Hockey: A People's History

Released: 2006-09-17

Runtime: 45 minutes

Episode Overview

The origins of hockey can be traced back to the ancient pyramids, but when the puck is dropped on a strange new game one winter's night in 1875, a young country has a new passion that explodes across class and gender. At first it's played by the wealthy. It's in these circles that hockey finds its first great patron - Lord Stanley of Preston, who gives the sport its Holy Grail. The game eventually breaks out across the country, played by women, plumber's helpers, university students and countless other groups. As the game struggles to deal with its growing reputation for violence, it faces its greatest challenge: the onset of professionalism.

Series Overview

Hockey: A People's History is a television documentary series from the CBC's Documentary Unit. It premiered on September 17, 2006. It aired on Sunday nights, in two-episode blocks, on CBC Television; repeats were made later in the week on CBC Newsworld. Much like previous series Canada: A People's History, the series told the history of the sport of ice hockey from a personal perspective, giving voice to various individuals, major and minor, as the sport grows and evolves in Canada. The series ran for 10 hours in total, and was shot in HD. Episode narration was by actor Paul Gross.