"He shows signs of the Day influence": A Biographical Narrative Case Study of Heritage and Commemoration in the National Hockey League

Abstract

Clarence “Hap” Day coached the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League from 1940 to 1950. During that time, he led his team to five Stanley Cup championships, almost always prevailing against opponents who were considered to be superior. He remains one of the most successful and influential coaches in NHL history. By any standard in the world of professional sports he would be considered a legend, yet although his team has established Legends Row, a permanent commemorative exhibit of bronze statues representing fourteen of its former members, Day was inexplicably not chosen to be part of it. This thesis is an examination of heritage and commemoration in the National Hockey League, constructed around a biographical narrative of Day. I explore his career as a player and as a coach, demonstrating that he was a dependable player who developed and successfully practised theories on how he believed the game should be played. As a coach, he achieved unprecedented success that merits proper acknowledgement and recognition of his importance to one of the NHL’s most historic franchises. Unfortunately, while commemoration is a public expression of heritage, it can be and is often manipulated because it is always someone’s specific interpretation of what happened, rather than a faithful recording of history. Whoever controls the past can therefore also control the present narrative and shape the future through their commemorative efforts, which allows them to decide what the public should know about a given topic. In the case of Hap Day, the Toronto Maple Leafs have decided that he is not worthy of further recognition. This thesis is a competing narrative that proves otherwise.