Does hockey provide a better understanding of the differences between Canadian and Québécois nationalisms? Is there a fundamental relationship between the hockey arena and the political arena? What have we lost as a society in abolishing the tie game? Are salaries in the NHL really that outrageous? Is hockey more art than sport? Should hockey players be banned from using performance-enhancing drugs at all costs? Do goalies suffer from angst? Does our national sport have its own mythology and metaphysics? Do hockey brawls reflect our true human nature more than we would care to admit? And what would it be like if the great philosophers were to face off on the ice?
A team of philosophy and hockey buffs go deep with these fascinating questions and many others in this examination of a worshipped sport elevated to something akin to a cult. Accessibly written and peppered with humour, the essays in this book will charm specialists, sports fans, and everyone in between. Whether you’re a fan of Richard, Gretzky, Crosby, Plato, Kant, or Kierkegaard, you’re invited to be a spectator at this very special meeting of minds!
Published in English.

Normand Baillargeon has written a great many articles and books on a wide variety of topics: education, philosophy, anarchism, poetry, politics, and economics. When he finds the time, he enjoys watching YouTube videos of Bobby Orr, his favourite player. To this day, he holds a grudge against everyone who deliberately attacked Orr’s knee, ordered this to be done, or looked the other way when it was done.

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Christian Boissinot teaches philosophy at the Collège François-Xavier-Garneau. He is a diehard fan of the Nordiques and of scientific hockey, even though the person he shares his life with thinks that the Maple Leafs are based in Edmonton and that every hockey player ought to be given his own puck to prevent fighting. His only claim to fame in the hockey world is being the first person to ever sell pepperoni sticks at the Colisée de Québec. He secretly dreams of driving a Zamboni.

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