ICE HOCKEY

Ice hockey, Canada’s national sport, originated in the 19th century. It is believed that the first organized game took place in 1855, when English soldier in Kingston, Ontario, played on the frozen surface of Lake Ontario. The sport quickly spread to other army garrisons and then to nearby towns.

Around 1875, students at McGill University In Montreal developed a code of rules, Familiarly known as the McGill Rules. Using these rules, teams from different cities began to play against one another, and league soon sprang up.

In 1893, Canada’s governor-general, Lord Stanley of Preston, donated a cup to be given to the country’s amateur champions. By 1896, teams were playing in the New York area. Canadian and American teams competed against each other for the first time in 1899.

The Nation Hockey Association (NHA) was formed in 1909 with four Canadian teams. Beginning in 1912, the Stanley Cup was awarded to the champions of professional rather than amateur hockey. The NHA was disbanded in 1917 and replaced by the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1926 on, the Stanley Cup has belonged to the NHL. From 1942 to 1967, there were six teams in the NHL : the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadians, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, and Chicago Black Hawks. Six more teams were added in 1967, and the league expanded further in 1970, 1972, and 1974. In 1979, the World Hockey Association (WHA), which had been formed in 1972, ceased operations. Its four surviving teams joined the NHL, raising the membership to 21 teams.

Amateur hockey has long been an important part of the North Americans sport scene. Increasing emphasis began to be placed on fairness and amateur sports in the 1950’s and 1960’s. Effort were made to provide children with the opportunity to learn and play ice hockey in supervised leagues rather than just on the local pond.

The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) was formed in 1914 to promote and regulate amateur hockey. Since then, it has operated country-wide junior and senior leagues. Today, it also organize leagues throughout the country for children aged 5 and up. About 600,000 players and 33,000 teams are currently registered with the CAHA.

The Mateur Hockey Association of the United State (AHAUS) was formed 1937. Originally, it had four leagues with fourteen teams. Today the AHAUS directs scores of leagues with thousands of players.

In 1920, hockey became an official sport at the Olympic Winter Games. The Canadian team won the first gold medal.