One of many high sports activities on this planet is ice hockey. It’s performed by individuals everywhere in the world and new generations of gamers are being launched to this sensible sport. With followers from nearly in every single place watching video games.
When you’re new to ice hockey or simply desire a refresher, it is necessary to know what a few of the finest ice hockey leagues are. Learn on for extra info.
Olympic Winter Video games
Over the previous century, ice hockey has performed an necessary position within the Olympic Video games as a sport. Ice hockey was launched as a part of the 1920 Summer time Olympics in Antwerp, the place Canada received the gold medal, whereas the US received silver and Czechoslovakia took bronze.
4 years later, ice hockey moved to the Winter Video games, with Canada successful the primary 4 Winter Olympics and shedding their first ice hockey match in 1936. The Canadians have dominated ice hockey on the Winter Olympics over time, with 22 medals, together with 13 gold – making them the be essentially the most profitable in sports activities.
Different nations which have achieved success on the Olympics embody Finland, the US, Russia, Sweden and Slovakia. The following Winter Olympics might be held in Beijing, China in February 2026. There’s a number of time for brand new followers to construct their hockey data and get excited within the lead-up.
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup isn’t really a contest, however the trophy awarded every year to the Nationwide Hockey League playoff champion. The Stanley Cup, the oldest trophy winnable by skilled athletes in North America, was first awarded throughout the 1892-93 season. The crew that has received the Stanley Cup essentially the most instances is the Montreal Canadiens, who’ve received the trophy 24 instances.
The Stanley Cup is especially distinctive in that every one gamers on the successful crew have their names engraved on the trophy. This has meant that over time the ‘straps’ on the cup have had to get replaced as increasingly names take up area. One other fascinating side of the Stanley Cup is that every participant receives the cup for twenty-four hours throughout the yr he/she owns it. This has led to many tales related to the trophy: attending occasions similar to pool events and child baptisms, and consuming beer. Though gamers personal the cup inside a 24-hour interval, it’s after all protected by supervisors.
The following Stanley Cup might be held in June, with the play-offs beginning on June 8. Solely 16 groups qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs every year, with many followers having fun with the video games and a few even trying out the Stanley Cup odds. Final yr’s Stanley Cup winners had been the Colorado Avalanche, who defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1.
Ice Hockey World Championships
One other probably the greatest ice hockey tournaments that each fan ought to learn about is the Ice Hockey World Championships. It was organized and run by the Worldwide Ice Hockey Federation and was first held as a person occasion outdoors of the Olympic Video games in 1930. As with the Olympic Video games, Canada began out because the world’s most dominant crew, having received the event from 1930 to 1952 received twelve instances.
The Ice Hockey World Championships typically happen throughout a few of the later phases of the Stanley Cup, which means that many gamers are unable to play for his or her nation’s groups as their NHL careers typically take priority. The very best rating crew within the IIHF is at the moment Finland, which has been a member since 1928.
Hockey World Cup
One of many newest ice hockey tournaments to change into well-known over time is the World Cup of Hockey. Organized by the Nationwide Hockey League and the Nationwide Hockey League Gamers’ Affiliation, it’s the successor to the Canada Cup and has been held thrice on an irregular foundation, with the 2020 version having been discontinued.
Nevertheless, the league has determined that one other version will happen in 2025, which means followers may have one other event to stay up for within the coming years. Canada has received the title twice, whereas the US has received the title as soon as.