History
Ice hockey is a fast, fluid and exciting team sport. It draws big crowds at the Olympic Games thanks to the drama and tension of the matches.
A Canadian past Ice hockey originated in Canada in the early 19th century, based on several similar sports played in Europe, although the word “hockey” comes from the old French word “hocquet”, meaning “stick.” Around 1860, a puck was substituted for a ball, and in 1879 two McGill University students, Robertson and Smith, devised the first rules.
Stanley Cup The first recognized team, the McGill University Hockey Club, was formed in 1880 as hockey became the Canadian national sport and spread throughout the country. In 1892 the Governor General of Canada donated the Stanley Cup, which was first won by a team representing the Montreal Amateur Athletic Association.
International growth The sport migrated south to the United States during the 1890s, and games are known to have taken place there between Johns Hopkins and Yale Universities in 1895. Ice hockey spread to Europe around the turn of the century, and the first Olympic Games to include ice hockey for men were the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games.
Olympic history Men’s ice hockey has been played at every Olympic Winter Games, and, unsurprisingly, Canada dominated the early tournaments. However, in 1956, this dominance was broken by the Soviet Union, which remained the number-one force in the sport until its break-up. Women's ice hockey was approved as an Olympic sport in 1992, and made its debut in Nagano in 1998.
Equipment
Elbow pads A molded pad that protects the elbow and elbow joint and provides forearm protection.
Goalkeepers' equipment Goalkeepers' equipment includes a goalkeeper stick, goalkeeper skates, blocking glove, catching glove, helmet with full face mask and leg guards.
Gloves The player's gloves must cover their hand and wrist, and their palm must not be removed to permit the use of bare hands.
Helmet A helmet with the chinstrap properly fastened must be worn by players so that the lower edge of the helmet is not more than one finger-width above the eyebrows; there should only be enough room between the strap and the chin to insert one finger.
Puck The puck is made of vulcanized rubber or other material approved by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and is primarily black in color. The puck is 2.54 cm thick and 7.62 cm in diameter and must weigh between 156 and 170g. It can move at speeds of more than 150km/h.
Shin guards A device contoured and molded to protect the shin, knee and calf.
Shoulder pad Padding that provides extra protection for critical points of the shoulder, biceps, sternum, shoulder blade and spine.
Skates Players must wear ice hockey skates with safety heel guards.
Stick Sticks are made of wood or other material, such as aluminium or plastic. The stick must not have any projections and all edges must be beveled. Adhesive non-fluorescent tape of any color may be wrapped around the stick at any place. Sticks are prohibited from being curved more than 1.5 cm.
Visor A clear plastic shield attached to the helmet that comes down to the lower edge of the player's nose. Male players born after December 31, 1974 must wear, at the very least, a visor that meets approved international standards. All women players must wear full-face masks.
International federation
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) was founded in 1908. Ice hockey made its Olympic debut at the 1924 Chamonix Winter Games.
Players
A team must not have more than six players on the ice while play is in progress. Typically, these players are one goalkeeper, two defenders, two wings and one centre. However, fewer players can be on the ice as a result of penalties, and a goalkeeper can be replaced for another skater at any time at the team’s own risk.
Events and differences
Women currently compete in an eight-team tournament, whereas men compete in a 12-team tournament. The chief difference between women's and men's ice hockey is that body checking is not allowed in women's ice hockey.
Competition procedure
A regular game consists of three 20-minute periods, with a 15-minute intermission after the first and second periods. Teams change ends for each period. If a tie occurs in a medal-round game, a five-minute sudden-victory overtime period is played. In the gold medal game, a 20-minute sudden-victory period is played subsequent to another 15-minute intermission.
Penalty shoot-out
In the case of a tie after any sudden-victory period, a game-winning penalty shoot competition takes place to determine the winner.
