This article examines attitudes towards homosexuality among male Major Midget AAA ice hockey players in Canada. Qualitative and quantitative surveys, interviews, and a social media content analysis were used to identify and analyze the ways in which the players perceive sexual orientation in a hockey context. This level presents a unique opportunity for investigation because the players, typically between the ages of fifteen and eighteen, find themselves at the intersection of a generation that is relatively inclusive of the queer community and a sport that can be said to encourage heterosexism. Informed by theories of masculinity and sport, the study situates itself within a body of literature that is divided regarding the current status of homophobia in sport.

Ice hockey is particularly significant in Canada, since it acts as a primary site of socialization for boys and men. This form of socialization raises questions about masculinity on the public agenda in terms of the problematic nature of hypermasculinity in sport, stereotypical images of athletes, and questions of social responsibility as both men and athletes. These issues are presently relevant as Canada (and perhaps all of North America) finds itself in an era characterized by media accounts of competitive athletes' cavalier lifestyles, hazing rituals, violence, homophobia, drug addictions, and suicides. Scholars agree that these social issues can largely be attributed to problematic socialization through participation in hockey. This literature review uses secondary research to problematize masculinity in the ice hockey context by presenting the overarching claim that male hockey players embody hegemonic masculinity. The piece begins by defining R.W. Connell's (1987) concept of hegemonic masculinity and situating it in its current academic context. Next, it offers an overview of relevant literature on masculinity and sport along with a concise examination of scholarly work on the relationship between hegemonic masculinity and ice hockey in Canada. It concludes by summarising calls for further research in the field and by suggesting approaches to future studies.Keywords: athletes; hegemonic masculinity; hockey; sport Au Canada, le hockey sur place a une place toute particulière puisqu'il constitue un site de socialisation primaire pour les garçons et les hommes. Cette forme de socialisation soulève des questions sur la masculinité dans la perception générale, au regard de la nature problématique de l'hyper masculinité dans le sport, les stéréotypes d'athlètes et la responsabilité sociale des hommes et des athlètes. Ces questions sont d'actualité au Canada (et peut-être même dans le reste de l'Amérique du Nord) à une époque caractérisée par des images répandues de la vie insouciante des athlètes ainsi que des rituels d'initiation, de la violence, de l'homophobie, de la toxicomanie et du suicide. Une étude de la littérature se fonde sur des recherches secondaires pour cerner la problématique de la masculinité dans le contexte du hockey en présentant une hypothèse générale selon laquelle les joueurs de hockey masculins constituent des modèles de masculinité hégémonique. Le document présente d'abord la définition avancée par le sociologue australien R.W. Connell de la masculinité hégémonique (1987) avant de la situer dans un contexte académique contemporain. Ensuite, l'étude propose un survol de la littérature associée sur la masculinité et le sport, ainsi qu'un survol concis des études académiques sur le rapport entre la masculinité hégémonique et le hockey au Canada. La conclusion définit une synthèse des études à venir et propose des méthodes pour des études éventuelles sur le sujet.

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Ice hockey is particularly significant in Canada as it acts as a primary site of socialization for boys and men. This form of socialization raises questions about masculinity on the public agenda in terms of the problematic nature of hypermasculinity in sport, stereotypical images of athletes, and questions of social responsibility as both men and athletes. These issues are presently relevant as Canada (and perhaps all of North America) finds itself in an era characterized by accounts in mainstream media of competitive athletes’ cavalier lifestyles, hazing, violence, homophobia, drug addictions, and suicides. This review of literature uses secondary research to problematize masculinity in the ice hockey context by presenting the overarching claim that male hockey players are hegemonically masculine individuals. The piece begins by defining Australian sociologist R.W. Connell’s (1987) concept of hegemonic masculinity and situating it in the contemporary academic context. Next, it offers an overview of relevant literature on masculinity and sport along with a concise examination of scholarly work on the relationship between hegemonic masculinity and ice hockey in Canada. It concludes by summarising calls for further research in the literature and by suggesting approaches to future studies in the field.

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