Ice hockey facts for kids
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An ice hockey forward (Bryan Rust of the Pittsburgh Penguins) shoots toward a net defended by a goaltender (Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals).
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| Highest governing body | IIHF |
|---|---|
| First played | 1875, Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Characteristics | |
| Contact |
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| Team members |
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| Mixed-sex | No |
| Type |
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| Equipment |
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| Venue |
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| Presence | |
| Olympic |
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| Paralympic | Yes |
Ice hockey, often just called hockey in North America and parts of Europe, is an exciting team sport played on ice. Players wear ice skates and glide across a special ice rink that has specific lines and markings. It's part of a group of sports known as hockey. The goal is to use ice hockey sticks to move a hard rubber hockey puck across the ice. Teams try to shoot the puck into the opponent's net to score a goal, which is worth one point. The team with the most points after about an hour of play wins. If scores are tied, extra time called overtime or a shootout decides the winner. In a regular game, each team has six players on the ice at once, including a goaltender, unless a penalty occurs. Ice hockey is a contact sport and requires a lot of physical effort.
Modern ice hockey started in Canada, especially in Montreal. The first indoor game was played there on March 3, 1875. The sport was inspired by older games like shinty from Scotland and field hockey from England. Things like the size of the rink and using a puck are still part of the game today. Amateur leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey started around 1900. The famous Stanley Cup trophy, which shows who is the best club team, was first given out in 1893. It later became the championship trophy for the National Hockey League (NHL). The rules from Canada were adopted by the group that became the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). Ice hockey first appeared at the Olympics in the 1920 Summer Games. Now, it is a very important part of the Winter Olympics. In 1994, Canada officially named ice hockey its national winter sport.
Girls and women also played hockey from the beginning. In the mid-1980s, rules changed to remove body checking from women's games. This helped the sport become much more popular, spreading across Europe and other countries. The first IIHF Women's World Championship was held in 1990. Women's hockey became an Olympic sport in 1998.
Contents
- History of Ice Hockey
- Playing the Game
- Injury Prevention in Ice Hockey
- Ice Hockey Tactics
- Women's Ice Hockey
- Leagues and Championships Around the World
- International Status of Ice Hockey
- Ice Hockey Variants
- See also
History of Ice Hockey
The Origins of Ice Hockey
Ice hockey grew from simple stick and ball games played long ago. These games were popular in places like Britain and Ireland in the 1700s and 1800s. Games such as bandy, hurling, and shinty influenced hockey. Even the North American sport of lacrosse, which came from Native American games, played a part. These games came to North America. Over time, they turned into the organized sport we know today as ice hockey.
Playing the Game
How Ice Hockey is Played
The basic idea of ice hockey is always the same. However, the exact rules can be a little different. This depends on the league playing. The main rules are set by the IIHF and the NHL. Both of these rule sets came from Canadian hockey rules from the early 1900s.
Ice hockey takes place on a special hockey rink. Each team has six players on the ice at one time. One of these players is the goaltender, who protects the net. The main goal is to score by shooting a hard rubber disc, called a hockey puck, into the other team's net. Players use their sticks to move the puck, pass it, or shoot it.
Players can use parts of their body to redirect the puck, but there are rules. You cannot hold the puck in your hand. You also cannot pass the puck to a teammate with your hand, unless you are in your own defensive area. Players can bat the puck down to themselves out of the air. Kicking the puck into the opponent's goal is not allowed. However, if the puck accidentally bounces off a player's body or skate and goes in, it counts.
Hockey is an off-side game, which means players can pass the puck forward. This is different from some other sports. Before the 1930s, only backward passes were allowed. This made players focus more on moving the puck by themselves. When forward passes became allowed, hockey became more of a team sport. Players could work together better across the whole ice.
Player Positions and Teamwork
Each team's six players usually include three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. Players who are not goaltenders are called skaters. The forwards include a centre and two wingers (a left wing and a right wing). Forwards often play together in groups called lines. The defencemen usually play together as a pair. Players are often positioned on the side that matches how they hold their stick. When a whole group of players changes at once, it's called a line change. Teams might use different lines when they are playing with fewer players (short-handed) or have an advantage (power play). The goaltender stays in a special area called the crease to stop pucks from entering the net. Players can be substituted at any time, even during play, which is called changing on the fly.
The walls around the ice, called boards, keep the puck in play. Players can also use the boards to pass the puck. In men's hockey, players can bodycheck opponents into the boards to stop them. Officials and the outside of the goal are part of the playing area. The game only stops if the goal net is moved out of place. Games can go on for several minutes without stopping. When play does stop, it restarts with a faceoff. Two players face each other, and an official drops the puck. Both players try to gain control of it. Circles on the ice show where faceoffs happen and help players get into position.
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Key Rules: Offside, Icing, and Out of Play
Three main rules control how the puck moves:
- Offside: A player is offside if they enter the opponent's zone before the puck does.
- Icing: In many situations, a player cannot "ice the puck". This means shooting the puck all the way across both the center line and the opponent's goal line.
- Puck Out of Play: The puck is out of play if it leaves the ice rink. This could be going onto the benches, over the glass, or into the protective netting. Officials will blow a whistle to stop play. The puck is considered "dead" once it leaves the rink. Play also stops if the puck gets stuck along the boards or behind a net for too long.
Teams can have up to 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster in IIHF rules. NHL rules allow 18 players plus two goaltenders per game. In the NHL, players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards and three pairs of defencemen. Sometimes, a team might use an extra defenceman instead of a forward.
Periods and Overtime Rules
A professional ice hockey game has three periods, each lasting twenty minutes. The clock only runs when the puck is in play. There is a break between each period. Teams switch ends of the rink after every period, including overtime. Games for kids or recreational leagues often have shorter periods.
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If a game is tied at the end of regular time, some leagues play extra periods called sudden death overtime. This means the game continues until one team scores, and that team wins. In the NHL playoffs, teams play 20-minute sudden death periods until a goal is scored. Regular season NHL games used to end in ties. Now, if a game is tied after overtime, a penalty shootout decides the winner. In a shootout, three players from each team take turns trying to score on the goalie. If it's still tied, the shootout continues until one team scores more. The winning team gets two points, and the losing team gets one point.
Penalties and Infractions
When players break the rules in ice hockey, play stops. Sometimes, a player or team gets a penalty. This usually means the player goes to the penalty box. Their team then plays with one less player on the ice for a set time. Minor penalties last two minutes. Major penalties last five minutes. A double minor penalty means two two-minute penalties in a row. If a minor penalty causes a visible injury, like bleeding, it can be extended by two minutes. Players can also get longer penalties or be removed from the game for bad conduct. The team with a penalty is short-handed, while the other team is on a power play.
Common Penalties
A two-minute minor penalty is given for smaller rule breaks. These include tripping, elbowing, roughing, high-sticking, delay of the game, too many players on the ice, boarding (hitting someone into the boards dangerously), illegal equipment, charging (leaping into an opponent), holding, interference, hooking, slashing, kneeing, or unsportsmanlike conduct. Since the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also given for diving, which is when a player pretends an opponent committed a foul. More serious fouls might get a four-minute double-minor penalty, especially if a player is injured. These penalties end when the time runs out or when the other team scores a goal during the power play.
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Five-minute major penalties are for very violent actions. This includes most minor fouls that intentionally injure an opponent, or if a minor penalty causes visible injury. Fighting also results in major penalties. Major penalties are always served for the full five minutes; they do not end if the other team scores. Major penalties for fighting are usually offsetting, meaning both teams play with a full number of players.
Other Penalties and Rules
Some penalties do not make a team play with fewer players. Ten-minute misconduct penalties are served by the player, but their team can immediately replace them on the ice. However, if a minor or major penalty is given along with the misconduct, another player must serve that part of the penalty. Game misconducts are for trying to seriously injure an opponent or for repeated major penalties. The player is kicked out of the game.
A penalty shot is given when an illegal action stops a player from having a clear chance to score. This often happens when a player is on a breakaway. The player gets to pick up the puck at center ice and try to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice.
Officials also stop play for puck movement rules, like passing the puck with your hand in the offensive zone. No penalty is given for these, except if a player deliberately falls on the puck, carries it in their hand, or shoots it out of play from their defensive zone. These are two-minute penalties for delay of game.
In the NHL, goalies cannot play the puck in the "corners" behind their own net. If they do, their team gets a two-minute penalty. Goalies can only play the puck in front of the goal line and right behind the net.
In men's hockey, players can use their hip or shoulder to hit another player who has the puck. This is called body checking. Not all physical contact is allowed. Hits from behind, hits to the head, and most forceful stick-on-body contact are against the rules.
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A delayed penalty call happens when the team without the puck commits a foul. The team with the puck can keep playing until they score, an opponent gets the puck, or they commit a penalty themselves. Since the penalized team cannot control the puck, the team with possession can remove their goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. If the team with possession scores during a delayed penalty, the penalty is still called but not served.
Officials in Ice Hockey
Roles of On-Ice Officials
A typical hockey game has two to four officials on the ice. They make sure everyone follows the rules. There are usually two linesmen who mainly call "offside" and "icing" violations. They also break up fights and start play with faceoffs. One or two referees call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can tell the referee if a penalty should be called in some situations.
The most common system uses one referee and two linesmen. The "four-official system" adds an extra referee to help call penalties that are hard for one referee to see. This system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at IIHF World Championships, and the Olympics.
Officials are chosen by the league they work for. Amateur leagues follow guidelines from national groups like Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. These groups approve officials based on their experience and their ability to pass rules and skating tests.
Ice Hockey Equipment
Protective Gear for Skaters
Ice hockey is a full-contact sport, so injuries can happen. Wearing protective equipment is required in all competitive games. This includes a helmet with a visor or full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, a mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (hockey pants), an athletic cup (for boys) or pelvic protector (for girls), shin pads, and skates. Some players also wear a neck protector.
Goaltender Equipment
Goaltenders wear different equipment because pucks can fly at them very fast (up to 100 mph!). They need much more protection. Goalies wear special skates designed for side-to-side movement, an athletic cup or pelvic protector, large leg pads, a blocking glove, a catching glove, a chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltender equipment has become bigger over time, which has led to fewer goals in games and some rule changes.
Ice Skates
Ice hockey skates are made for quick starts, stops, turns, and changes in direction. They are also very stiff and strong to protect a player's feet from hits by other players, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice. The blade's length, thickness, and curve are different from speed or figure skates. Players adjust these features based on their skill, position, and body. Most skate blades are about 1/8 inch thick.
Ice Hockey Stick
Every player, except the goaltender, carries a stick. It has a long shaft and a slightly curved, flat blade. The curve of the blade affects how easily a player can lift the puck or take backhand shots. The stick's flexibility, called flex, also matters. A less flexible stick is usually for stronger players. Players look for a flex that allows the stick to bend easily but still "whip back" to send the puck flying fast. This stick is perfect for hitting and controlling the flat puck.
The goaltender uses a different kind of stick. It has a larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is mainly for blocking shots, but goalies can also use it to play the puck.
Injury Prevention in Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is a full-contact sport, so there is a risk of injury. Players move at speeds of about 20 to 30 mph. Much of the game involves physical contact between players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder hits, hip hits, and pucks can all cause injuries. Lace bite, which is irritation on the front of the foot or ankle, is a common hockey injury.
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Compared to athletes in other sports, hockey players have a higher risk of overuse injuries. These can happen when teenagers specialize in one sport too early. Before helmets and face masks were common, cuts to the head and face were the most frequent injuries.
One major cause of head injury is body checking from behind. Because this is so dangerous, many leagues, including the NHL, have made it a major penalty. Another type of hit that causes many concussions is a check to the head. In recent years, the NHL has added new rules to penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to the head. Studies show that ice hockey causes a significant number of sports-related brain injuries in Canadian children.
Some teams in the Swiss National League are testing systems with helmet sensors. These sensors show a player's brain injury risk during a game. They provide real-time data on how strong, frequent, and severe head impacts are. If the system detects a potential brain injury, it alerts the coach to get medical help for the player.
Ice Hockey Tactics
Defensive Strategies
Defensive tactics in ice hockey can be active or more careful. Some systems focus on man-to-man coverage, while others use zonal coverage. Many teams use a mix of both. Defensive skills include pass interception, shot blocking, and stick checking. Stick checking is when a defensive player uses their stick to try and take the puck or block a pass. Important defensive ideas include "managing gaps" (controlling space), "boxing out" (not letting opponents get to the inside), and "staying on the right side" (of the puck). Another popular idea is playing a 200-foot game, which means playing well in all areas of the ice.
Checking and Forechecking
An important defensive tactic is checking. This means trying to take the puck from an opponent or remove them from the play. Stick checking, sweep checking, and poke checking are legal ways to use your stick to get the puck. The neutral zone trap is a strategy to keep the puck carrier from entering the offensive zone. Body checking is using your shoulder or hip to hit an opponent who has the puck. Body checking is also a penalty in some leagues to reduce injuries.
One of the most important team strategies is their forecheck. Forechecking is when a team attacks the opponent in their defensive zone. It's a key part of the dump and chase strategy, where a team shoots the puck into the offensive zone and then chases after it. Teams use different systems, but common ones are:
- 2–1–2: Two forwards pressure the opponent's defencemen deep in their zone. The third forward stays higher, and the two defencemen stay at the blue line.
- 1–2–2: One forward pressures the puck carrier. The other two forwards cover the opponent's wingers, and the two defencemen stay at the blue line.
- 1–4 (Neutral Zone Trap): One forward pressures the puck carrier around the opponent's blue line. The other four players form a line near their own blue line, hoping the opponent skates into one of them.
Offensive Strategies
Offensive tactics aim to improve a team's position on the ice. This means moving the puck out of your own zone and into the opponent's zone. The ultimate goal of offensive tactics is to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely aims the puck towards the opponent's goal, they are "shooting" the puck.
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A deflection is when a player redirects a shot or pass from another player towards the goal with their stick. A one-timer is a shot taken directly off a pass, without stopping the puck first. Headmanning the puck, also called breaking out, is quickly passing to the player farthest down the ice. Loafing, or cherry-picking, is when a forward skates behind the attacking team instead of playing defense, hoping for an easy scoring chance.
If a team is losing by one or two goals in the last few minutes, they might pull the goalie. This means removing the goaltender and replacing them with an extra attacker on the ice. They hope this extra player will help them score. This is a risky move, as the opposing team might score into the empty net.
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There are many other small tactics in hockey. Cycling moves the puck along the boards in the offensive zone. This tires out defenders or moves them out of position to create a scoring chance. Pinching is when a defenceman pressures an opponent's winger in the offensive zone to stop their attack and keep the puck in the zone. A saucer pass is a pass that lifts the puck over an opponent's stick or body, landing it on a teammate's stick.
A deke, short for "decoy," is a fake move with the body or stick to fool a defender or goalie. Many modern players are skilled at "dangling," which is a fancier deke that needs more stick handling.
Stick handling, also known as ragging, is a tactic to keep possession of the puck. A player uses their stick to move the puck away from opponents while skating past them. When combined with deking, a player can attempt an end-to-end rush and try to score alone. Ragging is also used to waste time when a team is on a penalty kill.
Fighting in Ice Hockey
Even though fighting is officially against the rules, it sometimes happens in professional hockey, especially in North America. Players who fight are sent to the penalty box. In amateur games, fighting is penalized more strictly. A player who gets a fighting penalty might also get a 10-minute misconduct penalty or be removed from the game.
Women's Ice Hockey
History of Women's Ice Hockey
Women started playing ice hockey in the late 1800s. Records show games played in Ottawa, Canada, in the 1890s. The daughters of Lord Stanley, who donated the Stanley Cup, were known to play hockey on an outdoor rink.
Early women's hockey, like men's hockey, grew without a main organizing group. A tournament in 1902 between Montreal and Trois-Rivières was called the first women's championship. More tournaments were held in the early 1900s with teams like the Seattle Vamps and Vancouver Amazons. Organizations like the Ladies Ontario Hockey Association started in the 1920s.
After 1961, women's hockey grew in universities in Canada. This was after the Canadian government committed to supporting amateur sports.
Today, women's hockey is played at all levels, from youth to professional leagues. In 2019, the Professional Women's Hockey Players Association was formed. Their goal was to create a lasting professional league for women in North America. Now, there are major professional women's hockey leagues like the Professional Women's Hockey League in the United States and Canada, and the Zhenskaya Hockey League in Russia.
Before women's hockey became professional in the 2000s, female goalies sometimes played against men. Karen Koch was the first female professional ice hockey player in the United States Hockey League in 1969–70. Only one woman, goalie Manon Rhéaume, has ever played in NHL pre-season games. Hayley Wickenheiser played in a Finnish men's league in 2003.
Between 1995 and 2005, the number of women playing hockey increased by 400 percent. In 2011, Canada had over 85,000 women players, and the United States had over 65,000. Women's ice hockey became an Olympic medal sport in 1998 in Nagano, Japan.
Women's World Championship
The 1987 World Women's Hockey Tournament was the first international competition for women's hockey. It was not officially recognized by the IIHF. Two years later, the 1989 IIHF European Women Championships was the first IIHF-sanctioned event. The first official Women's World Championship was held in 1990 in Ottawa.
As of 2025, more than forty national teams compete in this annual event. They play across four divisions. The top division has ten teams. The 2022 top division tournament was the first to be held in an Olympic year.
Equipment and Body Checking in Women's Hockey
Players in women's competitions must wear full-face masks for protection. All players must also wear a pelvic protector, often called a "jill." Other protective gear for girls and women is sometimes made specifically for the female body. For example, shoulder pads are designed to protect the chest area without limiting movement.
Body checking has been a debated topic in women's hockey. It has mostly been banned since the mid-1980s in Canada and then internationally. This change helped more girls and women join the sport. Body checking was removed from women's hockey internationally after the 1990 Women's World Championship.
The idea of bringing body checking back to women's hockey is still controversial. Some people worry it would cause fewer girls to play. However, the Svenska damhockeyligan (SDHL), Sweden's top women's league, started allowing body checking in its 2022–23 season. They still ban open-ice hits. The Professional Women's Hockey League, which started in 2024, also allows body checking. The league's rules permit body checking when a player clearly intends to play the puck, especially along the boards.
Leagues and Championships Around the World
Professional Leagues by Attendance
Here is a list of professional ice hockey leagues with their average attendance for the 2018–19 season, and for the PWHL in 2024:
| League | Country | Notes | Average Attendance for 2018–19 |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Hockey League (NHL) |  United States (25 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) |
6,397 | |
| American Hockey League | United States (26 teams) Canada (6 teams) |
Developmental league for NHL | 5,672 |
| Swedish Hockey League (SHL) |  Sweden |
5,936 | |
| Professional Women's Hockey League | United States (3 teams) Canada (3 teams) |
Founded in 2023, first game in 2024 | 5,448 |
| Czech Extraliga |  Czech Republic |
5,401 | |
| SM-liiga |  Finland |
4,232 | |
| Western Hockey League | Canada (17 teams) United States (5 teams) |
Junior league | 4,295 |
| ECHL | United States (25 teams) Canada (2 teams) |
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 Maritimes Junior Hockey League | Canada |
Junior league | 3,271 |
| Champions Hockey League |  Europe |
Europe-wide championship tournament 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 |
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) |
1,663 | |
| Ligue Magnus |  France |
1,716 | |
| Supreme Hockey League (VHL) | Russia (24 teams) Kazakhstan (2 teams) China (2 teams) |
1,766 | |
| Swiss League | Switzerland |
Second division of Switzerland | 1,845 |
| Chance Liga | Czech Republic |
Second division of Czechia | 1,674 |
| Latvian Hockey Higher League |  Latvia (6 teams) |
1,354 | |
| Metal Ligaen |  Denmark |
1,525 | |
| Asia League |  Japan (4 teams) South Korea (1 teams) |
976 | |
| Mestis | Finland |
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) |
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) |
734 | |
| Belarusian Extraleague | Belarus |
717 | |
| Swedish Women's Hockey League | Sweden |
234 |
Club Competitions in North America
The NHL is the most popular ice hockey league in the world. It is one of the biggest professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The NHL started in 1917 with four teams. It grew to include teams in the United States by 1924. After some changes, it had six teams, known as the Original Six, by 1942–43. In 1967, the NHL doubled in size to 12 teams. A new league, the World Hockey Association (WHA), formed in 1972. This rivalry caused player salaries to increase quickly. In 1979, the NHL merged with the WHA, creating a 21-team league. By 2021, the NHL had expanded to 32 teams.
The American Hockey League (AHL) is the main professional league for players hoping to join the NHL. It has 31 teams from the United States and Canada. Most AHL players are under contract with an NHL team. The ECHL is a mid-level minor league in the United States. Some of its players are also under contract with NHL or AHL teams.
There are also a few minor professional leagues without direct NHL connections. These include the Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) and the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL).
U Sports ice hockey is the highest level of play for Canadian universities. These players follow rules for university sports, including a five-year eligibility limit. In the United States, college hockey is popular. The best university teams compete in the annual NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship. The American Collegiate Hockey Association has college teams at the club level.
In Canada, the Canadian Hockey League oversees three major junior leagues. These are the Ontario Hockey League, the Western Hockey League, and the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. These leagues attract young players from Canada, the United States, and Europe. Junior players are considered amateurs. They receive a stipend and play a schedule similar to professional leagues. Many NHL players are drafted directly from these major junior leagues. In the United States, the United States Hockey League (USHL) is the top junior league. Players in this league are also amateurs and do not get a stipend. This allows them to keep their eligibility for NCAA ice hockey.
The Professional Women's Hockey League is the highest level of club competition for women's hockey. It was founded in 2023 and started playing in 2024. It has three teams in Canada and three in the United States.
Club Competitions in Eurasia and Europe
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is the largest and most popular ice hockey league in Eurasia. It is the successor to the Russian Super League and the Soviet League, which started in the 1940s. The KHL began in 2008 with teams mostly from Russia. It also includes teams from other countries like Belarus, China, and Kazakhstan.
The second division in Eurasia is the Supreme Hockey League (VHL). This league has 24 teams from Russia and 2 from Kazakhstan. It is becoming a farm league for the KHL. The third division is the Russian Hockey League, with only Russian teams. The Asia League is an international league with clubs from China, Japan, and South Korea.
The highest junior league in Eurasia is the Junior Hockey League (MHL). It has 32 teams, mostly from former Soviet countries. The second tier is the Junior Hockey League Championships (MHL-B).
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Many European countries have their own top professional leagues. Future KHL and NHL players often start or end their careers in these leagues. Popular leagues include the National League A in Switzerland, the Swedish Hockey League, the SM-liiga in Finland, and the Czech Extraliga.
The Champions Hockey League started in the 2014–15 season. It features top teams from several European countries. This competition runs at the same time as the teams' domestic leagues. It aims to be a Europe-wide club championship.
There are also annual tournaments for clubs outside of league play. The Spengler Cup, held every year in Davos, Switzerland, is one of the oldest. It was first awarded in 1923. The Memorial Cup is an annual competition for junior-level clubs in Canada and the United States.
International club competitions organized by the IIHF include the Continental Cup and the European Women's Champions Cup. The World Junior Club Cup is an annual tournament for junior clubs from top junior leagues.
National Team Competitions
Ice hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics since 1924. It was also played at the 1920 Summer Games. Hockey is Canada's national winter sport, and Canadians love the game. Canada won many early Olympic gold medals. However, by 1956, teams from the Soviet Union, with government-supported players, became very strong. The Soviet Union won most gold medals from 1956 to 1988. The United States won its first gold medal in 1960. At the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics, amateur US college players famously defeated the strong Soviet team in an event known as the "Miracle on Ice".
Rules changed to allow professional players in the Olympics in 1988. The NHL agreed to let its players participate starting in 1998. The NHL even paused its season for the Olympics until 2018. The 2010 games in Vancouver were the first played in an NHL city with NHL-sized rinks.
National teams from IIHF member countries compete yearly in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships. Teams are chosen from available players, whether amateur or professional. Since this tournament happens in the spring, many top NHL players cannot join because they are in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The 1972 Summit Series and 1974 Summit Series were important games between Canadian and Soviet players. These series created a big rivalry. Later, five Canada Cup tournaments were played in North America. These led to the World Cup of Hockey, played in 1996, 2004, and 2016. The United States won in 1996, and Canada won in 2004 and 2016.
Since the first women's world championships in 1990, there have been many tournaments. Women's hockey has been in the Olympics since 1998. Almost all finals in women's world championships or Olympics have been between Canada and the United States.
Other national team tournaments include the World Junior Championship and the World Women's U18 Championships. The annual Euro Hockey Tour is an unofficial European championship for men's teams.
Attendance Records
The record for attendance at an ice hockey game was set on December 11, 2010. The University of Michigan's men's ice hockey team played against Michigan State. This event, called "The Big Chill at the Big House", took place at Michigan Stadium, a football venue. An announced crowd of 113,411 watched the game. Guinness World Records confirmed 104,173 ticketed fans entered the stadium.
This record was almost broken at the 2014 NHL Winter Classic, also at Michigan Stadium. The Detroit Red Wings played the Toronto Maple Leafs in front of 105,491 fans. The record for an NHL Stanley Cup playoff game is 28,183. This was set on April 23, 1996, at the Thunderdome during a Tampa Bay Lightning – Philadelphia Flyers game.
The attendance record for a professional women's game was set on April 20, 2024. A sold-out crowd of 21,105 people watched a PWHL game between Montreal and Toronto at the Bell Centre in Montreal.
International Status of Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is most popular in Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, and the United States. It is the official national winter sport of Canada.
Ice hockey is also the most popular winter sport in Austria, Belarus, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Norway, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden, and Switzerland. North America's National Hockey League (NHL) is the highest level for men's ice hockey. The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is the top league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe.
The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) is the main group that governs international ice hockey. It manages international tournaments and keeps the IIHF World Ranking. The IIHF has 83 member countries around the world.
In international competitions, six countries are usually the strongest: Canada, Czechia, Finland, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. These are known as the Big Six. They have won almost all the medals in men's Olympic and World Championship competitions. Canada has won the most gold medals.
The World Cup of Hockey is organized by the NHL and the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA). It uses NHL rules and happens before the NHL season, so all NHL players can participate. In women's hockey, the Big Six countries have won all Olympic and World Championship medals. The Canadian and United States national teams have won every gold medal in these events.
Number of Registered Players by Country
This table shows the number of registered hockey players (male, female, and junior) in countries with over 1,000 players, as of March 2025.
| Country | Players | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| Canada |
587,680 | 1.479% |
| United States |
566,477 | 0.164% |
| Russia |
90,160 | 0.062% |
| Sweden |
76,841 | 0.724% |
 Finland |
66,078 | 1.176% |
 Switzerland |
31,273 | 0.351% |
 Czechia |
27,141 | 0.253% |
 Germany |
26,517 | 0.031% |
| France |
23,560 | 0.035% |
| Japan |
13,842 | 0.011% |
 Norway |
12,415 | 0.223% |
| Great Britain |
12,236 | 0.018% |
 Slovakia |
11,728 | 0.213% |
| China |
10,786 | 0.001% |
 Belarus |
10,335 | 0.114% |
 Hungary |
8,569 | 0.089% |
 Latvia |
7,864 | 0.420% |
 Austria |
7,576 | 0.083% |
 Denmark |
6,110 | 0.102% |
 Ukraine |
5,341 | 0.014% |
 Australia |
5,270 | 0.020% |
 Kazakhstan |
4,931 | 0.024% |
| Italy |
4,901 | 0.008% |
| Poland |
4,003 | 0.010% |
 South Korea |
3,587 | 0.007% |
 Netherlands |
3,088 | 0.017% |
| Belgium |
2,947 | 0.025% |
 India |
2,554 | 0.000% |
 New Zealand |
2,446 | 0.047% |
 Kyrgyzstan |
2,134 | 0.030% |
 Romania |
1,719 | 0.009% |
 Turkey |
1,642 | 0.002% |
 Lithuania |
1,576 | 0.055% |
 North Korea |
1,510 | 0.006% |
 Mexico |
1,391 | 0.001% |
 Slovenia |
1,243 | 0.059% |
 Argentina |
1,137 | 0.002% |
 Bulgaria |
1,054 | 0.016% |
 Estonia |
1,024 | 0.075% |
Ice Hockey Variants
Pond Hockey
Pond hockey is a type of ice hockey played informally on frozen lakes, ponds, or outdoor rinks in winter. It's often called shinny. The rules are different from regular hockey. There is no hitting, and very little hard shooting. This makes players focus more on skating, stickhandling, and passing skills. The World Pond Hockey Championship has been held in New Brunswick, Canada, since 2002.
Sledge Hockey
Sledge hockey is a version of ice hockey for players with physical disabilities. Players sit in special sleds and use a unique hockey stick. This stick also helps them move around on the ice. The sport started in Sweden in the early 1960s and follows rules similar to ice hockey.
See also
In Spanish: Hockey sobre hielo para niños
- Analytics (ice hockey)
- College ice hockey
- Glossary of ice hockey
- Ice hockey by country
- List of films about ice hockey
- Minor ice hockey
 | Roy Wilkins |
 | John Lewis |
 | Linda Carol Brown |
