Ice hockey facts for kids
.jpg)
An ice hockey forward (Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins) shoots toward a net defended by a goaltender (Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals).
|
|
| Highest governing body | International Ice Hockey Federation |
|---|---|
| First played | 1875, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact |
|
| Team members |
|
| Mixed-sex | No |
| Type |
|
| Equipment |
|
| Venue |
|
| Presence | |
| Olympic |
|
| Paralympic | Yes |
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hockey sticks to control, advance, and shoot a closed, vulcanized, rubber disc called a "puck" into the other team's goal. Each goal is worth one point. The team which scores the most goals is declared the winner. In a formal game, each team has six skaters on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, one of whom is the goaltender. Ice hockey is a full contact sport, and is considered to be one of the more physically demanding team sports. It is distinct from field hockey, in which players move a ball around a non-frozen pitch using field hockey sticks.
The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor game was played on March 3, 1875. Some characteristics of that game, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey originated around 1900. The Stanley Cup, emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognize the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the National Hockey League (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace, in Paris, France, the precursor of the IIHF. The sport was played for the first time at the Olympics during the 1920 Summer Olympics—today it is a mainstay at the Winter Olympics. In 1994 ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport.
While women also played during the game's early formative years, it was not until organizers began to officially remove body checking from female ice hockey beginning in the mid-1980s that it began to gain greater popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in 1998.
History
Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy, hurling, and shinty. The North American sport of lacrosse was also influential. These games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but would later be absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey.
Game
Ice hockey is a sport that is played by two teams on ice. The players wear ice skates on their feet and can skate across the ice at very high speeds. They hold hockey sticks, which they use to push, shoot or pass a puck around the ice. The players score by shooting the puck into a net; the goaltenders try to stop them.
Six players on each team play at once, but a whole team has over 20 players. Each team has 2 defenders, 3 forwards, and a goalie on the ice at a time. When a player breaks a rule, a referee calls a penalty, and the player has to sit in a penalty box for 2-10 minutes. While the player sits in the penalty box, his team has to play without him, and will have fewer players on the ice until the penalty is over.
Periods and overtime
A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play. The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play. The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game.
.jpg)
If a tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour sudden death overtime, in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored.
From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus the goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime.
International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by a penalty shootout. If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. 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 sudden death. Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout, 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 in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL.
Equipment
The hard surfaces of the ice and boards, pucks flying at high speed (over 160 km/h at times), and other players maneuvering (and often intentionally colliding) pose a multitude of safety hazards. Besides skates and sticks, hockey players are usually equipped with an array of safety gear to lessen their risk of serious injury. This usually includes a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded pants, a 'jock' athletic protector, and leg guards. Goaltenders wear masks and much bulkier, specialized equipment designed to protect them from many direct hits from pucks.
Youth and college hockey players are required to wear a mask made from metal wire or transparent plastic attached to their helmet that protects their face during play. Professional and adult players may instead wear a visor that protects only their eyes, or no mask at all; however, some provincial and state legislations require full facial protection at all non-professional levels. Rules regarding visors and face masks are mildly controversial at professional levels, as some players feel that they interfere with their vision or breathing and/or encourage carrying of the stick up high, in a reckless manner, while others believe that they are a necessary safety precaution.
In fact, the adoption of safety equipment has been a gradual one at the North American professional level, where even helmets were not mandatory until the 1980s.
Leagues and championships
The following is a list of professional ice hockey leagues by attendance:
| League | Country | Notes | Average Attendance for 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Hockey League (NHL) |  United States (32 teams) Canada (7 teams) |
17,406 | |
| National League (NL) |  Switzerland |
6,949 | |
| Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) |  Germany |
6,215 | |
| Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) |  Russia (19 teams) Belarus (1 team) China (1 team) Kazakhstan (1 team) |
Successor to Russian Superleague and Soviet Championship League | 6,397 |
| American Hockey League | United States (26 teams) Canada (6 teams) |
Developmental league for NHL | 5,672 |
| Swedish Hockey League (SHL) |  Sweden |
Known as Elitserien until 2013 | 5,936 |
| Czech Extraliga |  Czech Republic |
Formed from the split of the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League | 5,401 |
| SM-liiga |  Finland |
Originally SM-sarja from 1928 to 1975. Known as SM-liiga since 1975 | 4,232 |
| Western Hockey League | Canada (17 teams) United States (5 teams) |
Junior league | 4,295 |
| ECHL | United States (25 teams) Canada (2 teams) |
Developmental league for NHL | 4,365 |
| Ontario Hockey League | Canada (17 teams) United States (3 teams) |
Junior league | 3,853 |
| NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament | United States |
Amateur intercollegiate competition | 3,281 |
| Quebec Major Junior Hockey League | Canada |
Junior league | 3,271 |
| Champions Hockey League |  Europe |
Europe-wide championship tournament league. Successor to European Trophy and Champions Hockey League | 3,397 |
| Southern Professional Hockey League | United States |
3,116 | |
| Austrian Hockey League |  Austria (8 teams) Hungary (1 team) Czech Republic (1 team) Italy (1 team) Croatia (1 team) |
2,970 | |
| Elite Ice Hockey League |  United Kingdom |
Teams in all of the home nations: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland | 2,850 |
| DEL2 | Germany |
Second division of Germany | 2,511 |
| United States Hockey League | United States |
Amateur junior league | 2,367 |
| HockeyAllsvenskan | Sweden |
Second division of Sweden | 2,713 |
| GET-ligaen |  Norway |
1,827 | |
| Slovak Extraliga |  Slovakia (11 teams) Hungary (2 teams) |
Formed from the split of the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League | 1,663 |
| Ligue Magnus |  France |
1,716 | |
| Supreme Hockey League (VHL) | Russia (24 teams) Kazakhstan (2 teams) China (2 teams) |
Second division of Russia and partial development league for the KHL | 1,766 |
| Swiss League | Switzerland |
Second division of Switzerland | 1,845 |
| WSM Liga | Czech Republic |
Second division of Czechia | 1,674 |
| Latvian Hockey Higher League |  Latvia (6 teams) |
1,354 | |
| Metal Ligaen |  Denmark |
1,525 | |
| Premier Hockey Federation | United States (5 teams) Canada (1 team) |
Formed in 2015 | 954 |
| Asia League |  Japan (4 teams) South Korea (3 teams) Russia (1 team) China (1 team) |
976 | |
| Mestis | Finland |
Successor to I-Divisioona, Second division of Finland | 762 |
| Federal Prospects Hockey League | United States |
1,546 | |
| Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey | Canada |
1,131 | |
| BeNe League |  Netherlands (10 teams) Belgium (6 teams) |
Formed in 2015 with teams from Dutch Eredivisie and Belgian Hockey League | 784 |
| Polska Hokej Liga |  Poland |
751 | |
| Erste Liga | Hungary (6 teams) Romania (2 teams) Austria (1 team) |
601 | |
| Alps Hockey League | Austria (7 teams) Italy (8 teams) Slovenia (2 teams) |
Formed in 2016 with the merger of Italy's Serie A and the joint Austrian–Slovenian Inter-National League | 734 |
| Belarusian Extraleague | Belarus |
717 | |
| Swedish Women's Hockey League | Sweden |
Formed in 2007 and known as Riksserien until 2016 | 234 |
Variants
Pond hockey
Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey played generally as pick-up hockey on lakes, ponds and artificial outdoor rinks during the winter. Pond hockey is commonly referred to in hockey circles as shinny. Its rules differ from traditional hockey because there is no hitting and very little shooting, placing a greater emphasis on skating, stickhandling and passing abilities. Since 2002, the World Pond Hockey Championship has been played on Roulston Lake in Tobique Valley, New Brunswick, Canada. Since 2006, the US Pond Hockey Championships have been played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships have been played in Huntsville, Ontario.
Sledge hockey
Sledge hockey is an adaption of ice hockey designed for players who have a physical disability. Players are seated in sleds and use a specialized hockey stick that also helps the player navigate on the ice. The sport was created in Sweden in the early 1960s and is played under similar rules to ice hockey.
Images for kids
-
A winter scene by Jan van Goyen from the 17th century
-
Winter landscape, with skaters playing IJscolf (Hendrick Avercamp, the 17th-century Dutch painter)
-
"Ye Gude Olde Days" from Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game, 1899
-
Members of the Montreal Victorias in 1881
-
An ice hockey game held at McGill University in 1884
-
The Stanley Cup in 1893
-
Matthews Arena in Boston remains the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still in operation
-
A ice hockey game between Berliner Schlittschuhclub and Brussels Royal IHSC, January 1910
-
VTB Arena is an example of an indoor ice hockey arena. The arena is used by HC Dynamo Moscow.
-
Players from the South Carolina Stingrays perform a line change. A line change is a substitution of an entire line at once.
-
Scoreboard for a hockey game during the fourth period. If a game is tied at the end of the third period, several leagues and tournaments have teams play additional sudden death overtime periods.
-
Several leagues and tournaments have implemented the shootout as a means to determine a winner, if the game remains tied after an extra overtime period
-
An ice hockey player enters the penalty box. Players may be sent to the penalty box for rule infractions, forcing their team to play with one less player for a specified time.
-
A referee calls a delayed penalty, which sees play continue until a goal is scored, or the opposing team regains control of the puck
-
Officials working under a four-official system. Orange armbands are worn by the referees to distinguish them from the lineswomen.
-
Models with the protective equipment worn by ice hockey skaters; such as a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, hockey pants, and shin guards.
-
An injured skater being attended to after hitting the endboards. Because ice hockey is a full-contact sport, and involves players moving at high speeds, injuries can occur during play.
-
Youths being taught how to properly deliver a check in ice hockey
-
An NHL fan exhibit, where guests attempt to deflect the puck in order to score
-
A goalie heads to the bench in order to allow for an extra attacker
-
Fighting in ice hockey is officially prohibited in the rules, although it continues to be an established tradition in the sport in North America
-
Women playing ice hockey, c. 1888. The daughter of Lord Stanley of Preston, Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, is visible in white.
-
Medal ceremony for the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics
-
Advert for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game outside Bridgestone Arena, featuring players from its clubs based in Canada and the United States
-
Pre-game warmups prior to a Memorial Cup game. The tourney serves as the championship for the major junior Canadian Hockey League.
-
A Russian stamp commemorating the Gagarin Cup, which is presented to the KHL's playoff champion. The KHL is the largest ice hockey league in Eurasia.
-
Players from the ZSC Lions line up prior to a game. The club plays in the Swiss National League A.
-
Alexander Ovechkin of the Russian men's hockey team moves the puck as Czech Republic's Filip Kuba defends against him, during the 2010 Olympics
-
Skaters from the Finnish and Belorussian men's ice hockey teams shortly after a face-off during the 2016 IIHF World Championship. The IIHF is an annual national team tournament.
-
The Big Chill at the Big House was a collegiate ice hockey game played at Michigan Stadium in 2010. The game set the attendance record for ice hockey games
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
See also
In Spanish: Hockey sobre hielo para niños
