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 | International Ice Hockey Federation |
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| 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) is an exciting team sport played on ice skates. It's usually played on a special ice rink with specific lines and markings. Ice hockey is part of a bigger group of sports known as hockey.
In ice hockey, two teams use ice hockey sticks to move a hard rubber disc called a "puck". Their goal is to shoot the puck into the other team's net. Each time a team scores a goal, they get one point. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins!
During a game, each team usually has six skaters on the ice. One of these players is the goaltender, who tries to stop the puck from going into the net. Ice hockey is a full contact sport for men, meaning players can legally hit each other. It's known as one of the most physically demanding team sports. It's different from field hockey, which is played on a field with a ball.
Modern ice hockey started in Canada, especially in Montreal. The first indoor game was played there on March 3, 1875. Some rules from that game, like the size of the rink and using a puck, are still used today. Amateur leagues began in the 1880s, and professional ice hockey started around 1900. The famous Stanley Cup trophy was first given out in 1893 to the best amateur team. Later, it became the championship trophy for the National Hockey League (NHL).
Ice hockey became an Olympic sport at the 1920 Summer Olympics. Now, it's a very popular sport at the Winter Olympics. In 1994, ice hockey was officially named Canada's national winter sport. Women have played hockey for a long time too. Women's ice hockey became more popular when body checking was removed from their games in the 1980s. The first Women's World Championship was held in 1990, and women's hockey joined the Olympics in 1998.
History of Ice Hockey
Ice hockey likely grew from older stick and ball games played in the 1700s and 1800s. These games were played in places like Britain and Ireland. Some of these games include bandy, hurling, and shinty. The North American sport of lacrosse also played a part.
When these games came to North America, similar winter games developed. These informal games, like shinny and ice polo, later became part of the organized sport we know as ice hockey today.
How the Game is Played
Ice hockey is a fast-paced sport played by two teams on ice. Players wear ice skates to glide quickly across the ice. They use hockey sticks to push, shoot, or pass a puck. The main goal is to shoot the puck into the opponent's net. The goaltenders try their best to block these shots.
Each team has six players on the ice at one time. These players include two defenders, three forwards, and one goalie. A full team has more than 20 players, allowing them to switch players often. If a player breaks a rule, a referee calls a penalty. The player then has to sit in a penalty box for a few minutes. While they are in the box, their team plays with fewer players on the ice.
Periods and Overtime
A professional ice hockey game has three periods, each lasting twenty minutes. The clock only runs when the puck is in play. Teams switch ends of the rink after each period. Recreational and children's leagues often play shorter games with shorter periods. A typical 60-minute game usually takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes from start to finish.
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If a game is tied at the end of the third period, some leagues play overtime. In North American tournaments, they often use "sudden death" overtime. This means teams keep playing twenty-minute periods until one team scores a goal. The first team to score wins!
Many leagues, including the NHL during the regular season, use a different overtime rule. They play a five-minute sudden-death overtime period with fewer players on the ice. If the game is still tied after this, they have a penalty shootout. In a shootout, three players from each team take turns trying to score on the goalie. The team with the most goals after these six shots wins. If it's still tied, the shootout continues in "sudden death" until a winner is found.
Player Equipment
Ice hockey can be a dangerous sport. The ice and boards are hard, pucks fly very fast (over 160 km/h!), and players often collide. Because of these risks, hockey players wear lots of safety gear. This equipment helps protect them from serious injuries.
Players usually wear a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, and a mouth guard. They also wear protective gloves, heavily padded pants, and leg guards. Goaltenders wear even more specialized and bulky equipment. This gear is designed to protect them from direct hits by the puck.
Young players and college players must wear a full face mask. This mask is made of metal wire or clear plastic and attaches to their helmet. It protects their entire face during play. Professional players might wear a visor that only covers their eyes, or sometimes no mask at all. However, many rules require full face protection for all non-professional players.
Safety equipment has become more common over time. For example, helmets were not even required in professional leagues until the 1980s.
Leagues and Championships
Many professional ice hockey leagues exist around the world. Here are some of the biggest leagues by how many fans attend their games:
| 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) |
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 | |
| 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) |
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 college competition | 3,281 |
| Quebec Major Junior Hockey League | Canada |
Junior league | 3,271 |
| Champions Hockey League |  Europe |
Europe-wide championship tournament | 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) |
Second division of Russia | 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 |
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 |
Types of Ice Hockey
Pond Hockey
Pond hockey is a casual type of ice hockey. It's played outdoors on frozen lakes, ponds, or special outdoor rinks in winter. People often call it "shinny." The rules are different from regular hockey. There's no body checking and less hard shooting. This means players focus more on skating, stickhandling, and passing skills. There are even championships for pond hockey, like the World Pond Hockey Championship in Canada.
Sledge Hockey
Sledge hockey is a version of ice hockey for players with physical disabilities. Players sit in special sleds. They use a unique hockey stick that also helps them move around on the ice. This sport started in Sweden in the early 1960s. It follows many of the same rules as regular ice hockey.
Images for kids
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A winter scene by Jan van Goyen from the 17th century.
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Winter landscape, with skaters playing IJscolf (Hendrick Avercamp, the 17th-century Dutch painter).
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"Ye Gude Olde Days" from Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game, 1899.
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Members of the Montreal Victorias in 1881.
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An ice hockey game held at McGill University in 1884.
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The Stanley Cup in 1893.
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Matthews Arena in Boston remains the oldest indoor ice hockey arena still in operation.
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An ice hockey game between Berliner Schlittschuhclub and Brussels Royal IHSC, January 1910.
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VTB Arena is an example of an indoor ice hockey arena. The arena is used by HC Dynamo Moscow.
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Players from the South Carolina Stingrays perform a line change. A line change is a substitution of an entire line at once.
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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.
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A referee calls a delayed penalty, which sees play continue until a goal is scored, or the opposing team regains control of the puck.
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Officials working under a four-official system. Orange armbands are worn by the referees to distinguish them from the lineswomen.
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Models with the protective equipment worn by ice hockey skaters; such as a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, hockey pants, and shin guards.
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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.
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Youths being taught how to properly deliver a check in ice hockey.
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An NHL fan exhibit, where guests attempt to deflect the puck in order to score.
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A goalie heads to the bench in order to allow for an extra attacker.
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Fighting in ice hockey is officially prohibited in the rules, although it continues to be an established tradition in the sport in North America.
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Women playing ice hockey, c. 1888. The daughter of Lord Stanley of Preston, Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy, is visible in white.
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Medal ceremony for the women's ice hockey tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
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Advert for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game outside Bridgestone Arena, featuring players from its clubs based in Canada and the United States.
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Pre-game warmups prior to a Memorial Cup game. The tourney serves as the championship for the major junior Canadian Hockey League.
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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.
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Players from the ZSC Lions line up prior to a game. The club plays in the Swiss National League A.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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See also
In Spanish: Hockey sobre hielo para niños
