# Canada's Official Sports — Hockey and Lacrosse
Canada has two official national sports: ice hockey (winter) and lacrosse (summer). Both were designated by the National Sports of Canada Act in 1994. Here is the history of each and what the citizenship test asks.
Hockey — Canada's official winter sport
Hockey is the most-played and most-watched sport in Canada, especially in winter. Children learn to skate as soon as they can walk; backyard rinks are a winter tradition; Hockey Night in Canada is a Saturday-evening institution.
Where hockey came from
Modern ice hockey developed in Canada in the 1800s, drawing on:
- Field hockey from England
- Hurling and shinty from Ireland and Scotland
- Indigenous stick-and-ball games
- Skating on frozen rivers and ponds
The first organised game
The first organised indoor hockey game was played at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal on March 3, 1875. James Creighton wrote the first rules. The game was played with a flat wooden puck instead of a ball — a key innovation that made indoor play possible.
The Stanley Cup (1893)
In 1893, Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General of Canada, donated the Stanley Cup as a championship trophy for the top amateur hockey team in Canada. It later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL).
The Stanley Cup is one of the most famous trophies in all of sports. Each player on the winning team gets to spend a day with the Cup, and the names of all winning teams and players are engraved on it.
The NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in Montreal in 1917. Today, it has 32 teams — 7 Canadian and 25 American:
Canadian NHL teams:
- Toronto Maple Leafs
- Montreal Canadiens
- Ottawa Senators
- Winnipeg Jets
- Calgary Flames
- Edmonton Oilers
- Vancouver Canucks
The Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups (24), followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs (13).
Olympic and international hockey
Canada has won many Olympic gold medals in both men's and women's hockey:
- Men's gold: 1920, 1924, 1928, 1932, 1948, 1952, 2002, 2010, 2014
- Women's gold: 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2022
The 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union is one of the most famous moments in Canadian sports history — Paul Henderson scored the winning goal in the final game.
Lacrosse — Canada's official summer sport
While hockey gets more attention, lacrosse is officially Canada's summer sport — and it has the deepest historical roots of any North American sport.
Origins in First Nations culture
Lacrosse was developed by Indigenous peoples (especially the Haudenosaunee — also known as the Iroquois Confederacy) over 1,000 years ago. It was played:
- For spiritual reasons — sometimes called "the Creator's game"
- For community purposes — to settle disputes and train warriors
- With hundreds of players and goals miles apart, lasting days
Modernisation
In 1867, Dr. William George Beers, a Montreal dentist, codified modern lacrosse rules. Lacrosse became the most popular sport in 19th-century Canada — even more popular than hockey at the time.
In 1859, lacrosse was widely considered Canada's unofficial national sport. The popularity of hockey eventually surpassed it in the 20th century, but lacrosse remained important.
The 1994 Act
The National Sports of Canada Act of 1994 officially designated:
- Hockey as Canada's national winter sport
- Lacrosse as Canada's national summer sport
Before the Act, lacrosse had been claimed (incorrectly) as Canada's only national sport. The 1994 compromise honoured both sports.
Lacrosse today
- Canadian Lacrosse Association is the governing body
- Box lacrosse (indoor) is the most popular form in Canada
- The National Lacrosse League has Canadian teams (Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver, Saskatchewan, Halifax)
- Canada competes internationally — winning men's world championships in 1978, 2003, 2006
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Other major Canadian sports
| Sport | Notes |
|---|---|
| Curling | Especially popular in the Prairies; Canada has won numerous world championships and Olympic medals |
| Canadian football | Different from American football; played in the CFL (Canadian Football League) |
| Basketball | Invented by Canadian James Naismith in 1891; Toronto Raptors won NBA Championship in 2019 |
| Baseball | Toronto Blue Jays won World Series in 1992 and 1993 |
| Soccer | Growing rapidly; men's national team qualified for 2022 World Cup |
| Skiing and snowboarding | Strong winter Olympic tradition |
For more on Canadian innovation in sports, see [Famous Canadian Inventors and Inventions](/blog/famous-canadian-inventors-inventions).
What the test asks
Common citizenship-test questions:
- What are Canada's national sports? *(Hockey — winter; Lacrosse — summer)*
- What is the Stanley Cup? *(NHL championship trophy, donated by Lord Stanley in 1893)*
- Where was the first organised hockey game played? *(Montreal, 1875)*
Practice the actual citizenship test
Try our [free practice test](/practice-test) — it covers Canadian sports questions in the same format you will see on test day.
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Frequently Asked Questions
1What is Canada's official winter sport?
Ice hockey — designated as the official winter sport by the National Sports of Canada Act in 1994. The first organised hockey game was played in Montreal in 1875.
2What is Canada's official summer sport?
Lacrosse — also designated by the 1994 Act. Lacrosse was originally played by Indigenous peoples (Haudenosaunee/Iroquois) and is sometimes called 'the Creator's game'. It was the most popular sport in 19th-century Canada.
3Who invented hockey?
Hockey developed in Canada in the 1800s, drawing on stick-and-ball games from England, Ireland, and Scotland combined with skating. The first known organised indoor game was at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal on March 3, 1875. James Creighton wrote the first rules.
4What is the Stanley Cup?
The championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL) — donated in 1893 by Lord Stanley of Preston, then Governor General of Canada. It is one of the most famous trophies in sports. Each player on the winning team gets to spend a day with the Cup.
5Are Canadian sports on the citizenship test?
Yes. Common questions: what is Canada's national winter sport (hockey), what is Canada's national summer sport (lacrosse), and what is the Stanley Cup.