Ice hockey is actually a contact sport played on an ice surface, usually at an outdoor or indoor rink, where two teams of skates battle for dominance of the ball using their skates, which are shaped like boots with a pointed bottom and a blade attached to the upper part. Each player wears a protective, leather-soled hockey mask, gloves, and helmet, which protect them from cuts, abrasions, and even traumatic brain injury in case of nasty, fallacious collisions. The game is generally played in two halves, and breaks are called “stoppages”. There is a time limit per side to play each half of a hockey match. Overtime is also allowed when the game has reached the 60-minute mark and there are three or more tied shots or fouls on the ice.
Ice hockey is different from lacrosse: which is played with a lacrosse ball. In hockey, the ball is usually frozen before play. Ice hockey differs from baseball in that it is played with two hockey balls, while in baseball, only one ball is used. The difference between the two sports comes from the play and the rules.
Ice hockey became a team sport: after the Americans played a match against the Russians in the first World War. When the US soldiers came back home, they played the same game against the Canadians and later against the Russians again. This started the sport we know today as ice hockey. The game was made even more popular when the National Hockey League (NHL) was founded in NHL Stadium, Hempstead, New Jersey.
Since its early days: hockey has developed into a very skillful, competitive, and physical sport. Players use skates with sharp blades to make passes and shoot the puck. Puck handling, which consists of passing, shooting, and being able to skate quickly, is essential to winning a game. Because of the nature of the game, only the best players are chosen for a team.
Today, hockey has grown to be very popular in the United States and in Canada: There are many different styles of hockey, with each having its own specific type of play. However, the most common type of hockey played in the US is divided into two major divisions. Division I is played between teams from the United States, Canada, or another international country.
Division II is played between teams from various countries: Each player is allowed to use two sticks, instead of the traditional three. This allows each player to specialize in using their stick style, instead of having to play with all three. Specialized sticks come from brands such as Eier, Duratlow, and Daltile, to name a few.
Field hockey, which is a completely separate game, uses larger wooden sticks made from leather, and not the synthetic rubber used in the hockey leagues in the US.
