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ice hockey

A game played on ice between two teams of six, developed in Canada from field hockey or bandy. Players, who wear skates and protective clothing, use a curved stick to advance the puck (a rubber disk) and shoot it at the opponents' goal, a netted cage, guarded by the goaltender or goalie. The other positions are the left and right defensemen and the left wing, center, and right wing. The latter three are offensive players. The team with the most goals scored at the end of the three 20-minute periods wins; an overtime period may be played if a game ends in a tie.

The standard hockey rink is 200 ft/61 m long and 85 ft/26 m wide, with rounded corners and enclosed by a board wall 4 ft/1.3 m high, though in international competition the rinks are slightly wider. The goals are centered on a red line that crosses the rink 10 ft/3 m from each end of the rink. In front of each goal is a rectangular area called the crease, in which the goalie can operate freely, since other players cannot score from that area. Each period in a game starts with a face-off at the center of the rink (in a face-off the referee drops the puck to the ice, and a player from each team tries with his stick to gain control of the puck). Other players must be at least 10 ft away from the two facing-off. Face-offs at center ice (as after a goal) and at other designated spots on the ice are used to restart the game at various times during play. During a game, substitutions are made frequently, except for the goalie. Substitutions are usually done in groups, such as all three offensive players (the ‘front line’) or both defensemen. Serious rules infractions result in removal from the game to the penalty box for varying amounts of time (usually 2, 5, or 10 minutes) or, in extreme cases, expulsion from the game.

History

Ice hockey is believed to have been first introduced in Canada in the 1850s, the first game being played in Kingston, Ontario. The first rules were drawn up at McGill University, Montréal. The governing body is the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), founded in 1908. Canada's first hockey league, the Amateur Hockey Association, was formed in 1885. In 1893, Lord Stanley, Canada's governor general gave a cup to be awarded to Canada's champion amateur team. By 1912, there were various professional leagues, and a playoff for the championship was inaugurated. The winner was awarded the Stanley Cup, which has since been the symbol of professional hockey's championship. The National Hockey League (NHL), founded in 1917, became the dominant professional league and now consists of two conferences, each with three divisions. Ice hockey has been included in the Olympics since 1920 when it was part of the Summer Games programme. Since 1924 it has been part of the Winter Olympics. The game enjoys wide popularity in northern and central Europe. A world championship is held each year. In 1998 women's ice hockey became a medal sport at the Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.