Ice hockey at the Olympic Games facts for kids

Ice hockey tournaments have been played at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's tournament was first played at the 1920 Summer Olympics, but was moved to the Winter Olympics in 1924. The women's tournament was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics. Canada holds the record for the most Gold medals, with 11.

Images for kids

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  Representing Canada, the Winnipeg Falcons (pictured en route to the 1920 Summer Olympics) were the first Olympic champions in ice hockey.

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  The poster of the 1920 Summer Olympics

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  A game between Canada and Sweden during the 1928 Winter Olympics

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  The bronze medal winning 1936 American Olympic team.

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  Vladislav Tretiak of the USSR is the only male athlete to have won three gold medals and one silver in ice hockey.

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  The 1980 gold medal-winning American team had the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldron at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

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  Finnish centre Raimo Helminen, a six-time Olympian, won a silver in 1988 and bronze medals in 1994 and 1998.

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  The 1998 gold medal game between Russia and the Czech Republic was the first played between teams consisting mainly of NHL players.

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  With 43 points, Teemu Selänne of Finland is the all-time leading scorer in the men's tournament.

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  Members of the Canadian team celebrate moments after Sidney Crosby's gold medal winning overtime goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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  Canadian Hayley Wickenheiser is the all-time leading scorer in the women's tournament and was named tournament MVP twice.

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  A women's preliminary round game between Sweden and the United States in 2002

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  The Swiss team celebrates shortly after winning the bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Olympics. It was the first medal for the country in women's hockey.

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  Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the IOC

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  A set of silver, gold and bronze medals from the 1998 Winter Olympics on display at the Hockey Hall of Fame

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  NHL players Saku Koivu of Finland and Pavel Datsyuk of Russia face off in a semi-final game at the 2006 Winter Olympics.

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  Prior to the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia, a number of Russian NHL players, including Alexander Ovechkin, stated that they would play in the tournament with or without the NHL's approval.

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  The medal ceremony for the women's tournament at the 2010 Winter Olympics, left to right: the United States (silver), Canada (gold) and Finland (bronze).