Computer Games

Looking For International Hockey

In both the United States and Europe, hockey fans can be found; the sport was originally founded, however, in Canada. The international men’s ice hockey world championships are highly regarded by Europeans and less regarded by Americans because it coincides at the same time the Stanley cup playoffs happen. Many of the best players in any given country go off to play in the NHL and play for the Stanley cup trophy; this is particularly true in nations that have an already high rate of NHL players in their country.

World championships are not a show case for top players today, despite the fact that for many ears, professionals were barred from playing at the international level; this is no longer the case and many Europeans play internationally as well. Canada won 6 out of 7 gold medals in the Olympic Games when hockey became a part in 1924. The United States won the gold medal in 1960, Russia won all, but 2 gold medals between 1956 and 1988, but it was professional Americans, Swedish, Finnish, and Canadians that were banned from Olympic competition. But in 1980, the United States sent college students - non-pro ones - to Lake Placid; there they beat the Russians for Olympic gold.

The game also began to experience a boost in popularity in the sport that most Americans weren’t previously paying attention to. The 1972 and 1974 Summit series had solidified Canada and Russia as hockey rivals. Then came the Canadian Cup, a competition reserved only for the world’s best players. Eventually the name was changed from the Canadian Cup to the World Cup of Hockey and the United States won in 1996 and Canada in 2004. Since 1998 NHL professionals have played in the Olympics giving the top players more opportunity to compete and face off with other professional players from different countries. Women have made their mark upon this sport, as well; there have been nine women’s competitions and the women’s game has been part of the Olympics since 1998.

Women are making a definite mark in this field by playing just as hard as men. Still, they have a long way to go in terms of being on equal footing with men at the domestic and international levels. Hockey, after all, has always been a sport dominated by males, so women have a long way to go before they are taken seriously. In the U.S.A and Canada, this sport still attracts the devoted following of millions of fans, who regularly break attendance records at sporting events. The love of this sport reaches the “pastime” level of game attendance, prompting the kind of devotion that many Americans put towards football, basketball, and baseball.

The world of hockey is a world unto itself, and that is true whether it is being played by professionals or amateurs. Many treat it like the air they breathe and people really can get into this sport like it’s a soap opera. For some, spending 2 to 3 hours late at night on the ice is perfectly normal.