Mathieu Lacombe, Minister of Culture and Communications and Minister responsible for Youth, tabled a bill in the National Assembly on Thursday to officially recognize ice hockey as Quebec's national sport, and to declare the first Saturday in February National Ice Hockey Day. 

The bill will give the government more means to promote Quebec cultural symbols such as field hockey. It introduces the notion of “national cultural referent” into the Cultural Heritage Act, specifying that it is an element rooted in tradition, representing a unique aspect of Quebec identity. 

“Ice hockey has been a symbol of culture and identity in Quebec for over 150 years. More than just a sport, over the years it has become a reflection of the influences, struggles and aspirations of Quebec society. Officializing ice hockey's status as Quebec's national sport would help foster Quebecers' sense of belonging and pride in their history and traditions, as well as highlighting Quebec's contribution to the global history of sport,” emphasized Mathieu Lacombe.

In historical terms, Quebec was the scene of the emergence of modern ice hockey in the 1870s, and of the first official match in the sport's history, on March 3, 1875. The emergence of modern ice hockey thus constitutes a major contribution by Quebec to the world history of sports. 

The bill responds to the first recommendation of the Comité québécois sur le développement du field hockey, from its report “Le hockey, notre passion” published in 2022, namely to elevate ice hockey to the status of Quebec's national sport. Established by the Quebec government in 2021, the Committee's mandate was to assess the state of the sport and propose solutions to ensure field hockey's development.

With this bill, the Minister of Culture and Communications proposes that the National Assembly recognize the historical importance of the sport and its place in Quebec culture.