The Hockey Sweater

Roch Carrier's classic book, "The Hockey Sweater," described the emotional connection that a hockey sweater (particularly, for the wrong team) had on a young Quebecker. Receiving the Toronto Maple Leafs sweater was a disaster, especially considering the passion he had for the Rocket Richard and the ridicule he received from his fellow youngsters.

As can be expected, hockey sweaters here create none of the emotional reactions that are described in Carrier's work. They are, however, worn with some regularity and it has been one of my hobbies to count the number of teams that I see. So far I am up to 15 - half the NHL - and am still counting.

Anaheim and Los Angeles are by far the most represented. There are a lot of LA Kings backpacks floating around - there must have been a big shipment sometime of those. As for the jerseys, maybe they are from Canadian kids who realized how stupid the Anaheim fad was. Or perhaps they were bought my Californians who briefly gained interest in the game only to realize that they were Californian and should not care. The top Canadian teams are from the Original Six - Montreal and Toronto. I presume that this is simply because there is far more merchandise from them than anyone else floating around. Other teams that have been represented so far include: Phoenix (it looked like a brand new jersey), Minnesota, Ottawa, New York Rangers, Boston, and many more. I also saw Oilers and Flames gear but it was being sold in a market and was not being worn so I haven't counted that in my list.

The other sports are represented as well, but my level of caring is not nearly as high. Basketball, baseball, and NFL gear are all worn with frequency. The CFL, so far, has been no where to be seen. For one there is less merchandise from it and, maybe, those who have it are less likely to give it up.

All these sports shirts and a wide variety of other clothing are a result of the booming used clothes trade. This trade, which almost wiped out Zambia's indigenous textile industry, can be seen everywhere and there are large markets dedicated solely to it. As a result, it is not uncommon to see shirts from Canada, whether for Brampton Minor Soccer, or the Alzheimer's Walk in Vancouver, or for the University of Manitoba. A little piece of home, right here in Zambia.