supply business, the financing concerns and plans for this business are not incredibly complex or arduous. The bulk of start-up capital will be needed to make initial product purchases, make a year's worth of lease payments, and to make whatever equipment, shelving, display, and storage adjustments are necessary for the physical store itself. It is expected that these costs will not exceed $100,000, and it is possible that they will be considerably less. Most suppliers will provide credit terms of at least 30 days to initial retail customers such as the proposed business with evidence of adequate funding; this will help to offset start-up costs and provide a means of generating positive cash flow early on in the business's life cycle, which will in turn make generating further capital much easier.

If at all possible, at least….

Hockey Sweater - Children's Literature
Introduction / Argument

Authors of children's books are no different in terms of producing creative and substantive material from those writers and authors who pen stories for the adult market: both genres cry out for the portrayal of something meaningful, memorable, instructional, possibly provocative - and last but certainly not least, something entertaining enough to be devoured like a juicy mesquite-smoked salmon steak fresh off an outdoor grill on a Canadian spring afternoon.

And no matter what the storyline is, no matter the names and identities of the characters, no matter the tone, setting, ironies and conflicts, all writers have a moral and/or political agenda at work when they sit down to the keyboard to work. The values of the writer are interwoven into that writer's story like the planks of a political party during its convention. Careful, objective readers - with experience in analyzing literature and….

This strategy, along with an "old-fashioned slap shot" - which was "drilled home...by Bill Baker of the University of Minnesota, in front of a crowd of 4,000 that half-filled the new field house" in Lake Placid. Only half full meant that perhaps most American inter Olympics' fans didn't think the U.S. had a chance, and didn't buy the tickets because of that.
Eskenazi went on to explain that on the same night, the Soviet team beat Japan, 16-0, and Czechoslovakia routed Norway, 11-0. It was a sweet "victory" for the Americans to tie the Swedes, because the Swedes had joked that they had sent their "B" team out against Team USA; their "A" team, Eskenazi went on, was playing in the NHL.

Team USA then defeated Czechoslovakia 7-3, and est Germany, 4-2, and won two more to make the "medal round" - in which they really began to be taken seriously.….

Phoenix Coyotes
I'm here today to discuss a topic many of you may be passionate about, and the rest of you probably have no interest in. hat's the bad news. he good news is; I'm going to try to help you get a little excited about hockey, even if you don't know the difference between a stick and a puck. In May 2009, the Phoenix Coyotes of the National Hockey League, claimed bankruptcy. As a result, two competitive offers to finance the team emerged. One was from a Canadian businessman, the other from the NHL itself. his month, a judge ruled against both parties, leaving the hockey team in limbo, and outrage in the hockey fan community. (Yes, there is such a thing, and not just in Canada.) Here's what happened.

he sources of the conflict were the inability of the Coyotes to maintain operating costs and continue playing with a….

Introduction
Sledge Hockey is a terrific sport that individuals with physical disabilities can participate in. This sport was developed in the 1960s at a Swedish rehabilitation center. By modifying a metal sled (aka sledge) to fit two ice hockey skate blades under the sledge (so that a hockey puck could pass under it, the Swedes allowed themselves to be able to slide around the ice without inhibiting the movement of the hockey puck. They used round poles that had bicycle handles as sticks with which the propelled themselves across the ice—much like skiers use sticks when they are skiing long distance. Their game required no goaltenders, but other than that it was very similar in spirit to regular ice hockey: the goal was to get the puck into the goal—and instead of skating, the players sledged or sledded across the ice in the customized sledges that allowed the puck to pass….

Reflection on Parasport Sledge Hockey Parasport Sledge Hockey is an increasingly rising and popular sport across the world. Invented in the 1960s in Sweden, it has spread across the globe to be embraced both in the East and in the West. It is played in the Paralympic Winter Games along with apine and cross-country skiing games and wheelchair curling (“No Accidental Champions,” n.d.). Sledge Hockey legends like Billy Bridges have captured the imagination of the public and have helped to propel the sport into the mainstream as its athletes are recognized for their power, skill, and determination.

In Canada, sledge hockey is gaining ground as a popular sport for children with physical disabilities that have caused them to lose one or both of their legs. These children find an athletic outlet in sledge hockey, as all the participants are equalized through the use of the sledge. The players propel themselves by using….

(Why I Quit Hockey... Keep Your Priorities Straight)
The mark of success is often due to goals in a hockey match, but in practice other performances are equally important, and that should be realized the people who are encouraging the player. The supporters often want the player to carry out action on the field that the player cannot do due to his deficiencies in some areas, though that does not make him any less a player. The players often get encouragement from their non-tournament performance as then they can perform without tension and this improves their capacities as a player. The supporters keep advising the coaches about what they should or should not do, and often enough even the players knows that such an action will be wrong. The players are aware that their game is costing the guardians money, and to them it seems that the guardian is not….

Nanomaterials
Advances in Nanomaterials and Their Applications

Nanomaterials, including carbon nanofibers and nanotubes, are being explored extensively for their use and application in multiple manufacturing domains. One of the most eager manufacturing sectors to incorporate nanomaterials into their midst is the athletics gear and sporting industries. Tennis rackets, surf, skate, and snow boards, skis, ski poles, boats, bicycles, hockey sticks, baseball bats, golf clubs and balls are all potentially transformed by the use of nanomaterials. Other athletics applications of nanomaterials include sports stadium materials, artificial turf, running track surfaces, clothing, and gymnasium equipment (Chunyan, 2011). While nanomaterials are proving promising from design, implementation, and development perspectives, there are also significant safety issues that need to be taken into consideration by engineers, manufacturers, and industry regulators.

The root word "nano" comes from the Greek meaning dwarf because the particles are extremely small and require special technologies for visualization as well as manipulation (Hickman, 2002).….

There are rumors, the Forbes report goes on, "that the owners are looking to sell the team, which has sizeable debt and has had a hard time attracting season ticket holders" (Forbes).
Another struggling franchise mentioned often in analysis as a financial loser is the Atlanta Thrashers. Forbes reports the team lost 10% of its value in the 2008-09 season and is now worth $143 million. Local revenue per fan is $10 and the Thrashers' debt is 46% of its total value; player salaries were $39 million and gate receipts were $23 last season. "A nasty and continuous legal battle amongst the eight owners…has resulted in the team turning to Goldman Sachs for investors"

(Forbes). Although the Thrashers are not in the so-called Sun Belt, Atlanta is not known for ice, snow, and cold, like the more traditional hockey venues experience.

The financial struggles of some teams today is not something new,….

5% and 2.35% over that period but opposite the trend of fluctuation in overall spending
The result is approximately $23.5 billion spend each year in the U.S. attending sporting events like the 82 games per year at the Boston Garden

Average U.S. households spent more attending sports events while incomes fell after 2007, and less as incomes increased since then

Households in the Northeast region including Boston spend higher on "apparel and services" and more or the same compared to all other regions and the national average for complementary local amenities "fees and admissions" (the Garden) and "food away from home" and "alcoholic beverages" (neighboring sports bar)

Bostonians spend higher than the region on entertainment and less on apparel and alcohol than the regional average, for the most recent years available, 2007-2008

Bruins season tickets are already sold out, which suggests weak 2010 economic fundamentals may take second place to hometown brand loyalty

Many of these….

Consciousness
Theoren Fleury: Why?

Theoren Fleury is one of the most famous and controversial hockey stars of recent memory. While playing, Fleury was known for his aggressive style both on and off of the ice. However, Fleury has recently come forward with a public explanation of why he struggled with drug and alcohol addiction. When he was an up-and-coming junior hockey star, he was sexually abused by his then-coach Graham James. Fleury blames his inability to deal with the trauma for the "alcohol, drugs and promiscuity" that characterized his "otherwise impressive 16-year NHL career" (Gillis 2009:1).

Fleury was desperate to make it as a hockey pro, and was living with James while still playing as a junior (a common situation for competitive young hockey athletes in Canada). James was in a position of trust, which he violated. Fleury was particularly vulnerable -- one reason that the predator James may have targeted him….