Hockey is a global sport with a worldwide following, but it wasn't always this way.
Since the "Miracle on Ice" in Lake Placid, one hockey fan often tuned in to the sport; he's written a book about its history, development, and global reach. The Fastest Game in the World: Hockey and the Globalization of Sports, by Midwest-native author Bruce Berglund, examines the sport's humble beginnings on icy northern ponds to its modern global following.
The book focuses on politics, economics, and culture through the lens of hockey's development over the last century, not on stories of great teams and players (although, references are made throughout the book). Hockey is cast as an underdog sport in the shadow of football, baseball, basketball and soccer, but nonetheless, it has become a worldwide phenomenon, through the dedication of its players and fans alike.
Hockey's evolution started with different names for the game, most commonly "bandy." It was played on icy northern ponds during the "Little Ice Age" of the 1800s with whatever was available. Sometimes bandy players would use curved branches and slap around a ball, a chunk of wood, or other projectiles. Over time, the game evolved further to be called "hockey" and was played with curved, formed sticks and a rubber puck.
The leagues we know today were not created until the early 1900s, with the International Professional Hockey League, formed in Ontario, and eventually centered in Houghton, MI with teams like the Calumet Miners. The National Hockey League's creation began with its inaugural season in 1917.
Now, according to the International Ice Hockey Federation, hockey is played in about 80 countries worldwide, and was recently highlighted in the Olympic Games Beijing 2022.
Listen to Kurt Hauswirth in conversation with Bruce Berglund:
The Fastest Game in the World: Hockey and the Globalization of Sports is available through the University of California Press, on Audible, and in your local bookstore.
