Our Country, Our Game

You can’t take our country — and you can’t take our game.”
— Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

What a month. What a week. What a game.

I try to avoid discussing politics on this blog, but I have been known to write about hockey. And last night’s hockey game got political.

Of course it did.

Canada is being forced into a trade war with its neighbour to the south. Rumblings about tariffs since the US elections last November became reality on February 1. In response, our prime minister gave as rousing a nationalist speech as I’ve ever heard him give. That, along with the ridicule a certain American politician has expressed towards both him and our sovereignty, has united the country in a way it hasn’t been for quite some time. Grocery shopping has become an act of patriotism as Canadians resolve to buy only products made or grown in Canada.

And then last weekend, on February 15, we celebrated the 60th anniversary of our flag. All five living former prime ministers got together to issue a statement asking Canadians everywhere to fly the flag with pride. Mine came out of the drawer where it had been sitting since the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and is now hanging in my window. I think I’ll leave it there for a while.

In the meantime, a little hockey tournament took place this week. It was clear during last Saturday’s game between Canada and the US that emotions were running high. Players on both sides dropped their gloves three times in the first nine seconds. The Americans won, but I had faith that Team Canada would come through when it mattered. And they did.

Last night’s victory was oh so sweet. I can’t say it any better than Jon Cooper, coach for Team Canada:

I just hope Canada’s proud because every player in that room is proud to be a Canadian. And yeah, did we need a win? Not only our team, but Canada needed a win. And the players [bore] that on their shoulders. And they took it seriously. And, uh, this one was different. This wasn’t a win for themselves. This was a win for 40-plus million people, and the guys knew it and they delivered.”

I took the above photo during the Vancouver 2010 Olympics. Hockey at next year’s Olympics is gonna be lit.