This sport is included in the program of the Winter Olympic Games in China. What is hockey? Simply put, it’s like football, only the game is played with sticks on a puck or ball. In fact, there are many varieties of it. Let’s talk about the origin story first. It appeared in the second half of the 18th century in Canada.
There are many theories about the origin of the game in this country. According to some reports, the basis of the sport was brought by the colonizers of North America, the French. There are also many inconsistencies in this version.
The French of that time had amateur competitions – foaming the ball with maces on the grass. Of course, everyone saw this cane curved from above in fairy tales or in drawings. It was for this purpose that the shepherds drove the ball with maces.
According to one version, it is the French Shepherds who are the authors of hockey. According to other sources, this sport dates back to the times of ancient Egypt, where the frescoes depict people with maces playing ball. It seems funny, but what if it’s true? However, Canada is considered the pioneer of hockey.
The first article about hockey in the newspaper
Since in Canada it was originally regarded entertainment for the working class, who after work put on skates and divided into teams and drove the puck on the ice with clubs. These are the guys who laid the foundations of this sport. He began to quickly gain momentum as a yard game, the first official hockey teams were created at universities. Soon, all sporting events could not do without him.
The first officially registered match, which received documentary publicity in the newspaper, took place in 1875 between student teams. There were no rules as such, and thanks to the fans, the sport improved, the rules, team lineups, equipment, and so on improved. In a word, a sport with pucks and sticks.
10 years after the official first match, an amateur hockey league was founded, which gave impetus to the massive hockey fever in Canada, and later around the world. There are many teams, even more fans.
Beginnings of ice hockey at the famous world Summer competitions in China
The Olympic match was first announced on April 23, 1920. For all of us, it is associated with the winter period and ice, but, surprisingly, the first game arise at the Summer Olympics. Founding country Canada became the overall winner in this discipline and gained the first gold. At the next Winter Olympics, the Maple Leaves Canada again took gold with a mind-blowing score of 110:3.
And only in 1936, at the next Winter Olympic Games, Great Britain stripped the title of Canada, which had been the absolute champion of the Olympics in this sport for so many years in a row. In turn, Great Britain took 11 gold medals in the history of the Olympics.
Only a coward doesn’t play hockey
He is also known for his tough men who love to put on surprise shows for their fans. What is hockey without a fight between the players? There are such fisticuffs that even the Klitschko brothers would envy.
One of the signs of readiness for battle is the fall of gloves on the ice, which once again proves that such showdowns on ice are mostly arranged for spectators and spectacles.
Not infrequently, physically strong guys were specially taken to the team not for playing, but for wrestling. Because a good show is worth more than money. A prime example of this is the film “Bouncer”.