Reclaiming the Game (1998-2002)

As the millennium turns, the game that has come to be the soul of a nation is in need of some soul searching. Canada sets out to reclaim the game. The high cost of hockey combined with a reckless pressure to win has taken the fun out of the game. Ken Dryden chairs the Open Ice Summit, the first national hockey conference of its kind, to look for answers. Making the game fun again, taking violence out of hockey, and finding better ways to teach the game are all initiatives that come out of it - initiatives that lead to a renewal of the game at the grassroots level. At the same time, veteran players like Mario Lemieux and Hayley Wickenheiser prepare for their greatest challenge - winning gold for Canada at Salt Lake City. With a lucky loonie under the ice, Wickenheiser and Lemieux lead their teams to victory. Hockey has become Canada's gift to the world, and the 2002 Olympics usher in a new era of Canadian stewardship for the game Canadians call their own.

Wayne Gretzky devient la plus grande vedette du hockey moderne. Il abat toutes les marques de Richard, Howe et Lafleur. C'est l'époque des grandes rivalités canadienne : Edmonton vs Calgary et surtout Canadien vs Nordiques. Le hockey devient un spectacle avec l'arrivée de Don Cherry et de la télésérie "Lance et Compte". Les femmes doivent toujours se battre pour avoir le droit de jouer. La jeune Justine Blainey porte sa cause jusqu'à la Cour suprême du Canada et gagne. Wayne Gretzky est vendu aux Kings de Los Angeles. La LNH veut percer le marché de la télévision américaine.