Great Britain and France are the origins of Ice Hockey. The first evidence of ice hockey goes back to 500 years. Many people believe that, field hockey players made some adjustments in field hockey, so that they could play during cold and icy winter months. The origin of the word hockey is perhaps the French word ‘hoquet’ denoting a ‘bent stick’.
Ice hockey was first introduced in North America by British sailors, who arrived at Nova Scotia. At almost the same time, students at McGill University in Montreal also began playing ice hockey. In due course of time, a small ice hockey club, with four teams, was formed in Ontario. It gradually began growing, and in a short time, clubs from different cities started playing against each other. Lord Stanley of Preston, an English Governor General, recognized the ability of these early players and teams created a unique silver bowl, to give as an award to the best amateur ice hockey team. This was the commencement of the Stanley Cup.
Earlier, an ice hockey team used to have nine players, but later the number was reduced to seven. Each team would have two defensive players, a goalie, and a ‘rover’, who played the whole rink. The first professional ice hockey league was formed in 1904, in Michigan. It broke up three years later. Then, three years after that, the National Hockey Association (NHA) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL) were established. At the end of First World War in 1917, NHA became the National Hockey League and in late 1920s, Pacific Coast league was disbanded. Initially, there were only ten teams.
An ice hockey stick is little less curved than a routine hockey stick, and may be made of wood or a modern composite material. Ice hockey players use a solid, vulcanized rubber disc, called puck, which is to be hit with a stick towards the goal net. They also use unique skates that have blade grips for facilitating contact with ice. With thirty teams in six divisions, all over the U.S. and Canada, ice hockey has become to be a well-liked sport.
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What You Need To Know About Hockey
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Hockey is a popular game played all over the world. The exact date of its origin is not known. One belief is that it originated from the English game of field hockey. When the English came to North America, they realized that ice is faster...
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College Hockey
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Hockey is a sport in which two teams trying to maneuver a hard round disc called a puck into rival’s net, using a hockey stick. This sport is also played at college-level, and each college or institution may have its own hockey team. Intra-collegiate or...
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Hockey Jerseys
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Hockey in the United States is played on ice. It is essential for players to protect themselves from the cold of the ice rink. Hockey jerseys are the outer clothing worn by ice hockey players. It is a loose shirt worn above layers of padded...
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History Of Hockey
10 August 2010 8:30 PM |
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Hockey is a game that has existed in some form or the other for several hundred years. Evidence shows that in Ethiopia, it was played almost 4000 years ago. In Greece, there are evidences in the form of table-pictures that show young people playing field...
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Hockey is one of the most popular contact games played in the US, probably next only to soccer and rugby. There are several versions of hockey played such as field, inline, rink and ice hockey. All use specialized gear and equipment. The basic equipment of...
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Field Hockey
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The game of field hockey dates back to 4000 years. It is basically a ball and stick game, and there are historical records of this game in Ireland, Scotland, Egypt, and South America. A field hockey stick is usually 31 to 38 inches long, and...
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Hockey tickets are entry tickets to watch hockey games and championships. Earlier, the tickets were made of cheap quality paper but now the tickets are very colorful and made from good quality paper. A range of ticket packages are available on the Internet Many ticket...
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Ice Hockey Equipment
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Ice hockey requires special equipment. The basics being the stick and the puck. The ice hockey stick is slightly less curved than the routine hockey stick and may be made of wood or a high-tech composite material. The composite stick is sturdier, but also more...
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Air Hockey
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Air Hockey is a sport played between two players trying to outscore each other by descending puck on opponent’s goal. This game is played on a special table called Air Hockey table. An air hockey table is commonly a platform with a very large and...
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Field Hockey Equipment
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Hockey’s most essential piece of equipment? The stick. A hockey stick is about 31 to 38 inches long with a round handle and a hooked end, which is rounded on one side and flat on the other and used to push, dribble and strike the...