Ice hockey games weren’t an actual event in the Olympic Games until the 1920’s. It was originally part of the Summer Olympics. However, people found that didn’t make much sense at all, seeing as all the ice had melted in the summer. So, in 1924, ice hockey was transferred to the Winter Olympic Games. The most well known of the ice hockey Olympic games was probably the 1980 Winter Olympic Games. This Olympic was right in the heart of the Cold War Era, when the United States was fervently competing with the Soviet Union in anything and everything from schooling to sports. The Soviets were believed to have the upper hand and were the favorites coming into the match. However, the United States managed to pull a victory against the Soviets, which resulted in the event being deemed, “The miracle on ice”. Ice hockey has steadily grown in popularity in the Winter Olympics. Usually, twelve teams compete in the ice hockey event and winner is decided by a point system and elimination. The United States has faired well in the past years with the largest rival being Canada. In 2006 however, the United States lost to Sweden, the first time it was defeated by another country other than Canada. Originally, NHL players were not allowed to compete in the Olympics. However, for the 2010 Olympics coming up, NHL players will be allowed to join the ice hockey team for the first time in history. It ought to be an exciting tournament, so don’t forget to tune in and watch!

The puck has been an iconic symbol of hockey for years. But what exactly is that not so round ball? Well, the puck is actually made from vulcanized rubber. This means the rubber has been heated and treated with various chemicals, like sulfur. The rubber is then shaped into the flat round disc that everyone sees on TV and in the rinks. Originally, the puck was in the shape of a ball. However, the “original” players of hockey felt that there was too much movement with the ball. So instead, they cut off the top and the bottom of the ball to create more resistance against the ice. This led to the formation of the flat thing everyone now knows as the puck. The puck is 3 inches in diameter and about 1 inch thick, weighing an average of 6 ounces. The puck was originally made of bouncy rubber. However, players objected to this material because it complicated the game play. So the rubber was reconstructed to provide a more solid puck. When hit, the puck moves faster than 80 mph. If it “accidentally” hits someone, that person could be severely injured. That’s one of the reasons for all the protective gear that ice hockey players wear. The second reason is to protect them from other players, obviously. Until recently, about the 1990s, there was no standardized puck. Various companies developed pucks for ice hockey matches. However, in 1991, the National Hockey League said enough was enough and they standardized the hockey puck to ease the game play, forming what we know today as the puck.

There are two types of hockey sticks, sticks made out of wood and sticks made out of composite materials. Wooden sticks are usually the cheapest ones on the market and readily available in most sporting goods stores. Wooden sticks, however, break much more easily than composite hockey sticks. Also, wooden sticks are more prone to disfiguration and rotting. The good thing about wooden sticks, aside from their prices, is their customizability. Wooden sticks can be sanded down to the right size and weight that a player desires. This kind of flexibility is not seen in composite hockey sticks. There are several different types of composite sticks. One of the most common is probably aluminum. Aluminum is a light metal that is also relatively strong. The actual blade of the hockey stick is still wood whereas the shaft is replaced with aluminum. This creates a stick that’s less likely to break with harder hits. The drawback is that aluminum can be quite expensive. Another type of composite stick is the fiberglass stick. These are more of a mod of the wooden stick than a separate type. Basically, the fiberglass is coated over the wood to provide extra strength. Imaginably, since the base material hasn’t changed, the overall strength of the stick has not improved much as well. The last type of composite hockey stick is Kevlar. Kevlar sticks are considered to be the lightest and strongest hockey sticks on the market. However, with that comes the biggest price tag as well. To find the perfect hockey stick, a balance of price, strength, and weight needs to be achieved.

Street hockey is an interesting cultural development. Hockey originally was meant to be played on ice. However, due to the lack of ice in some areas, and the lack of funding for equipment, the art of street hockey was formed. Street hockey is played with little equipment; roller blades are optional. Because there is little equipment, the game is a lot less physical than ice hockey. Though there are body checks, they are usually limited to picketing and stiffing, much like the defense seen in basketball. Street hockey can be played with a puck or any ball. For example, a tennis ball would be sufficient to play street hockey. Originally, street hockey was a loosely organized sport in comparison with its ice hockey counterpart. However, as more people began to play the sport, leagues and divisions were formed. Now, there are several street hockey leagues all across the United States. Later on, official rules were added to the game by Mr. Leclerc. The size of the street hockey field was defined to be 160 feet long by 80 feet wide. This size is now used as the standard for most street hockey fields. An iconic phrase that resulted from the rise in street hockey is the shout, “Car!”, made by kids to warn each other of incoming cars. This phrase has spread to other street sports such as street basketball and street baseball. Street hockey, even though organized, will still be a fundamentally street sport that has made a place for itself in American culture.