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I was browsing a forum and saw a thread titled "Swastika's On Ice" and I said to myself, "Oh no! Do I even want to open up this thread? What on earth could it possibly be about?" I opened it ...

I Bet You Never Knew This Hockey Team Existed

by Greg Caggiano (Senior Writer)

4

1,159 reads

History

July 26, 2008


I was browsing a forum and saw a thread titled "Swastika's On Ice" and I said to myself, "Oh no! Do I even want to open up this thread? What on earth could it possibly be about?"

I opened it and found a black and white photograph of eight women in ice skates holding hockey sticks.

It turns out that the picture is one of the earliest known photographs of a women's ice hockey team that played in Edmonton. And their name? Yes, you guessed it: the Swastikas.

I wish there was more information available about this team than their name and the fact that the photograph was taken in 1916, but there is nothing else out there.

At least we are lucky enough to have seen such a rare piece of hockey history.

It just goes to show how the world (and the hockey world) has changed, as this picture was taken years before the Nazi uprising in Germany.

These jerseys existed well before Adolph Hitler wrote his autobiography, Mein Kampf, and chose the swastika for the symbol of his political party.

The Swastika is an ancient symbol for many things, but mainly peace and good fortune. It has now become a symbol of evil and hatred, as it should be.

We see this symbol all over in our daily life; whether it be on television, in history books, or, God forbid, as graffiti on a place of worship. But never did I imagine that the swastika was once the logo for a hockey team.

I hope you learned something today, because I sure have.

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4 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment

  1. Jordan Walsh 11 months ago

    great article! thats actually very interesting

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  2. Michael Griffin 11 months ago

    I cannot believe that. I think that proves to so many people that Hitler did not come up with that symbol for the Nazi's.

    Nice one on getting that pic too.

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  3. Scott Quinn 11 months ago

    Women playing hockey??!? I find that more shocking.

    I kid.

    Looks like we have a new #1 for the "Top 10 Most Unwearable Jerseys".

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  4. Alan Bass 11 months ago

    oh loooorrddd lol

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