Not only hockey: This is Canada’s other national sport
Here’s everything you need to know about lacrosse, Canada’s other national sport.
While one may think of ice hockey when discussing Canada’s national identity in sport, the truth is that lacrosse is also deeply intertwined the history of the country.
While it may sound strange, Lacrosse is actually Canada’s oldest organised sport, with its origins tracing back over 500 years to Indigenous communities. But don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, we’re going to go through the game step by step.
Known as “The Creator’s Game,” it was originally played to honour elders, settle disputes, and celebrate community life. The game evolved into a formalised sport in the 19th century, with the Montreal Lacrosse Club forming the National Lacrosse Association in 1867, marking the first national sport governing body on the North American continent.
Despite being played consistently for so long, it took until 1994 for the Canadian Parliament to pass the National Sports of Canada Act, a piece of legislature that officially designating lacrosse as the national summer sport and ice hockey as the national winter sport.
Walker-Welch➡️Shanahan pic.twitter.com/nVcECEKUKm
— Team Canada Lacrosse (@CanadaLacrosse) October 10, 2025
Lacrosse is played in two main forms: field lacrosse and box lacrosse. Field lacrosse is an outdoor game with 10 players per team, while box lacrosse is an indoor version with 6 players per team. Both versions are popular across Canada, with the National Lacrosse League (NLL) serving as the top professional league.
The rules of lacrosse differ between the men’s and women’s games: in men’s field lacrosse, each team consists of 10 players, including three attackers, three midfielders, three defenders, and one goalie.
In women’s field lacrosse, teams have 12 players, with no body checking allowed. The duration of the game also differs between the genders: men play four 15-minute quarters, while women play two 30-minute halves.
At the Canadian Museum of History, there are many amazing artifacts from Canada's past. These include a lacrosse stick from the Six Nations of the Grand River in Ontario, a curling rock from the mid-1800s and a cricket bat. Background image is the Kahnawake Lacrosse Club in 1867. pic.twitter.com/X0H0lLyFzo
— Craig Baird - Canadian History Ehx (@CraigBaird) September 5, 2025
While ice hockey often garners more media attention, especially during the winter months, mainly because of the hilariously entertaining highlight reels involving fights on ice, lacrosse remains a vital part of Canada’s sporting makeup.
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