Fans of hockey? Eskasoni 'breathes and lives' it

This story is part of a series from CBC's Eskasoni Community Bureau, based out of the Sarah Denny Cultural Centre. This series comes from weeks of conversations with community members about what they feel is important to see, hear and read on CBC's platforms.

Hockey flags can be found on cars, clothing and neighbourhood windows. And biting banter about last night's game swirls at a coffee shop in Eskasoni, N.S. 

"Eskasoni just breathes and lives it," said hockey coach Levi Denny, someone who has dedicated his life to improving the sport in his community.

Denny said NHL games are the talk of the town. During the Stanley Cup playoffs, old rivalries are reignited.

"It's an interesting time of year," Denny said. "You can be somebody's best friend, but you play against them. It's a bit of a hard time.

"There's always friendly wagers that are happening and intense fun conversations — and analyzing."

In recent years, the sport has taken off in Nova Scotia's largest Mi'kmaw community, which has roughly 5,000 people. 

At least 250 children are in minor hockey or after-school programs, and there are now five times the number of female players compared to just a few years ago. 

But just why the community is so passionate about the game is difficult to pinpoint.

Denny guesses it has something to do with the high-calibre players who've lived in the community. 

Among them is Roger Stevens.

The 75-year-old began playing hockey as a teenager on a frozen inlet near his home. Stevens helped grow the number of hockey teams in Eskasoni, and many refer to him as a Mi'kmaw hockey legend. 

"My family, they think of me as maybe Wayne Gretzky," he said. "And they follow me. They want to do what I do."

Back in 1960s and 70s, Stevens said a frozen