Canucks Daily: BC Gals in Canada’s Win, What Constitutes a ‘Native’

When covering the Vancouver Canucks, Hockey Canada, or any hockey club for that matter, one of a writer’s dilemmas that occasionally pops up is the use of the terms ‘native’, ‘from’, and ‘grew up in’. As a matter of local or regional pride, people are sensitive to origin labels.

Fair enough.

So I pose the question: If a hockey player was born in a hospital in Vancouver, went home to New Westminster three days later, and then moved to Prince George when he was three years old, is he ‘from’ Vancouver, New Westminster, or Prince George? Maybe all three are correct. ‘Native’ is the term that often proves diciest in this situation.

Given that we double check facts consistently and constantly, outside of a rare brain flatulation or a typo, the origin references are easily the story elements that receive the most ‘corrections’.

There’s another element to it. I have a friend who was born in Idaho and moved to New York when he was three-years-old. He doesn’t like to be referred to as an “Idaho Native”. Umm, tough beans chum, that’s what you are. Personal preference doesn’t supersede where mama cranked you out.

So, keep the comments coming, I appreciate one and all, but know that we’re often cutting these slices pretty thin.

BC Gals Contribute

The IIHF Women’s World Championship is underway and Canada is 1-and-0 thanks to a 4-1 victory over Finland on Thursday. Although they didn’t factor in on the scoring, forward Sarah Potomak from Aldergrove (uh oh) and Saanichton native (eek) Micah Zandee-Hart played important roles. In fact, playing defence, Zandee-Hart led all of the Canadian gals in ice time at 20:38 while Potomak skated 11:06 up front.

Hockey Canada has seen plenty of Team Finland lately, winning the 2022 World Junior Championship Gold Medal game in overtime last week against the Finns.

Next up the Canadian women play Switzerland on Saturday in Herning, Denmark.

Speaking of …

We haven’t heard much lately about the multiple investigations into the sexual assault allegations and financial pay-outs to victims related to Hockey Canada and World Junior teams from 2003 and 2018. Maybe no news is good news for them at this point. What have been referred to as ‘scandals’ definitely impacted attendance at the recent WJC in Edmonton.

Although the start of the hockey season will help turn most of the eyeballs away, I reckon there’s still plenty of rocky waters to navigate for Hockey Canada.

On a brighter note – have a terrific weekend!