Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey in Canada, Russia, Sweden and the United States, is a team sport played on ice. A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which opened in 1862 Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Ice is a Solid phase, usually crystalline, of a Non-metalic substance that is liquid or gas at Room temperature, such as Ammonia It is a speedy and physical sport. Ice hockey is most popular in areas that are sufficiently cold for natural, reliable seasonal ice cover, though with the advent of indoor artificial ice rinks it has become a year-round pastime at the amateur level in major metropolitan areas such as cities that host a National Hockey League (NHL) or other professional-league team. An Ice rink is a frozen body of Water where people can Ice skate or play winter sports The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America It is one of the four major North American professional sports, and is represented by the National Hockey League (NHL) at the highest level, and the National Women's Hockey League (NWHL), the highest level of women's ice hockey in the world. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The National Women's Hockey League (Ligue Nationale de Hockey Féminin was a women's Ice hockey league established in 1999. It is the official national winter sport of Canada, where the game enjoys immense popularity. A national sport is a Sport or Game that is considered to be a intrinsic part of the culture of a Nation. Only six of the thirty NHL franchises are based in Canada, but Canadian players outnumber Americans in the league.

While there are 64 total members of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States have finished in most of the coveted 1st, 2nd and 3rd places at IIHF World Championships. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. Of the 63 medals awarded in men's competition at the Olympic level from 1920 on, only six did not go to the one of those countries, or a former entity thereof, such as Czechoslovakia or the Soviet Union. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Only one of those six medals was above bronze. ^[1] Those seven nations have also captured 162 of 177 medals awarded at 59 non-Olympic IIHF World Championships, and all medals since 1954. The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. ^[2] Likewise, all nine Olympic and 27 IIHF World Women Championships medals have gone to one of those seven countries. The IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship is the premier international tournament in Women's ice hockey. ^[3][4] Also deserving of mention is Switzerland, which has won two men's bronze medals at the Olympics and finished third at least seven times at the World Championships. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Switzerland also maintains one of the oldest and top-rated ice hockey leagues (the Swiss National League A) outside of the NHL. National League A ( NLA) (Ligue Nationale A (LNA Lega Nazionale A is a professional Ice hockey league in Switzerland. ^[5]

History

Dutch burghers playing a game that looks much like ice hockey.

Games between teams hitting an object with curved sticks have been played throughout history; 4000 year-old drawings at the huge tombs in Egypt depict a sport resembling field hockey. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick ^[6] The 1366 Statutes of Kilkenny in Ireland mentions "the plays which men call horlings, with great sticks and a ball upon the ground, from which great evils and maims have arisen", which was forbidden so that men would be fit and able to defend the land. The Statutes of Kilkenny were a series of thirty-five acts passed at Kilkenny in 1366, aimed at curbing the decline of the Hiberno-Norman Lordship Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world ^[7] The 1527 Galway Statutes, also in Ireland, made reference to "the horlinge of the litill balle with hockie stickes or staves. "^[8] The etymology of the word hockey is uncertain. Etymology is the study of the History of Words &mdash when they entered a language from what source and how their form and meaning have changed over time It may derive from the Old French word hoquet, shepherd's crook, or from the Middle Dutch word hokkie, meaning shack or doghouse, which in popular use meant goal. Old French was the Romance Dialect continuum spoken in territories which span roughly the northern half of modern France and parts of modern Belgium A shepherd is a person who tends to feeds or guards Sheep, especially in flocks Middle Dutch is a collective name for a number of closely related West Germanic dialects (whose ancestor was Old Dutch) which were spoken and written between 1150 A shack is a type of small House that is in disrepair The word may derive from the Nahuatl (Aztec word xacalli or "adobe house" by way of A doghouse, known in British English as a kennel, is a small Shed commonly built in the shape of a little House intended for a dog A goal in Ice hockey provides a team with one point A goal is scored when a puck completely crosses the goal line within the goal frame Method of scoring Many of these games were developed for fields, though where conditions allowed they were also played on ice. Seventeenth century Dutch paintings show townsfolk playing a hockey-like game on a frozen canal. Dutch culture or culture of the Netherlands is diverse reflecting regional differences as well as the foreign influences thanks to the merchant and exploring spirit Canals are artificial channels for water There are two types of canals water conveyance canals which are used for the conveyance and delivery of water and Waterways

European immigrants brought various versions of hockey-like games to North America, such as the Irish sport of hurling, the closely-related Scottish sport of shinty, and versions of field hockey played in England. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world Hurling (in Irish, iománaíocht or iomáint) is an outdoor team Sport of ancient Gaelic origin administered by the Gaelic Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. Shinty (derived from the Scottish Gaelic sinteag although it is referred to as camanachd or iomain in modern Gaelic is a Team sport Where necessary these seem to have been adapted for icy conditions; for example, a colonial Williamsburg newspaper records hockey being played in a snow storm in Virginia. Williamsburg is a city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads region in southeastern Virginia A winter storm is an event in which the dominant varieties of precipitation are forms that only occur at cold Temperatures such as Snow or Early paintings show "shinney", an early form of hockey with no standard rules, being played in Nova Scotia. Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Author Thomas Chandler Haliburton wrote in a book of fiction, about boys from King's College School in Windsor, Nova Scotia, playing "hurley on the ice" when he was a student there around 1800 (Haliburton was born in 1796). Thomas Chandler Haliburton ( December 17, 1796 &ndash August 27, 1865) was one of the first major Canadian authors Windsor is a small town located in central Nova Scotia at the junction of the Avon and St Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's ^[9] To this day, "Shinny" (derived from Shinty) is a popular Canadian term for an informal type of hockey, either on ice or as street hockey. Shinny (or shinney is an informal type of hockey played on ice or the street Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Street hockey ( also known as Road hockey deck hockey ground hockey or ball hockey) is a type of Hockey played with or without skates These early games may have also absorbed the physically aggressive aspects of what the Mi'kmaq Aboriginal First Nation in Nova Scotia called dehuntshigwa'es (lacrosse). The Míkmaq or Mi'kmaq (miːgmax sometimes spelled Micmac in English and formerly Mìgmaq ( Mi'gmaq) in Míkmaw) are a Aboriginal people in Canada, also known as Canadian aboriginal citizens, are people who belong to recognized indigenous groups in the Canadian Constitution Act First Nations is a term of Ethnicity that refers to the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis people Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Lacrosse is a full contact Team sport played using a solid rubber ball and long handled racket called a crosse or Lacrosse stick.

Ye Gude Olde Days, from Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game, 1899.

In 1825 Sir John Franklin wrote that "The game of hockey played on the ice was the morning sport" while on Great Bear Lake during one of his Arctic expeditions. Sir John Franklin, FRGS ( April 16, 1786 &ndash June 11, 1847) was a British Royal Navy officer and Great Bear Lake ( Slavey: Sahtú, French: Grand lac de l'Ours) is the largest Lake entirely within Canada ( The Arctic is the Region around the Earth 's North Pole, opposite the Antarctic region around the South Pole. In 1843 a British Army officer in Kingston, Ontario, wrote "Began to skate this year, improved quickly and had great fun at hockey on the ice. Kingston Ontario is a Canadian city located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake runs into the St Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec "^[10] A Boston Evening Gazette article from 1859 makes reference to an early game of hockey on ice occurring in Halifax in that year.

The first recorded hockey games were played by British soldiers stationed in Kingston and Halifax during the mid 1850s. In the early 1870s, the first known set of ice hockey rules were drawn up by students at Montreal's McGill University. These rules established the number of players per side to 9 and replaced the ball with a square puck. ^[10]

Based on Haliburton's writings, there have been claims that modern ice hockey originated in Windsor, Nova Scotia, and was named after an individual, as in 'Colonel Hockey's game'. ^[11] Proponents of this theory claim that the surname Hockey exists in the district surrounding Windsor. In 1943, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association declared Kingston the birthplace of hockey, based on a recorded 1886 game played between students of Queen's University and the Royal Military College of Canada. Queen's University, generally referred to simply as Queen's, is a coeducational non-sectarian Public university located in Kingston, Ontario The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC is the Military academy of the Canadian Forces, and is a degree-granting University.

The Society for International Hockey Research has had an "origins of hockey" committee studying this debate since 2001 and they defined hockey as: "a game played on an ice rink in which two opposing teams of skaters, using curved sticks, try to drive a small disc, ball or block into or through the opposite goals. The Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR a network of writers statisticians collectors broadcasters academics and hockey buffs was formed in 1991 "

The committee found evidence of stick and ball games played on ice on skates in Europe in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries, and viewed these activities as being more indicative of a hockey-like game than Haliburton’s reference.

They found no evidence in the Windsor position of a connection from whatever form of hockey might have been played at Long Pond to the game played elsewhere and to modern hockey. The committee viewed as conjecture the assertion that King’s schoolboys introduced the game to Halifax. They noted that the assertion that hockey was not played outside Nova Scotia until 1865 overlooks diary evidence of shinny and hockey being played at Kingston in the 1840s.

The committee concluded that Dr. Vaughan and the Windsor Hockey Heritage Society had not offered credible evidence that Windsor, Nova Scotia, is the birthplace of hockey.

The committee offered no opinion on the birth date or birthplace of hockey, but took note of a game at Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink on March 3, 1875. The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which opened in 1862 Events 1284 - Statute of Rhuddlan incorporated the Principality of Wales into England 1575 - Indian Year 1875 ( MDCCCLXXV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This is the earliest eyewitness account known to the committee of a specific game of hockey in a specific place at a specific time, and with a recorded score, between two identified teams.

According to the Society for International Hockey Research, the word puck is derived from the Scottish and Gaelic word "puc" or the Irish word "poc", meaning to poke, punch or deliver a blow. This definition is explained in a book published in 1910 entitled "English as we Speak it in Ireland" by P. W. Joyce. It defines the word puck as "… The blow given by a hurler to the ball with his caman or hurley is always called a puck".

Foundation of modern hockey

Ice hockey at McGill University, Montreal, 1901.

The foundation of the modern game centres on Montreal. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec On March 3, 1875 the first organized indoor game was played at Montreal's Victoria Skating Rink by James George Aylwin Creighton and several McGill University students. The Victoria Skating Rink was an indoor skating rink located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, which opened in 1862 James George Aylwin Creighton ( June 12, 1850 &ndash June 27, 1930) was a Canadian lawyer engineer journalist and athlete In 1877, several McGill students, including Creighton, Henry Joseph, Richard F. Smith, W. F. Robertson, and W. L. Murray codified seven ice hockey rules. The first ice hockey club, McGill University Hockey Club, was founded in 1877^[12] followed by the Montreal Victorias, organized in 1881. The Victoria Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was an early men's amateur Ice hockey team first organized in 1881 making it the ^[13] The game became so popular that the first "world championship" of ice hockey was featured in Montreal's annual Winter Carnival in 1883 and the McGill team captured the "Carnival Cup". ^[14] In 1886, the teams which competed at the Winter Carnival would organize the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada(AHAC) league. The Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC was an amateur men's Ice hockey league founded in 1886 in existence until 1898

In Europe, it is believed that in 1885 the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club was formed to play the first Ice Hockey Varsity Match against traditional rival Cambridge in St. Oxford University Ice Hockey Club, sometimes known as Oxford Blues, is one of the world's oldest Ice hockey teams The Ice Hockey Varsity Match is a longstanding competition between the Cambridge and Oxford University Ice Hockey Clubs Tradition places the origin of the match Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club is one of the oldest Ice hockey teams in the world Moritz, Switzerland, although this is undocumented. This match was won by the Oxford Dark Blues, 6-0. ^[15][16] The first photographs and team lists date from 1895. ^[17] This continues to be the oldest hockey rivalry in history.

The original Stanley Cup, in the Hockey Hall of Fame vault. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The Hockey Hall of Fame ( Temple de la renommée du hockey in French) is located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

In 1888, the new Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, whose sons and daughter became hockey enthusiasts, attended the Montreal Winter Carnival tournament and was impressed with the hockey spectacle. The Governor General of Canada ( French: Gouverneure générale du Canada, or: Gouverneur général du Canada) is the vice-regal representative Frederick Arthur Stanley 16th Earl of Derby, KG, GCB, GCVO, PC ( 15 January 1841 – 14 June 1908 In 1892, recognizing that there was no recognition for the best team in all of Canada, (various leagues had championship trophies) he purchased a decorative bowl for use as a trophy. The Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup, which later became more famously known as the Stanley Cup, was first awarded in 1893 to the Montreal HC, champions of the AHAC. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion The 1893 Amateur Hockey Association of Canada season lasted from January 7 until March 17 The Montreal Hockey Club of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was a senior-level men's amateur Ice hockey club organized in 1884 It continues to be awarded today to the National Hockey League's championship team. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America ^[18]

By 1893, there were almost a hundred teams in Montreal alone, and leagues throughout Canada. Winnipeg hockey players had incorporated cricket pads to better protect the goaltender's legs. Winnipeg (ˈwɪnɨpɛg is the capital and largest city in the Canadian province of Manitoba, and 7th largest municipality in Canada with a population Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. They also introduced the "scoop" shot, later known as the wrist shot.

Ottawa Hockey Club "Silver Seven", the Champion of the Stanley Cup in 1905

1893 also saw the first ice hockey matches in the U. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion S. , at Yale University and Johns Hopkins University. ^[19] The U. S. Amateur Hockey League was founded in New York City in 1896, and the first professional team, the Portage Lakers was formed in 1903 in Houghton, Michigan (although there had been individual professionals in Canada before this). The City of New York Houghton is a City in the US state of Michigan 's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper

The five sons of Lord Stanley were instrumental in bringing ice hockey to Europe, beating a court team (which included both the future Edward VII and George V) at Buckingham Palace in 1895. Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. By 1903 a five-team league had been founded. The Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace was founded in 1908 to govern international competitions, and the first European championships were won by Great Britain in 1910. In the mid-20th century, the Ligue became the International Ice Hockey Federation. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice ^[20]

The professional era

Ice hockey in Europe; Oxford University vs. Switzerland, 1922. Future Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson is at right front.

Main article: Professional ice hockey

Professional ice hockey has existed since before World War I. Professional ice hockey has existed since after World War I. From the first professional Ice hockey league based out of Michigan in the United States World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All From the first professional ice hockey league based out of Houghton, Michigan in the United States, it quickly grew into Canada and in many other countries, including Switzerland, Ukraine, Great Britain and Austria. Houghton is a City in the US state of Michigan 's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation Ukraine (Україна Ukrayina, /ukrɑˈjinɑ/ is a country in Eastern Europe. See also Kingdom of Great Britain Great Britain (Breatainn Mhòr Prydain Fawr Breten Veur Graet Breetain is the larger of the two main islands Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich

Equipment

Main article: Ice hockey equipment

Since hockey is a full contact sport and body checks are allowed, ice hockey tends to be a very dangerous game and people tend to get injured a lot . In Ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection Protective equipment is highly recommended and is enforced in all competitive situations. This usually includes a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts, a 'jock' athletic protector, shin pads, chest protector, and a neck guard.

Game

While the general characteristics of the game are the same wherever it is played, the exact rules depend on the particular code of play being used. The majority of Ice hockey around the world is played under the umbrella of three organizations Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, and the International Ice Hockey Federation The two most important codes are those of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF)^[21] and of the North American National Hockey League (NHL). The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America ^[22]

Typical layout of an ice hockey rink surface

Ice hockey is played on a hockey rink. During normal play, there are six players per side on the ice at any time, each of whom is on ice skates. Ice skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom used to propel oneself across a sheet of ice There are five players and one goaltender per side. This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. The objective of the game is to score goals by shooting a hard vulcanized rubber disc, the puck, into the opponent's goal net, which is placed at the opposite end of the rink. A goal in Ice hockey provides a team with one point A goal is scored when a puck completely crosses the goal line within the goal frame Method of scoring Vulcanization (or Vulcanisation refers to a specific curing process of Rubber involving high heat and the addition of Sulfur or other equivalent curatives A puck is a disk used in various types of games serving the same functions as a ball in ball games The players may control the puck using a long stick with a blade that is commonly curved at one end. A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in Field hockey, Ice hockey, or Roller hockey to move the ball or puck

A player is said to shoot left if he holds his stick with the left hand on the bottom and the right hand on top, and is said to be right shot if he holds the stick with the right hand at the bottom and left hand on top. Most right-handed players (that is, in general, players who write, eat, and throw with their right hand) shoot left and most left-handed players shoot right. Someone who is right-handed will prefer to use this hand for everyday activities such as writing, maintaining personal hygiene, Cooking and so forth This is because the bottom hand delivers most of the power while the top hand is responsible for control and stickhandling. Having the dominant hand at the top of the stick allows the player to have greater control and reach when wielding the stick one-handed, although many players prefer to shoot with their dominant hand. Goalies usually hold their stick with their dominant hand on top and their less-dominant hand is used for catching and is placed on the stick below the other hand only when stickhandling the puck.

Players may also redirect the puck with any part of their bodies, subject to certain restrictions. Players can angle their feet so the puck can redirect into the net, but there can be no kicking motion. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands.

Hockey is an "offside" game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before the 1930s hockey was an onside game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. The period of the onside game was the golden age of stick-handling, which was of prime importance in moving the game forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a truly team sport, where individual heroics diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players. ^[23]

The five players other than the goaltender are typically divided into three forwards and two defencemen. The forward positions consist of a centre and two wingers: a left wing and a right wing. A Forward is a hockey player position on the Ice whose responsibility is primarily offensive. Centre ( center in the USA) in Ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area Forwards often play together as units or lines, with the same three forwards always playing together. The defencemen usually stay together as a pair, but may change less frequently than the forwards. Defence ( defense in the USA in Ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. A substitution of an entire unit at once is called a line change. Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when shorthanded or on a power play. Shorthanded is a term used in Ice hockey and refers to having fewer skaters on the ice during play as a result of a penalty. Powerplay is a sporting term used in various games In Ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving Substitutions are permitted at any time during the course of the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it is called changing on the fly. A new NHL rule added in the 2005-2006 season prevents a team from changing their line after they ice the puck. Icing in Ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last

The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not cause a stoppage of the game when the puck or players are influenced (by either bouncing or colliding) into them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. When play is stopped, it is restarted with a faceoff. A faceoff is the method used to begin play in Ice hockey. The two teams line up in opposition to each other and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the Two players "face" each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck.

There are three major rules of play in ice hockey that limit the movement of the puck: offsides, icing, and the puck going out of play. In Ice hockey, play is said to be offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone whether it Icing in Ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last The puck goes "out of play" when ever it goes past the perimeter of the ice rink (onto the player benches, over the "glass", or onto the protective netting above the glass) and a stoppage of play should be called by the officials. It also does not matter if the puck comes back onto to the ice surface from those areas as the puck is considered dead once it leaves the perimeter of the rink.

Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18 plus two goaltenders.

Penalties

Main article: Penalty (ice hockey)

Altercations often occur near the goal after a stoppage of play, since defensive players are extremely concerned with protecting their goaltender. For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. All rulebooks call for penalties if an offensive player interferes with a goaltender's ability to defend the goal.

For most penalties, the offending player is sent to the penalty box and his team has to play without him and with one less skater for a short amount of time. The penalty box (sometimes called the sin bin, bad box, or bin) is the area in Ice hockey, Rugby football and some other sports Most penalties last for two minutes unless a major penalty has been assessed. The team that has taken the penalty is said to be playing shorthanded while the other team is on the power play. Shorthanded is a term used in Ice hockey and refers to having fewer skaters on the ice during play as a result of a penalty.

A two-minute minor penalty is often called for lesser infractions such as tripping, elbowing, roughing, high-sticking, too many players on the ice, illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, interference, delay of game, hooking, or cross-checking. In the 2005-06 NHL season, a minor is also assessed for diving, where a player embellishes a hook or trip. More egregious fouls of this type may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those which (inadvertently) cause injury to the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or the other team scores on the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score (effectively expiring the first minor). Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on a goal scored by the other team. The foul of 'boarding', defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards" by the NHL Rulebook is penalized either by a minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violence of the hit. A minor or major penalty for "Boarding" is also often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards.

Some varieties of penalties do not always require the offending team to play a man short. Five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, they both serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In that case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one expires before the other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder); this applies regardless of current pending penalties, though in the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Ten-minute misconduct penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice unless a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with the misconduct (a two-and-ten or five-and-ten). In that case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, game misconducts are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at the officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if a minor or major is assessed in addition, a designated player must serve out that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten").

A player who is tripped, or illegally obstructed in some way, by an opponent on a breakaway – when there are no defenders except the goaltender between him and the opponent's goal – is awarded a penalty shot, an attempt to score without opposition from any defenders except the goaltender. A breakaway is a situation in Ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players except for the Goaltender, between himself and the opposing In Ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering the puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway in order to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts a shot or pass play.

An ice hockey referee is responsible for assessing most penalties during a game.

Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game).

A new penalty in the NHL applies to the goalies. The goalies now are unable to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. The area immediately behind the net is the only area behind the net in which the goalie can play the puck.

An additional rule that is not a penalty in the new NHL is the two line offside passes. There are no more two-line offside pass whistles blown. Now players are able to pass to teammates who are more than the blue and centre ice red line away.

The NHL has taken steps to speed the game of hockey up and create a game of finesse, by retreating from the past where illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" among players was commonplace. Rules are now much more strictly enforced resulting in more infractions being penalized which in turn provides more protection to the players and allows for more goals to be scored.

There are many infractions for which a player may be assessed a penalty. For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior The governing body for United States amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce the number stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("Zero Tolerance").

In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called body checking. Checking in Ice hockey is the act of physically keeping an opposing player in check. Not all physical contact is legal — in particular, hits from behind and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal.

Fights

Main article: Fighting in ice hockey

Officials

Main article: Official (ice hockey)

A typical game of ice hockey has two to four officials on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of the game. Fighting is an established aspect of Ice hockey in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game There are typically two linesmen who are responsible only for calling offside and icing violations, and one or two referees, who call goals and all other penalties. Icing in Ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last Linesmen can, however, report to the referee(s) that a penalty more severe than a two-minute minor penalty should be assessed against an offending player, or when a too many men on the ice infraction occurs. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers.

The most wide-spread system in use today is the 3-man system, that features one referee and two linesmen. With the first being the National Hockey League, a number of leagues have started to implement the 4-official system, where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one single referee. The system has proven quite successful in the NHL and the IIHF have adopted it for the World Championships, slightly discussed during the 2008 World Championships in Quebec City and Halifax, Canada. Many other leagues are adopting the system for the next season, which only downside at the moment is the increased cost for the leagues.

Officials are selected by the league for which they work. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies Hockey Canada and USA Hockey approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada, formally known as the Canadian Hockey Association, is the national governing body of Ice hockey in Canada and is a member of the International USA Hockey is recognized by the International Olympic Committee and the United States Olympic Committee as the governing body for Amateur ice hockey Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI. USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4.

Tactics

Winning the faceoff can be the key to some strategies. A faceoff is the method used to begin play in Ice hockey. The two teams line up in opposition to each other and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the A game between Saginaw and Plymouth's Ontario Hockey League teams. Plymouth is a city in Wayne County of the US state of Michigan.

An important defensive tactic is checking – attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Checking in Ice hockey is the act of physically keeping an opposing player in check. Forechecking is checking in the other team's zone; backchecking is checking while the other team is advancing down the ice toward one's own goal. These terms usually are applied to checking by forwards. Stick checking, sweep checking, and poke checking are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. Body checking is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (within a short period of time after possession; usually less than three seconds). Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game.

Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. NHL rules instated for the 2006 season redefined icing to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player in front of the opponents' blue line. Icing in Ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last In Ice hockey, play is said to be offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone whether it In fact, an errant pass that would normally result in an icing call is negated if the player for whom the pass was intended gains possession of the puck before it crosses the opponents' goal line; thus a "three-line pass" can be attempted with a fast forward as long as an offsides is not committed. In Ice hockey, play is said to be offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone whether it Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to shoot the puck. A shot in Ice hockey is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick in the direction of the net

Peter Bondra of the Atlanta Thrashers shoots the puck and scores behind Roberto Luongo of the Florida Panthers

A deflection is a shot which redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. Peter Bondra (Born February 7, 1968, in Lutsk, Ukraine, USSR) is a former Slovak professional Ice hockey The Atlanta Thrashers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Atlanta Georgia. A shot in Ice hockey is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick in the direction of the net Roberto Luongo (born April 4 1979 is a Canadian professional Ice hockey Goaltender and team captain of the Vancouver Canucks The Florida Panthers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Sunrise Florida, a suburb of Ft A one-timer is a shot which is struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. A deke (short for decoy) is a feint with the body and/or stick to fool a defender or the goalie. Headmanning the puck, also known as cherry-picking or breaking out, is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down the ice.

A team that is losing by one or two goals in the last few minutes of play will often elect to pull the goalie; that is, removing the goaltender and replacing him or her with an extra attacker on the ice in the hope of gaining enough advantage to score a goal. An extra attacker in Ice hockey is a forward or less commonly a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the Goaltender. However, it is an act of desperation, as it sometimes leads to the opposing team extending their lead by scoring a goal in the empty net.

A delayed penalty call occurs when a penalty offense is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, the puck is shot, stopped and controlled by the opposing goalie, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because the team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal, however, it is possible for controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. In these cases the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. If a delayed penalty is signaled and the team in possession scores, the penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served.

Although it is officially prohibited in the rules, at the professional level in North America fights are sometimes used to affect morale of the teams, with aggressors hoping to demoralize the opposing players while exciting their own, as well as settling personal scores. Fighting is an established aspect of Ice hockey in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including Both players in an altercation receive five-minute major penalties for fighting. The player deemed to be the "instigator" of an NHL fight, if one is determined to exist, is penalized an additional two minutes for instigating, plus a ten-minute misconduct penalty. If there is no instigator, both players stay in the penalty box for five minutes, and neither team loses skaters. They point to less extreme on-ice violence during the era before the rule was introduced. Toronto Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe famously observed that "If you can't beat 'em in the alley you can't beat 'em on the ice. "Leafs" and "Maple Leafs" redirect here For the former American Hockey League team see St Constantine Falkland Cary Smythe MC (1 February 1895 – 18 November 1980 was a Canadian builder in the National Hockey League. "^[24]

A fight during the game between the Ottawa Senators and the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Ottawa Senators (Les Sénateurs d'Ottawa are a professional Ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa Florida. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion

The Neutral zone trap:
The trap is designed to isolate the puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. In youth hockey development of the neutral zone trap often begins with the left wing lock. In this tactic the left wing plays in the normal position of the left defence men while in the offensive zone. The left defenceman then moves to the centre. The centre and right wing chase the puck. When the opposing team gains control of the puck, the defencemen and the left wing pull out and set a two man trap along the boards. The left or right wing available, backs up the trap while the centre and right wing pursuit and try to get in front of the play further blocking the offensive attack.

Periods and overtime

A game consists of three periods of twenty minutes each, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends for the second period, again for the third period, and again at the start of each overtime played. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play.

Various procedures are used if a game is tied. In tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime, in which the teams continue to play 20 minute periods until a goal is scored. Overtime, in Ice hockey, is a method of determining the winner and loser of ice hockey matches should a game be tied after regulation Up until the 1999-2000 season regular season NHL games were settled with a single 5 minute sudden death period with 5 players (plus a goalie) per side, with the winner awarded 2 points in the standings and the loser 0 points. In the event of a tie (if the OT was scoreless), each team was awarded 1 point. From 1999-2000 until 2003-04 the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden death overtime period with each team having 4 players (plus a goalie) per side to "open-up" the game. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America In the event of a tie, each team would still receive 1 point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded 2 points in the standings and the losing team 1 point. The only exception to this rule is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an 'Empty Net' goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period followed by a penalty shootout. Overtime, in Ice hockey, is a method of determining the winner and loser of ice hockey matches should a game be tied after regulation If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. In Ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to a sudden death format. Regardless of the number of goals scored during the shootout by either team, the final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided by a shootout the winning team is awarded 2 points in the standings and the losing team is awarded 1. Ties no longer occur in the NHL. The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America

Women's ice hockey

Women playing hockey at Rideau Hall circa 1890 (earliest known image of women's hockey)

History of women's ice hockey

Lord Stanley of Preston's daughter, Lady Isobel Stanley, was a pioneer in the women's game and is one of the first females to be photographed using puck and stick (around 1890) on the natural ice rink at Rideau Hall in Ottawa. Rideau Hall is since 1867, the Official residence of the Governor General of Canada, and of the monarch of Canada when in Ottawa. Isobel Stanley (born 1875 was the daughter of former Governor General of Canada Lord Stanley of Preston. Rideau Hall is since 1867, the Official residence of the Governor General of Canada, and of the monarch of Canada when in Ottawa. By the early 1900s, women's teams were common throughout most of the Canadian provinces, the long skirts they were still required to wear giving them a goal-tending advantage. On March 8, 1899, the first account appeared in the Ottawa Evening Journal newspaper of a game played between two women's teams of four per side at the Rideau Skating Rink in Ottawa. Events 1618 - Johannes Kepler discovers the third law of planetary motion. Year 1899 ( MDCCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Ottawa Journal was a daily Broadsheet newspaper published in Ottawa, Ontario from 1885 to 1980 The Rideau Skating Rink was an indoor skating Rink located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. ^[25] On February 11, 1891, one of the earliest newspaper accounts of a seven-a-side game between women appeared in the Ottawa Citizen. Events 660 BC - Traditional founding date of Japan by Emperor Jimmu. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Ottawa Citizen is an English -language daily newspaper owned by CanWest Global in Ottawa, Canada. ^[26] McGill University's women's hockey team debuted in 1894. ^[27]

Women's ice hockey today

Ice hockey is one of the fastest growing women's sports in the world, with the number of participants increasing 400 percent in the last 10 years. ^[28] While there are not as many organized leagues for women as there are for men, there exist leagues of all levels, including the National Women's Hockey League, Western Women's Hockey League, and various European leagues; as well as university teams, national and Olympic teams, and recreational teams. The National Women's Hockey League (Ligue Nationale de Hockey Féminin was a women's Ice hockey league established in 1999. The Western Women's Hockey League (WWHL is one of two women's hockey leagues in Canada. The Olympic Games is an international Multi-sport event established for both summer and winter games Recreation or fun is the expenditure of time in a manner designed for therapeutic refreshment of one's Body or Mind. There have been nine IIHF World Women Championships. The IIHF Women's World Hockey Championship is the premier international tournament in Women's ice hockey. ^[29]

A girls ice hockey team in 1921

Women's ice hockey was added as a medal sport at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers on the The United States won gold, Canada won silver and Finland won bronze. ^[30]

The chief difference between women's and men's ice hockey is that bodychecking is not allowed in women's ice hockey. After the 1990 Women's World Championship, bodychecking was eliminated because female players in many countries do not have the size and mass seen in North American players. In current IIHF women's competition, bodychecking is either a minor or major penalty, decided at the referee's discretion. For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior ^[31]

In addition, players in women's competition are required to wear protective full-face masks. A goalie mask is a Mask worn by an Ice hockey Goaltender to protect the head from Injury. ^[31]

One woman, Manon Rhéaume, appeared as a goaltender for the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning in preseason games against the St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins, and in 2003 Hayley Wickenheiser played with the Kirkkonummi Salamat in the Finnish men's Suomi-sarja league. Manon Rhéaume (born February 24, 1972) is a Canadian Goaltender and Olympic Silver medalist who was the first - and as The National Hockey League ( NHL) is a professional Ice hockey league composed of 30 teams in North America The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa Florida. The St Louis Blues are a professional Ice hockey team based in St The Boston Bruins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Boston Massachusetts. Hayley Wickenheiser is a women's Ice hockey player for Canada HC Salamat is a Finnish Ice hockey team from Kirkkonummi. Salamat plays in the Mestis league Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. The Suomi-sarja is Finland 's third-highest Ice hockey league Several women have competed in North American minor leagues, including goaltenders Charline Labonté, Kelly Dyer, Erin Whitten, Manon Rhéaume, and defenceman Angela Ruggiero. Charline "Charlie" Labonté (born October 15, 1982 in Boisbriand, Quebec) is a women's Ice hockey player Manon Rhéaume (born February 24, 1972) is a Canadian Goaltender and Olympic Silver medalist who was the first - and as Angela Marie Ruggiero (born January 3, 1980 in Panorama City California) is an American Ice hockey defenseman.

Sledge hockey

Main article: Sledge hockey

Sledge hockey is a form of ice hockey designed for players with physical disabilities affecting their lower bodies. Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a Physical disability to play the game of Ice hockey. Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a Physical disability to play the game of Ice hockey. Players sit on double-bladed sledges and use two sticks; each stick has a blade at one end and small picks at the other. A sled, sledge or sleigh is a Vehicle with runners for sliding instead of wheels for rolling Players use the sticks to pass, stickhandle and shoot the puck, and to propel their sledges. The rules are very similar to IIHF ice hockey rules. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF was founded in 1908 as the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace and is the worldwide governing body for Ice ^[32]

Canada is a recognized international leader in the development of the sport, and of equipment for players. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Much of the equipment for the sport was first developed in Canada, such as sledge hockey sticks laminated with fiberglass, as well as aluminum shafts with hand carved insert blades and special aluminum sledges with regulation skate blades. Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre see Spelling differences) is material made from extremely fine Fibers of Glass.

Pond hockey

Main article: Pond hockey

Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey played generally as pick-up hockey on lakes and ponds. Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey very similar in its object and appearance to traditional ice hockey but far simpler and designed to be played on part of a natural frozen body of water Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey very similar in its object and appearance to traditional ice hockey but far simpler and designed to be played on part of a natural frozen body of water Pond hockey rules differ from traditional hockey, placing a greater emphasis on skating abilities. Since 2002, the World Pond Hockey Championship has been played in Plaster Rock, New Brunswick, Canada. The World Pond Hockey Championships is an annual international competition that takes place outdoors on bodies of frozen water playing the Pond hockey variant of Ice hockey Plaster Rock (2006 population 1150 is a Canadian village in Victoria County, New Brunswick. New Brunswick ( French: Nouveau-Brunswick /nuvobʁɔnzwik/ is one of Canada 's three Maritime provinces and is the only constitutionally Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page ^[33]

International competition

Sweden vs Latvia in Ice Hockey World Championships 2005

The annual men's Ice Hockey World Championships are highly regarded by Europeans, but they are less important to North Americans because they coincide with the Stanley Cup playoffs. 2008 World Championship team 2006 teams Olympic record 1920 - Finished in 4th place 1924 - Finished 2008 World Championship team Coaching history 1992 to 1994 - Helmuts Balderis 1994             The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Ice Hockey World Championship is an annual event organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation. The Stanley Cup (La Coupe Stanley is an Ice hockey club championship Trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL playoffs champion Consequently, Canada, the United States, and other countries with large numbers of NHL players have not always been able to field their best possible teams because many of their top players are playing for the Stanley Cup. Furthermore, for many years professionals were barred from play. Now that many Europeans play in the NHL, the world championships no longer represent all of the world's top players.

Hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924 (and at the summer games in 1920). Canada won six of the first seven gold medals, except in 1936 when Great Britain won. The United States won their first gold medal in 1960. The USSR won all but two Olympic ice hockey gold medals from 1956 to 1988 and won a final time as the Unified Team at the 1992 Albertville Olympics. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was staged in 1992 U. S. amateur college players defeated the heavily favored Soviet squad on the way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics - an event known as the "Miracle on ice" in the United States. Gold Medal is an Album by American band The Donnas, released in 2004 (see 2004 in music) The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in February The

The 1972 Summit Series and 1974 Summit Series, established Canada and the USSR as a major international ice hockey rivalry. The Summit Series was the first competition between full-strength Soviet and Canadian national Ice hockey teams an eight-game series held in The 1974 Summit Series was the second of two competitions between Soviet and Canadian professional Ice hockey players Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 It was followed by five Canada Cup tournaments, where the best players from every hockey nation could play, and two exhibition series, the 1979 Challenge Cup and Rendez-vous '87 where the best players from the NHL played the USSR. 1979 Challenge Cup was an Ice hockey exhibition series between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of All-stars from the National Hockey Rendez-vous '87 was an Ice hockey exhibition series between the Soviet national ice hockey team and a team of All-Stars from the National Hockey League, The Canada Cup tournament later became the World Cup of Hockey, played in 1996 and 2004. This article is about Ice Hockey For other Hockey World Cups see World Cup (hockey for disambiguation The United States won in 1996 and Canada won in 2004. Since 1998, NHL professionals have played in the Olympics, giving the best players in the world more opportunities to face off.

There have been nine women's world championships, beginning in 1990. ^[29] Women's hockey has been played at the Olympics since 1998. ^[30] The 2006 Winter Olympic final between Canada and Sweden marked the first women's world championship or Olympic final that did not involve both Canada and the United States

Ice hockey in popular culture

Main article: Ice hockey in popular culture

Ice hockey, partially because of its popularity as a major professional sport, has been a source of inspiration for numerous films, television episodes and songs in North American popular culture. Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics was held at the Torino Palasport Olimpico and the Torino Esposizioni in Turin, Italy Ice hockey, partially because of its popularity as a major professional sport has been a source of inspiration for numerous films television episodes and songs in North Popular culture (or pop culture) is the Culture — patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance and importance —

Attendance records

The Cold War

The largest hockey attendance in history was on October 6, 2001, for a game commonly known as the Cold War. Events 105 BC - Battle of Arausio: The Cimbri inflict the heaviest defeat on the Roman army of Gnaeus Mallius Maximus Year 2001 ( MMI) was a Common year starting on Monday according to the Gregorian calendar. Two college hockey rivals, University of Michigan and Michigan State University, opened their season with a game in Michigan State's outdoor football arena, Spartan Stadium. The University of Michigan Ann Arbor ( U of M, U-M, UM or simply Michigan) is a top-ranked Coeducational public research Michigan State University ( MSU) is a co-educational public Research university in East Lansing, Michigan USA. Spartan Stadium (formerly College Field, Macklin Field and Macklin Stadium) opened in 1923 in East Lansing Michigan. A $500,000 sheet of ice was used, and the temperature was 30 °F (−1 °C). The game drew a record breaking 69,554 spectators, smashing the previous number of 55,000 attendance during the Sweden vs. Soviet Union game during the world championship in Moscow. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of ^[34]

The Heritage Classic

The Heritage Classic was an outdoor ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between the Edmonton Oilers and the Montreal Canadiens. The Heritage Classic was an outdoor Ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton Alberta, Canada between the Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It set the record for most viewers of a single NHL game with 2. 747 million nationwide.

The Winter Classic

The largest crowd to ever watch an NHL game was during the Winter Classic when 71,000 people watched the Pittsburgh Penguins battle the Buffalo Sabres. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional Ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Buffalo Sabres are a professional Ice hockey team based in Buffalo New York. The game was held at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which is the Buffalo Bills home stadium in Buffalo, United States, on January 1, 2008. Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football Stadium located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo New York. The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo New York Metropolitan area, playing seven of their home games in the suburb Buffalo (ˈbʌfəloʊ is the second largest city in New York State. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common This was the first NHL game held outdoors in the United States. The Penguins scored the first goal within the first 20 seconds of the game. The Sabres then scored in the 2nd period to tie the game. The game went into overtime and the Penguins ended up winning during a shoot out.

Previously, this record was held by the Heritage Classic, an outdoor NHL game taking place in Commonwealth Stadium of Edmonton, Alberta, on November 22, 2003. The Heritage Classic was an outdoor Ice hockey game played on November 22, 2003 in Edmonton Alberta, Canada between the Edmonton (ˈɛdmɨntɨn is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 Events 498 - Kofi Aseidu- After the death of Anastasius II, Symmachus is elected Pope in the Lateran Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. The event involved a regular-season matchup between the Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens. The Edmonton Oilers are a professional Ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Montreal Canadiens (Les Canadiens de Montréal are a professional Ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. An old-timers game, referred to as the MegaStars game, was played prior to the regular-season match, and featured an alumni of Oilers playing against a squad of former Canadiens. This is the only NHL alumni game in which Wayne Gretzky has played since retiring, and he maintains it will be the last. Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26 1961 is a retired Canadian professional Ice hockey player

Terminology

Statistics

Personnel

Rink

Penalties

Shot types

Equipment

Miscellaneous

Number of registered players by country

Number of registered hockey players, provided by the respective countries' federations. A goal in Ice hockey provides a team with one point A goal is scored when a puck completely crosses the goal line within the goal frame Method of scoring In Ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to the two previous players of the scoring team who touched or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate meaning that they Plus/minus is an Ice hockey Statistic that measures the team goal differential when a specific player is on the ice Save percentage (often known by such symbols as SV%, SVP, PCT) is an Ice hockey and Lacrosse Statistic that represents In Field hockey, Ice hockey, Box lacrosse, or Soccer, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the Goals against average ( GAA) is a Statistic used in Ice hockey, Water polo, Lacrosse, and Football (soccer that is the In Ice hockey, each team has a designated captain, who normally wears a "C" on his or her jersey. In Ice hockey, each team has a designated captain, who normally wears a "C" on his or her jersey. Centre ( center in the USA) in Ice hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice Coach in Ice hockey refers to a Head coach or an assistant coach given the responsibility of organizing player offense and defense. Defence ( defense in the USA in Ice hockey is a player position whose primary responsibility is to prevent the opposing team from scoring. A Forward is a hockey player position on the Ice whose responsibility is primarily offensive. In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game This article is about the goaltender in Ice hockey. For the similar position in other sports see Goalkeeper. In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game In Ice hockey, a power forward is a forward who possesses above average offensive skills and plays a tough physical game In Ice hockey, an official is a person who has some responsibility in enforcing the rules and maintaining the order of the game Winger in hockey is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area In Ice hockey, the hash marks are two pairs of parallel lines on either sides of the face-off circles in both ends of the rink The penalty box (sometimes called the sin bin, bad box, or bin) is the area in Ice hockey, Rugby football and some other sports In hockey the slot is the area on the Hockey rink directly ahead of the Goaltender between the Faceoff circles on each side In Ice hockey, a player in the opponent's end zone at the junction of the blue line with the boards is said to be at the point. The goal line in Ice Hockey is the far red line at each end of the ice rink For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior In Ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an Five on three (also called a two-man advantage) is a term used in Ice hockey when one team has had two players sent to the Penalty box. Shorthanded is a term used in Ice hockey and refers to having fewer skaters on the ice during play as a result of a penalty. Boarding in Ice hockey is a penalty called when an offending player violently pushes an opposing player into the boards of the Hockey rink, when the Fighting is an established aspect of Ice hockey in North America, with a long history involving many levels of amateur and professional play and including Hooking in Ice hockey is a penalty called when an offending player uses their hockey stick to prevent another player from moving freely For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior A knee strike (commonly referred to simply as a knee) is a strike with the Knee, either with the Kneecap or the surrounding area High-Sticking is a penalized action in the sport of Ice hockey where a player intentionally or inadvertently raises his stick above the height of the cross bar of Diving (also called embellishment) is a term used in Hockey to describe the way a player tries to get the attention of the Referee by embellishing an infraction from Charging is a penalty in Ice hockey. It occurs when a player takes more than three steps before checking an opposing player An elbow strike (commonly referred to as simply an " elbow " is a strike with the point of the elbow the part of the forearm nearest to the elbow or For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior Delay of game is a penalty in Ice hockey. It results in the offending player spending two minutes in the Penalty box. Unsportsmanlike conduct (or unsporting behaviour, or archaically ungentlemanly conduct) is a term used in many professional Sports to refer to a particular A misconduct is a Legal term meaning a wrongful improper or unlawful conduct motivated by premeditated or intentional purpose or by obstinate indifference to the consequences A tripping penalty in Ice hockey is called by the Referee when a player trips an opposing player with their stick or uses their skate against the other players Roughing is an offense and penalty in Ice hockey when two players are in a minor altercation For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior Cross checking is an infraction in the Sport of Ice hockey where a player bodychecks an opponent while holding his/her stick in both hands without Goaltender interference is a penalty and offensive in Ice hockey whereby a player is found in the goal crease when a goalie is establishing their position in the same area In Ice hockey, holding the stick is a penalty called when a player intentionally holds an opposing players stick in his hands and between any part of his body (i For clarity male pronouns will be used throughout this article A penalty in Ice hockey is a Punishment for inappropriate Behavior A hand pass is an Ice hockey term for when a player batts the puck from himself to a team mate In Ice hockey, play is said to be offside if a player on the attacking team enters the attacking zone before the puck itself enters the zone whether it Icing in Ice hockey occurs when a player shoots the puck across at least two red lines, the opposing team's goal line being the last A shot in Ice hockey is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick in the direction of the net In Ice hockey, a backhanded shot (or backhander is a shot taken from the backside of the blade. A one timer is an Ice hockey shot that occurs when a player meets a teammate's pass with an immediate Slapshot, without any attempt to control the A slapshot (or slap shot) in Ice hockey is the hardest shot. It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion The player winds A wrist shot is a type of Ice hockey shot that involves using arm Muscles (especially those in the Wrist and Forearm) to propel a Puck A snap shot is a like an abbreviated slap shot in Ice hockey. A wrap around or old fashioned in Ice hockey is when a player with the Puck skates behind the opposing team's goal and attempts to score by sliding Hockey pants, also called "breezers" are knee-to-waist protective gear for Ice hockey or Roller hockey players An ice hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in Ice hockey to shoot pass and carry the puck A hockey jersey, traditionally called a sweater (due to it originally being made from Sweater material such as wool is a piece of Clothing worn by There are three styles of Gloves worn by Ice hockey players Skaters wear similar gloves on each hand while goaltenders wear gloves of different types on each A shin guard or shin pad is a piece of equipment commonly used in Ice hockey, Roller hockey, football, Baseball and other sports where A goalie mask is a Mask worn by an Ice hockey Goaltender to protect the head from Injury. Shoulder pads are a piece of protective equipment used in American and Canadian football. A puck is a disk used in various types of games serving the same functions as a ball in ball games A hockey helmet is worn by Ice hockey players and Field hockey goalkeepers to protect the head from potential Injury. An ice resurfacer is a truck-like vehicle used to clean and smooth the surface of an Ice rink, originally developed by Frank J Ice skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom used to propel oneself across a sheet of ice A jockstrap (also known as a jock jock strap strap supporter or athletic supporter is an Undergarment designed for supporting the Male genitalia during the A mouthguard is protective wear that fits into the Mouth and covers the teeth and gums to prevent and reduce injury to the teeth arches lips and gums Hockey socks are ankle-to-thigh garments worn over protective gear by Ice hockey players A skatemill is a practice utility machine for Ice hockey professional players to improve their Skating techniques which is very important to achieve the level of A hockey bag is a large Duffel bag like carrying device used to transport Hockey equipment Skate guards are covers used in Ice hockey and Figure skating that fit over Ice skate blades The goalie trapper/catcher/glove is a piece of equipment that also serves as a protective device for ice or roller hockey goalies T-Blades are a recent development made by a German company to be an alternative to traditional steel blades found on hockey skates There are two kinds of Hockey tape used by Ice hockey players Stick/Blade tape and shin tape A neck guard is a piece of protective equipment worn by Ice hockey players around the neck area Elbow pads are protective padded gear worn on the elbows to protect them against Injury during a fall or a strike A breakaway is a situation in Ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players except for the Goaltender, between himself and the opposing In Ice hockey, butterfly style refers to a style of goaltending in which the Goaltender covers the lower part of the net with his or her leg pads Checking in Ice hockey is the act of physically keeping an opposing player in check. A deke, sometimes known as a dangle, is an Ice hockey technique which a player uses to get past an opponent or "fake out" a goalie Enforcer is an unofficial role in Ice hockey. The term is sometimes used synonymously with " fighter " " tough guy " or " goon A faceoff is the method used to begin play in Ice hockey. The two teams line up in opposition to each other and the opposing centres attempt to gain control of the A term common to the sport of Hockey, the five-hole refers to the space between a Goaltender 's legs In Ice hockey, a Gordie Howe hat trick is an unofficial variation on the hat trick, wherein a player scores a goal, gets an assist, and participates A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts A hat-trick in Sports is associated with succeeding at anything three times in three consecutive attempts In ice hockey, a grinder is a player who is known for his toughness and hard work as opposed to a player with crowd-pleasing puck handling skills or other flashy abilities The left wing lock is a defensive Ice hockey strategy similar to the Neutral zone trap. Loafing, Floating, or cherry picking in Ice hockey is when a player the floater (usually a forward) literally loafs — spends time in idleness The Long bomb, also known as the bomb, the bomb pass or the long-bomb pass, in Ice hockey is a relatively simple type of pass to accomplish and The neutral zone trap is a defensive Ice hockey strategy used by a team to prevent an opposing team from proceeding through the neutral zone (the area between both blue Overtime, in Ice hockey, is a method of determining the winner and loser of ice hockey matches should a game be tied after regulation In Ice hockey, a pest (also known as an "agitator" is a type of player who attempts to annoy anger or distract opposing players in order to reduce their effectiveness In Ice hockey, the stand-up style, as the name suggests refers to a style of goaltending in which the goaltender makes the majority of the saves standing up not Note that data is not available for every country.

See also

• Active NHL players by nationality
• College hockey
• Hockey rink
• Ice hockey at the Olympic Games
• Ice hockey equipment
• Ice Hockey World Championships
• International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships
• List of ice hockey leagues
• Minor Hockey
• Officials (On-Ice officials and off-ice officials)
• Referees
• Shinny (an informal type of hockey)
• Sports league attendances
• Triple Gold Club

Notes

References

• Farrell, Arthur (1899). Hockey:Canada's Royal Winter Game.  
• Vaughan, Garth (1996). The Puck Stops Here: The origin of Canada's great winter game. Goose Lane Editions.  

External links

• American Collegiate Hockey Association
• American Hockey League
• Australian Ice Hockey League
• CBC Digital Archives - The Spirit of Hockey
• CBC - Hockey: A People's History
• College Hockey News
• Elite Ice Hockey League
• English Ice Hockey Association
• Hockey Canada
• Hockey Hall of Fame
• International Ice Hockey Federation
• A Native American historical perspective of the game from ancient myths to modern day
• National Hockey League
• Backcheck: A Hockey Retrospective at Library and Archives Canada
• IceHockey Live Scores