The history of ice hockey?

By Christie Burke

Histori
cal

History of Ice Hockey. Ice hockey's beginning is a

little uncertain.
It has been tracked back to an Irish game known
as Hurley by some historical annalists.
Others depict ice hockey as having derived from
Lacrosse and field games that were played by
Nova Scotia's Micmac Indians.
Still others claim that hockey evolved in Northern
Europe.
At any rate, it is quite likely that ice hockey came
into being from different early games played with
a stick and a ball.
A more definitive history of hockey can start from

Ice hockey originated in Canada in the early 19th century,

based on several similar sports played in Europe, although
the word hockey comes from the old French word
hocquet, meaning stick.
Around 1860, a puck was substituted for a ball, and in
1879 two McGill University students, Robertson and Smith,
devised the first rules.

Equipment:

Elbow pads
A molded pad that protects the elbow and elbow joint and provides forearm protection.
Goalkeepers' equipment
Goalkeepers' equipment includes a goalkeeper stick, goalkeeper skates, blocking glove, catching glove,
helmet with full face mask and leg guards.
Gloves
The player's gloves must cover their hand and wrist, and their palm must not be removed to permit the
use of bare hands.
Helmet
A helmet with the chinstrap properly fastened must be worn by players so that the lower edge of the
helmet is not more than one finger-width above the eyebrows; there should only be enough room between
the strap and the chin to insert one finger.
Puck
The puck is made of vulcanized rubber or other material approved by the International Ice Hockey
Federation (IIHF) and is primarily black in color. The puck is 2.54cm thick and 7.62cm in diameter and
must weigh between 156 and 170g. It can move at speeds of more than 150km/h.
Shin guards
A device contoured and molded to protect the shin, knee and calf.
Shoulder pad
Padding that provides extra protection for critical points of the shoulder, biceps, sternum, shoulder blade
and spine.
Skates
Players must wear ice hockey skates with safety heel guards.
Stick
Sticks are made of wood or other material, such as aluminum or plastic. The stick must not have any
projections and all edges must be beveled. Adhesive non-fluorescent tape of any color may be wrapped
around the stick at any place. Sticks are prohibited from being curved more than 1.5cm.
Visor
A clear plastic shield attached to the helmet that comes down to the lower edge of the player's nose. Male
players born after 31 December 1974 must wear, at the very least, a visor that meets approved
international standards. All women players must wear full face masks.

Ice hockey boasts the oldest sports trophy in North

America.
It had become so widespread in Canada that a perpetual
trophy was presented by the Governor General of Canada
to be awarded to the top hockey team.
Lord Stanley of Preston was the name of the Governor
General, and the trophy became known as the Stanley
Cup.

The End