The history of ice hockey is one of the most contested in all of sports.
The city of Montréal had been traditionally credited with being the
birthplace of hockey (although more recent research indicates , but early
paintings contest this claim; a 16th century Dutch painting shows a number
of townsfolk playing a hockey-like game on a frozen canal. The origin of
ice hockey is unknown, however, ice hockey probably evolved from the game
of field hockey that has been played in Northern Europe for centuries. As
Canadian winters are long and harsh, new winter sports were always
welcomed. Using cheese cutters strapped to their boots, both English and
French-speaking Canadians played the game on frozen rivers, lakes, and
ponds. Early paintings show hockey being played in Nova Scotia, as well as
in the state of Virginia in the United States. API Hockey Online Store...Your one stop hockey store!
Youth and college hockey players are almost always required to wear a mask
made from metal wire or transparent plastic attached to their helmet that
protects their face during play. Professional and adult players may
instead wear a visor that protects only their eyes, or no mask at all;
however, some provincial and state legislations require full facial
protection at all non-professional levels. Rules regarding visors and face
masks are mildly controversial at professional levels, as some players
feel that they interfere with their vision or breathing, while others
believe that they are a necessary safety precaution.
The chief difference between women's and men's ice hockey is that body
checking is not allowed in women's ice hockey. After the 1990 Women's
World Championship, body checking was eliminated because women in many
countries do not have the size and mass seen in North American players.
Some would argue that women's hockey is a purer form of the sport, since
team tactics must rely more on skillful passing and positioning than
physical obstruction and intimidation. However, there are many who feel
that the relative lack of physical play is a detriment to its popularity
among the mainstream hockey public.
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