Gary Coleman - Hockey--The Definitive Guide to the Sport of Hockey

Hockey

The Definitive Guide to the Sport of Hockey

Published By Shaharm Publications

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W hile every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions, or for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

C opyright 2015. All rights reserved worldwide. No part of this publication may be replicated, redistributed, or given away in any form without the prior written consent of the author/publisher.

I ce Hockey is one of the most adored sports in the world. It has a huge fan following across North America and various parts of Europe. The history is rich and the fans passionate, but it is the sport that garners the interest of neutrals and diehards alike.

Yet, what is this sport all about? How did it come about? Who are its greatest legends and modern day greats? What about the controversies that have arisen over the years? These are all questions, which will be answered in this delightful read.

It is time to understand the nuances of what hockey is, and what it has brought to the table for many years. It has and will continue to entertain its rabid fans, but is there more to this lovely sport? Is there more to this wonderful journey of sport and entertainment?

This book will answer all of those questions and more. It is time to grasp the intricacies of the sport that millions of people around the world love. People are seen sitting in front of their TVs wearing their favorite teams jersey every night. It is the passion that unites everyone.

A sport that started from humble beginnings has risen into one of the most well liked sports in the world. It has the right amount of aggression, passion, and skill, which brings everyone out to watch. It doesnt take long to become hooked on this game and all it has to offer. This is a gift that keeps on giving, to those who watch and support it.

Enjoy this read and learn more about the sport of hockey, in this in-depth guide. It will be easier to understand why millions adore this sport and why it will continue to be cherished as time goes on. This has been passed down from generation to generation, just like some of the other major sports around the world.

L ets begin with the foundation. This is the history of hockey and where it was born. It is important to know the roots of this sport, to gauge how it has unfolded and the value it has brought into peoples lives. This is a sport with a rich history and one that has grown over time. It is a sport that came from humble beginnings, but has spread into a super power in the sporting world.

The winter months meant the weather would get chilly and the water would freeze. It would create ice to slip and slide around on. People in the United Kingdom were used to chilly weather, especially in the Northern areas. It wouldnt snow as much in the cosmopolitan areas, but the northern regions saw snowfall. It was in these regions of the nation where the first stick and ball games were developed. It was all about building the concept of putting a ball (using a stick) into the oppositions net.

Football (or soccer) had already developed and was cherished in the region. It was something that was used as the foundation for this sport. The same rules applied, with two nets on either end, at the start. Both teams would have to score in the opponents net, but instead of using their feet, they would use sticks. Of course, these sticks were quite poorly constructed at the time, but the sport had seen its first sign of life. This was only the beginning for the sport.

United Kingdom and its people in the North continued to play this type of hockey in the rural regions. It was passed on from person to person in the late 1700s, and well into the 1800s. This was when the days of colonialism started, and thus the people started discovering new lands. With these new discoveries came settlers. It was those settlers that brought with them the sport that is now known as hockey.

When the settlers arrived in Canada and the US, they had nothing to do. There was no established infrastructure and the weather was chilly. This meant that they had to fall back on the sports they had loved growing up. Some of them continued to play football (or soccer), while others decided to move forward with this new game of hockey. There was enough wood to go around, so they would carve out little sticks to play the game. They would rarely take the game onto the ice in the region, but this was just the beginning.

As the lands were being developed, so was the sport of hockey. It became a sport that slowly moved onto the ice as the locals started realize how solid the ice was. They could slide around on the ice without getting hurt (unless they fell down!), and this created intrigue. It brought a new element to the game but a new level of skill was required. It also let people enjoy the vast amount of ice that was in the region.

It was in 1875 when a real game of ice hockey was played in Canada. This was held in Montreal, with some of the known characteristics that are associated with modern day hockey (i.e. rink, playing time, number of players). These were just signs of things to come for the sport. The infrastructure had been laid down, with a rink developed for the sole purpose of playing this sport.

Most people were ready to start playing professionally at this point. The amount of interest being generated by the sport was unmatchable. Most people wanted to get a stick of their own and hop onto the ice. This meant that there was room to create a league around the sport. A professional league was started in the 1880s, for the sport to finally find its footing.

This was the beginning of the route towards the Stanley Cup (prize awarded to winner of NHL). The first trophy was awarded in the 1890s. It was the first step taken by the professional league to become a major sport in the region. Amateur leagues were already up and running at this point, and they were feeding talent to the big leagues.

At the point of the Stanley Cups introduction as the ultimate trophy in the game of hockey, it was only presented to Canadian teams. The league was full of Canadian teams, and was generally termed as the Canadian Amateur Champion and nothing else. This changed over time as American teams started coming into the fold and becoming a part of the set-up that was in place. It added more intrigue to the sport and let it blossom into what it is now. As the number of teams increased, the value of the trophy increased, and the popularity of the league also rose. It would eventually go on to become the NHLs main trophy (as it is at the moment too).

Prior to seeing the Canadian game flourish, there were international leagues being set-up in foreign lands. This was the basis for the formation of an International league. This would be used to facilitate all international competitions between nations. Of course, the set-up was just being put together and would take time to establish itself. When the league was formed it was called the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace. This would later be changed into what is now known as the IIHF or International Ice Hockey Federation.

The sport gained a lot of traction across the world, and become renowned for being loved in winter-ridden nations. It was a popular choice as it fit with the climate. All of the cooler climate-ridden nations were going down this path and enjoying the sport. During the 1920s, the sport was introduced into the Olympics. It was done because of the appeal that the sport had, and how it fit into the rest of the Winter Olympic sports.