ice hockey

Ice hockey is a game between two teams who wear skates and compete on an ice rink. Each team usually has six players. The object is to propel the puck past a goal line and into a net guarded by a goaltender. Ice hockey is popular for its speed and frequent physical contact.

Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada, where it is the national winter sport and arguably the country’s most popular game. Hockey is also popular in the United States and in European countries such as Russia, Sweden, and Finland. More than a million registered athletes play regularly in leagues worldwide.

Ice hockey is an Olympic sport. The sport made its Olympic debut in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. Participating teams consisted mostly, if not completely, of amateur players. However, in 1995 an agreement between governing bodies and player associations allowed professional athletes to compete at the Olympics, and National Hockey League players participated in the Olympics from 1998 through 2014.

Research suggests that ice hockey is derived from a game played in Nova Scotia by the Mi’kmaq people. It included the use of a “hurley” (stick) and a square wooden block. It was probably fundamentally this game that spread throughout Canada via Scottish and Irish immigrants and the British army and evolved into an informal ice game later known as shinny or shinty.

Fighting is not condoned in hockey. Players who fight are given penalties and can be ejected from the game. Fighting can also lead to suspension. Although European and collegiate leagues are stricter than North American leagues when it comes to fighting, it still occurs, often to protect teammates.