Ice hockey in North America
Photo: Bryson Linenburg, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Hockey is the official winter sport of Canada, and few Canadian youngsters reach age 5 without strapping on a pair of skates. Canada lives and breathes hockey, and no country produces more top-level players.
But hockey's popularity has spread beyond Canada. In the United States, hockey is still a bit of a niche sport — less popular than baseball, basketball or football — but many U.S.-based teams (see below for a list) have plenty of passionate supporters, and even the sun belt has professional teams. The Los Angeles Kings were the first team based in southern parts of the U.S. to make it to the Stanley Cup finals in 1993; they lost that time but since then they have won the cup twice and several other southern teams have won it as well.
Hockey is also popular in parts of Europe (particularly the North and former socialist countries such as Slovakia or Russia), and even some tropical and subtropical countries have teams. But North America is where most of the best professional players go to play, partly because the NHL pays better than any league elsewhere.
If you're visiting Canada or the United States, heading to the local rink to see a hockey game makes for an exciting diversion.
UnderstandHockey evolved from a number of different stick-and-ball games, most obviously field hockey. Modern hockey began in Montreal in the 1870s, where the use of a hard, disc-shaped puck, rather than a ball, became standard.
National Hockey Leaguecom National Hockey League] is the world's top ice hockey league, both in player talent and in revenue. The best players from around the world aim to play in the NHL and win the Stanley Cup.S. and Canada.
Minor professional leaguesCompared to baseball, hockey's minor league system is much less rigidly structured.
Junior ice hockeyThere is an extensive system of junior hockey, particularly in Canada, for players between ages 16 and 20.a. youth hockey) depending on skill level and development.
College/university hockeyIntercollegiate athletics is another outlet for young hockey players to compete and get noticed by professional teams.
National teamsThe Winter Olympics is the premier international tournament in ice hockey, with many classic matches produced over the years.S.S. team won with another upset over Finland in its last medal round match.S.
Museums and other attractions
EventsThe Stanley Cup playoffs and final take place each year in a variety of cities at different times. There is no pre-scheduled capstone event like the Super Bowl or the UEFA Champions League Final.
See also
Sources and licences
- Guide text adapted from the Wikivoyage article "Ice hockey in North America" by its contributors, available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Read on Wikivoyage · Contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Photo: Bryson Linenburg, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons