The Hockey Sweater

The Hockey Sweater

"The Hockey Sweater" ("Le chandail de hockey" in the original French; originally published as "Une abominable feuille d'érable sur la glace" ) is a short story published in 1979 by Canadian author Roch Carrier.

Though a relatively recent story, it has become a very well known work of literature in Canada. It was made into a National Film Board of Canada (NFB) animated short in 1980, known as The Sweater, or Le Chandail. The short is often shown, in both French and English, to elementary school students, making it very well known amongst Canadian youth.

The story is widely considered an allegory for the linguistic and cultural tensions between anglophone and francophone Canadians, and an essential classic of Canadian literature. An excerpt from the story is now featured in both official languages of Canada on the reverse of the current Canadian five-dollar bill.

The Hockey Sweater was published by May Cutler, who also founded Tundra Books.