Hockey Origins

Hockey Origins Graphic

Though Canada was the birthplace of hockey and it’s origins, the sport has since crossed over into the United States and Europe. The Stanley cup playoffs make a larger number of Americans uninterested in international men\’s ice hockey world championships, though Europeans are very fond of it. Truthfully, many countries have a severe lack of top players, because those who are the best go off to join the NHL and try to win the Stanley cup.

Hockey History

There was a time in which professional players could not play internationally; with many Europeans now playing in the NHL, the world championships do not reflect the best players in the world any more. Hockey has been a major Olympic sport since 1924 and its country of origin, Canada, took home gold medal 6 out of 7 times that year. During the years that professional American, Swedish, Finnish, and Canadians were barred from Olympic competition, the United States took home the gold medal (in 1960) and Russia won all but two gold medals from 1956 to 1988. U.S.Non-pro College students went on to beat the Russians and win the gold medal in 1980 in Lake Placid, New York.

The game also began to experience a boost in popularity in the sport that most Americans weren\’t previously paying attention to. The 1972 and 1974 Summit series had solidified Canada and Russia as hockey rivals. The Canadian Cup grew out of this competition; this is where the best nations came together to play. The Canadian cup later became the World Cup of Hockey with the United States winning in 1996 and Canada winning in 2004. In 1998, the Olympics decided to allow NHL professionals to compete in their games; as a result, many of the top players were permitted to play in an area with other top players. Beginning in 1998, the women\’s game became a prime feature of the Olympics; this would later go on to spawn nine women\’s competitions.

The women\’s games are every bit as rough as the males, and as a whole, women are truly coming into their own in the sport. On the other hand, there is still a lot that must be accomplished in order for women to truly be on par with men at the domestic or international level. Hockey was always that sport dominated by males and yet women still have long way before they\’re really taken seriously. For many fans of the sport, the sport is just as beloved today as it has ever been; millions of fans break attendance records on a regular basis. It is treated as a traditional past time, much like some Americans treat baseball, football, or basketball.

Whether the players are pros or whether they are newbies, hockey is its own little world with its own set of rules. Many fans view it as essential as the air they breathe; people can get so into the sport, much like some do a soap opera. Many people will spend hours, late into the night, practicing the game. 

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