I know that everyone around Pittsburgh is all excited about the Pirates making it to the MLB playoffs for the first time in 21 years (as am I!), but as baseball is entering the end of its season the NHL season is starting a new one. And most important, Thursday starts a new season for the Pittsburgh Penguins. I, for one, am very excited! But I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this excitement. Pittsburgh has become one of the best hockey towns across the US and Canada.
Since winning the Stanley Cup in 2009, the team continues to draw fans of all ages. It's become very difficult to get tickets to Penguins home games due their popularity. Many of these fans are new to the game and may not know the great history of the sport.
I was first exposed to hockey through my brother Andrew. He started attending Pens games in the 70s. It didn't take long for our whole family to be hooked by this fast and exciting game. As I've written earlier, my real love affair with hockey, and not just the Penguins, began with the Miracle on Ice in 1980. After that I became very interested in the history of the game.
The National Hockey League was formed in 1917, but the roots of hockey in Canada go back to the mid 19th century. While its exact origins are hard to pin down, the hockey game that we know today most likely began in Eastern Canada in Nova Scotia and then moved onto Montreal, Quebec. The game was picked up by Canadian colleges and thrived as an amateur sport.
In 1893 the Stanley Cup was donated by Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, to be presented to the top amateur team in Canada. By 1903 formal rules had been put in place as to who could challenge for the Cup.
Professional leagues began to develop by 1910, with the National Hockey Association forming in Eastern Canada. The Pacific Coast Hockey Association was organized in 1911. By 1914 these two leagues were the only ones competing for the Stanley Cup.
Due to the antics of one of the NHA owners, in 1917 the National Hockey League was born. It's a little complicated, but Eddie Livingstone, owner of the Toronto Shamrocks, was not well-liked by his fellow owners. So when they had the chance, they pushed him out and formed a new league.
Not exactly a pretty start, but now almost 100 years later, the NHL has grown from five teams to thirty teams in cities across Canada and the United States. Despite a shortened season last year due to a lock out, the game has never been more popular.
For more on the history of hockey and the NHL check out these titles from the library:
The Official Illustrated NHL History: The Official Story of The Coolest Game on Earth by Arthur Pincus
Legends of Hockey: The Official Book of the Hockey Hall of Fame by Jim Coleman
Hockey: A People's History by Michael McKinley
Strange But True Hockey Stories by Stan Fischler
For more on the history of the Pittsburgh Penguins check out these titles from the library:
Total Penguins: The Definitive Encyclopedia of the Pittsburgh Penguins by Rick Buker
Tales From the Pittsburgh Penguins by Joe Starkey
Mario Lemieux: The Final Period edited by Tom McMillan
The Rookie: A Season With Sidney Crosby and The New NHL by Shawna Richer
Let's Go Pens! (And Bucs!)
-- Post by Tracy
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