Читать книгу Let It Snow. Keeping Canada's Winter Sports Alive онлайн

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When popular American late night talk show host Conan O’Brien brought his show to Toronto in February 2004, he put to good use this poking of fun at all things Canadian. Hockey, winter coats, and igloos came out in full force. O’Brien’s segments were full of winks and nudges to the cold weather, and to hockey, with sketches featuring members of the Toronto Maple Leafs. It made perfect sense.

Outdoor hockey in Alberta, pre–First World War.

Conan quickly discovered during his time in Toronto that Tie Domi, at the time arguably the most popular Maple Leafs hockey player, was one of the most significant cultural icons of the city. An unknown figure to anyone south of the border, Domi was an icon that was uniquely Canadian. Like Mr. Bean of Britain, or The Crocodile Hunter in Australia, Domi represented Canada. O’Brien was keen enough to discover that hockey was the defining characteristic of Canadian culture, and leaped at the opportunity of casting Domi in one of his sketches. Not surprisingly, the live Toronto audience lapped it up.