This is a high-tempo sport on ice, where the puck (which is the equivalent of the ball in field hockey) can be hit up to a speed of 100mph (160kph). The game has more than its fair share of thrills and spills, and at the competitive and professional levels there are plenty of punch-ups — which seem to be part of the game’s attraction to spectators!

Hockey originated from the versions of hockey-like games which were brought to North America by European immigrants and adapted for the continent’s icy conditions. Early examples of hockey saw matches being played on frozen rivers, lakes and ponds with the players using cheese cutters strapped to their boots!

It has been suggested that the first hockey game to use a puck rather than a ball took place in Canada in 1860, and that the first set of rules were drawn up in 1879. The first US Hockey organization was then formed in 1893.

By 1920, hockey had established itself as an Olympic sport, and today it continues to be the most popular sport on ice. It is most popular in countries that have sufficiently cold weather for natural, reliable, seasonal ice cover to be present. The major playing nations are the United States, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia, Slovakia and Sweden — and these countries have dominated competition at the Olympic level over the decades since hockey was introduced.

Health and fitness benefits of hockey
Hockey has a number of health and fitness benefits on the body, including the following:

• Developing key arm and leg muscles.

• Improving agility in the hands and feet.

• Boosting mental strength and focus.

• Developing flexibility and reflex times.