New York Islanders. Ice hockey. A fast-paced physical sport, hockey is most popular in areas of North America (particularly Canada and northern parts of the United States) and Europe. In North America, the National Hockey League (NHL) is the highest level for men's hockey and the most popular. Ice hockey is the official national winter sport of Canada,[1] where the game enjoys immense popularity.
The first organized game was played on March 3, 1875, in Montreal. 162 of 177 medals at the IIHF World Championships have been taken by seven nations: Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, Sweden and the United States.[2][3] Of the 66 medals awarded in men's competition at the Olympics from 1920, only six medals did not go to one of those countries. History[edit] Winter landscape, with skaters playing Golf (Hendrick Avercamp, 17th-century Dutch painter) Stick-and-ball games date back to pre-Christian times.
Name[edit] Modern ice hockey[edit] The early Quebec Skating Rink, representative of early rinks. SoundTigers.com. USA Hockey. Ice Hockey Rules. GoARMYsports.com - Official Athletic Site of the Army Black Knights. The Official Site of The New York Mets | mets.com: Homepage. MetsBlog.com | Latest Mets News, Links, Rumors and Opinion. THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE NEW YORK KNICKS. Week 1 - Giants vs. Redskins Live Webcast.