Hockey’s Hidden Heritage: The Irish Sport That Revolutionized the Ice

Ice hockey and hurling are two sports that seem like they are worlds apart. One is a fast-paced winter sport and the other is a traditional sport played on a pitch in Ireland. Both sports have major differences in how they’re played. However, one of these sports wouldn’t be what it is today without the other. This is the story of how hurling influenced and paved the way for ice hockey.

As discussed in one of my previous articles “Bridging Countries: Irish Americans Keeping the Gaelic Games Alive in the U.S.”, hurling is a traditional Irish sport that is fast paced and takes a lot of skill. Hurling is one of the sports in the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) that was founded by a group of Irishmen in County Tipperary. It is played with a hurley (stick) and a sliotar (ball) and the main goal is to score either in the net or between the two posts. When scoring in the net it is worth 3 points and scoring between the two posts it is worth 1 point. Hurling is something I hold very sacred to my heart. I grew up playing as a kid, being the only girl on the team and being one of the last players on the team before the organization cut it. Hurling had such a big impact on my life. In similarity, hurling also had a huge impact on the origins of ice hockey.

In order to discover the influence that the Irish had on ice hockey, you have to go all the way back to the 1800s at King’s College Schools in Windsor, Nova Scotia. Many of the students at this school were Irish immigrants and came over to Canada after the Famine and Irish emigration. Hurling is something that these people held sacred and wanted to play no matter where they were. However, it was extremely difficult to find a way to play the sport in Canada, due to the environment and weather conditions. Hurling is typically played on a pitch, a grass field. However, due to the cold and icy conditions, the Irish would play hurling on the ice. They tried every possible way to adapt the sport into the environment and keep this tradition alive. When the principal of the school, William Cochrane, suggested that they play on the ground instead of balancing the sliotar on the hurley the whole time, they found a way to keep on playing. These students would play on both the ground and the ice when cold enough just to keep doing what they loved and cherished. People took notice of this and soon enough the sport spread all over the country, especially in Halifax. In an article titled “Hurling and Hockey” by Samuel Kingston, he says;

“It was with this simple suggestion that “hurley on the ice” was born, and the phenomenon quickly spread…”

• Samuel Kingston, BBC.com

The sport gained so much popularity over the years, but the sport would slowly change into something else. Over time, people began to lose the pronunciation of the game. It would slowly change from “ice hurley” to “ice hockey.” It was at this moment that a new sport would be born.

If you didn’t think that the Irish had an impact on current National Hockey League teams, then think again. The Toronto Maple Leafs weren’t always the Maple Leafs. Before they became the Leafs, they were known as the Toronto St. Patricks. Originally they were called the “Toronto Arenas,” but the legendary Conn Smythe took control of the team and decided to change the name to the St. Patricks to honor his heritage. You also may recognize his name because of the trophy named after him, the Conn Smythe Trophy. This award is given to the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. During this time period, Toronto was filled with many Irish immigrants and descents. The St. Patricks was the perfect name to fit the environment and fan base that they had. During their time, the St. Pats were able to win one Stanley Cup in 1922 against the Vancouver Millionaires. While the name is now gone, it is not forgotten. The Maple Leafs still honor the team and Conn Smythe every season. They have an amazing special jersey that they wear every season, typically around St. Patrick’s Day. The jerseys are green and white and have the original St. Pats logo on the front. The Toronto St. Patricks aren’t the only team to have Irish history. Another big team was the Montreal Shamrocks. The Shamrocks were an amateur hockey team around the late 1800s. Many of their players were of Irish descent such as Harry Trihey and Patrick Brennan. During their short time, they were able to win the 1899 Stanley Cup in the CAHL. Many different teams can trace back to Irish roots at the very beginning. The start of certain NHL teams isn’t the only thing connecting hurling and ice hockey together.

Aside from just the origins of NHL teams, hockey equipment can trace its roots back to hurling. Playing hurling involves a hurley and a sliotar. A hurley is a long stick with a flat, curved and wide bas (blade) at the end, used for hitting the ball. The hurley is typically measured to fit every player, being the height from the floor up to the player's wrist. Back then, a hockey stick was made from one piece of wood, similar to how a hurley is made. Over time, technology and machinery became more advanced. Today, sticks are more sturdy and lightweight, being made from fiber glass, carbon fiber and more. Next, a sliotar is a ball that is close to the size of a tennis ball or a baseball and has ribs on it from the stitching to create a better grip for the players. Hockey was originally played with a ball, but it made it very difficult for players to stick handles on the ice. Later in the 19th century, hockey pucks were introduced and made of wood and rubber.

Something that helped me get a better understanding of the topic was a documentary entitled “Poc na nGael”, which means “Puck of the Irish” in Gaeilge. This Documentary was created by Éamonn Ó Cualáin. He follows Ger Loughnane, a past County Clare hurling player and general manager, all throughout the country and discusses the links between the two sports. Reflecting on the sport’s origins, someone describes the scene in an interview;

“‘Because of the ice and the snow and so on, the ball went down on the ground,’ he says. ‘They started playing, and that's how the game started.’”

• Samuel Kingston, BBC.com

If it weren’t for the Irish’s passion for keeping their traditions alive, even when away from home, we never would have the sport of ice hockey that we now have today.