Louis Magnus

[jukka ruskeeahde]

Hello you all!

Since there are many threads here about hockey persons, I thought why not;

People would tell more details about Louis Magnus, thanks to whom for the most part ice hockey became international in the long run.

He arranged a meeting, where the League International de Hockey sur Glace (the modern International Ice Hockey Federation) got started.

He was a figure-skating man, admiring the skating skills of (Canadian) ice hockey players.

So, what else did he do?!

All the best
Jukka

[Bobby Orr]

Jukka,

Magnus had a reputation as a strict but fair individual. He stood up for his principles at all times, and had many heated arguments with other LIHG delegates over the years. Magnus was also noted as a good treasurer who always went by the book, not accepting late payments etc. As you mentioned, aside from hockey he was also involved in figure-skating, having been a five time French figure skating champion.

Magnus was a decent hockey player in the early years. Besides his commitment in hockey, he was also the editor in chief for the popular winter sports magazine, Les Sports d'Hiver. Magnus was a strong-willed individual who always did what he genuinly thought was best for the sport (hockey). Born in the land of reggae this little moustached man belongs to the legendary early builders of European ice hockey.

[jukka ruskeeahde]

Hello Bobby Orr!

Thank you a lot for enlightening a bit mr. Magnus!

It is interesting, that the French were so much for international sports in the turn of the 19th century: monsieur de Coubertin started the International Olympic Committee to organize the first modern Olympics in the Athens in 1896, Louis Magnus started to organize international ice hockey etc.

I hope our French friends can tell, why their countrymen went so international during this period of time...

All the best
Jukka

[Marc]

There is a saying : "Englishmen created sports, Frenchmen organized them" (Olympic Games, Football World Cup, Football European cups...).

Why ? Hard to say.
It could not be the English because they're insular and don't care so much about what happens next.
And France has always been keen to create organizations and tried to generate international imitation (Declaration of Human Rights...)