Date of Award

Spring 2022

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

History

First Advisor

Kent Germany

Abstract

This thesis looks at the development of youth hockey in North Carolina before the coming of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes in 1997. Although the American South with its warm weather and lack of snow or ice seemed inhospitable to such a wintry sport, ice hockey found a niche in Charlotte, the Piedmont Triad, and the Research Triangle in the mid- to late- 20th century through a combination of minor professional teams, local boosters, and northern transplants who all worked together to organize youth and amateur hockey associations as well as advocate for accessible ice rink facilities in order to grow the game. As a microcosm of the New South and postwar America, the story of North Carolina hockey reflects larger homogenization and migration trends across state and regional borders in this time period. Moreover, while minor professional hockey sparked a lifelong love for the game, participation in youth hockey produced long-lasting communities and shaped North Carolina hockey into a viable major league market

Rights

© 2022, Sarai ShareI Dai

Download

Share

COinS