It’s a hot and humid evening in the Philippines. A family is shopping in a mall in Manilla and walks past an ice rink, and they hear odd noises. They walk inside and there is a strange game being played. People are wearing blades on their feet and slapping a piece of rubber around with sticks. You’ve never seen this before but you’re curious, so you stay to watch for a bit. Then you notice it’s a group of Canadians playing against some of your fellow Filipinos. You find out the game is hockey, and that group of Filipinos is your Men’s National Hockey team. Now you’re hooked, and you want to see more.
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His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Montreal, which is in the region as part of Operation Horizon, arrived for a port visit in Manilla, and the crew of the Royal Canadian Navy vessel were asked to play an exhibition game against the Filipino Men’s National Team. As Canada and the Philippines continue to build up their diplomatic relationship, some may be asking, why is a hockey game in August holding the kind of importance to bring out the Ambassador to watch what is essentially a charity game?
The Filipino hosts have spent days sharing their cuisine and culture with their Canadian guests, and some from the host nation have fallen in love with Canada’s sport, hockey. This “Hockey Night in Manilla” is a great example of Puck Diplomacy in action. For Canadians, hockey is the universal cultural component. No matter your ethnic, religious or linguistic background, the sport of hockey is woven into the fabric of being Canadian. Sharing that sport with friends acts as a form of cross-cultural communication. One that had an impact on the grassroots hockey community in Manilla.
The Royal Canadian Navy Versus the Philippines
Right from the opening faceoff, it was clear both clubs wanted to prove something, for the Canadians, that they could compete, despite the setbacks. For the Philippines, they wanted to showcase their young hockey program to prove to themselves they could compete, but also to introduce new people to the sport. The Filipinos came out of the gate flying. It was as if they were trying to prove themselves against a team from Canada.
But the HMCS Montreal club had some impressive pushback. Considering the lack of available skaters and wearing borrowed equipment, the Canadian skaters generated some pressure in transition. But by the end of the opening frame, the shots on goal were dominated by the Filipino side, and the scoreboard reflected that as they left the first frame with a 2-0 lead. The second period saw the efforts of the Filipinos start to pay off. While the Canadians had moments of control, however, they were fleeting. It was this period that saw the Filipinos take control territorially. Over half of it was spent in the Canadian defensive zone. It also saw Canadian goaltender Logan MacEwan stop 23 of 26 shots.
There was a break between the second and third to flood the ice, and this seemed to have been what the Canadians needed to regroup. While this frame saw the Filipinos score two more goals, there was a significant pushback by Canada that saw them double their shot total to 31. The Canadian captain added 10 of these shots, but was unsuccessful at scoring as the Filipino defense used their speed to collapse into the slot and were able to force poor angle shots or block them altogether. While the Filipino captain, Manny Billones, led the way offensively and was the most dangerous player on the ice, the game’s MVP was without question the HMCS Montreal goaltender, MacEwan, who made highlight reel after highlight reel save. His glove saves made the local crowd gasp at the spectacle and cheer the outcome, even though they were staunch supporters of the home team.
The host nation had advertised the game for weeks prior to the arrival of HMCS Montreal to the port city of Manilla. They prepared the arena, in the Mall of Asia, to have displays, an area for locals to test their shooting and accuracy with a net and ball hockey balls. There were lines of young children, some wearing the Philippine national team sweater and some who had never seen the sport before. The members of the Women’s National hockey team were on hand to help tutor the young fans, and help explain the game to the new arrivals. The importance of this visit for the sport of hockey in this country cannot be understated.
“Having this game here, seeing the skaters, seeing the scene here will attract people, so that’s a good opportunity. Having the visiting Canadians is a big help. The hockey community here is kinda small and tight knit. So having them (HMCS Montreal) visit and have a game with us will help bring people in from outside our community and see what a real hockey game is like. Because usually we just do pick-up so it isn’t as exciting. But when outsiders see Canada is here to play us, it will make people want to come see. It is a good time.”
– Philippine Men’s National Hockey Team Captain Manny Billones
While it isn’t a “Team Canada” that hockey fans would ever expect, it is a team of Canadian military personnel, who all play the sport back home at varying levels and add to the competition. The best way to sell the sport is to have people see it live. Even with a group of professional sailors who play hockey at home for fun, it was clear to spectators that there is a significant level of skill involved in balancing on skates while also manipulating a puck while in motion. Fans were loud, they were energetic, and they sang and chanted throughout the game. Yet they saved their loudest yells for their team captain, Billones, whose speed and creative playmaking had them on the edge of their seats on every shift. The outcome of the game, which was a Filipino victory, was of minor importance when played against the backdrop of its political significance as Canada and the Philippines work towards a partnership in trade and culture.
