Ice Hockey

Ice Hockey is a team sport that is extremely popular in North America. It is very similar to field hockey with the major difference being the fact that it is played on ice. The participants wear blades to be able to skate on the surface.

The aim of the game is to shoot a puck, which is a rubber disc, into the opposition's goal. These are six feet wide at each end of the pitch. Each time this is achieved, the team receives a point.

Teams can field six players at one time on the field. This includes five outfield players and one goaltender, whose job it is to protect their own side's goal the best they can.

The National Hockey League (NHL) is the highest-level league in the world. The most successful team since it was inaugurated in 1917 has been the Montreal Canadians with 25 titles.

Ice Hockey can be traced back all the way to the 17th century as there have been references made to a sport which involved players competing on ice using a stick and an object.

However, the modern sport originated in 1875. The first game took place in Montreal, Canada. It was inside the Victoria Skating Rink where McGill University students took part in a nine-a-side match up.

In 1910, the National Hockey Association was formed in Montreal. They refined some of the rules which still stand today, such as the length of each period of play, the introduction of minor and major penalties and the dropping of the rover position.

The professional era of ice hockey really got going when the NHL was set up in 1917. Boston Bruins were the first side from the United States to enter in 1924. Not long after, a number of other teams were created from the country and they also joined the competition.

The sport soon expanded to Europe where some of the top leagues today include the Czech Extraliga, the Finnish SM-liiga, Kontinteal Hockey League and Swedish Elitserien.
Internationally, the men's Ice Hockey World Championships takes place each year. It was first held in 1920 at the Summer Olympics where Canada won the gold medal by defeating the United States. The most successful country in history has been Russia, if you include the former Soviet Union, as together they have collected 26 gold medals. Canada are in second place with 24 and Czech Republic/Czechoslovakia in third with 12.

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