The word “hockey” may well derive from the old French word “hoquet” which was a shepherd’s crook or from the Dutch word “hokkie”. This was an old word for a doghouse, which may have been used as a target. The history of field hockey, however, seems to go back much further… 4,000 years ago someone drew a sport on an Egyptian tomb that closely resembles field hockey. The history of ice hockey does not go back that far and the earliest recorded history is a 17th century Dutch painting that clearly shows some form of the game being played.

When European immigrants came to America, they brought their versions of hockey, shinty, and hurling with them. In some areas it became popular to play these games on the ice and stick and ball games were enjoyed anywhere there was a suitable lake. By the mid-19th century, the game had become extremely popular, and many games were played by British soldiers. By the 1870s, its appeal had justified the development of a set of rules at McGill University in Montreal. Each team contained 9 players and the ball was replaced by a puck. In more recent years, the history of hockey has been carefully studied by the Society for International Hockey Research and there appear to be some gray areas regarding its early history. They are, however, aware of the first recorded organized game in which a score was kept and the teams were identified.

This took place on March 3, 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal. Soon after, in 1877, the McGill University Hockey Club went down in history as the first club to exist. Hockey’s popularity grew, and the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association was organized in 1886. It was also popular in Europe, as the universities of Oxford and Cambridge had teams. There was a great rivalry between these two, as expected. This was probably the first in the game’s history. By the end of the 19th century, the game was well established, and many teams were being organized. Hockey had reached many other parts of the United States.

Professional league teams made their debut in hockey history just before World War I. Beginning in Michigan, it quickly incorporated Canada, Switzerland, the Ukraine, Great Britain, and Austria. Although there are now only six players on a team and the game now takes place on ice rinks instead of frozen lakes, some aspects remain the same. Clothing has come a long way since its inception and all professional gamers will be wearing some pretty hefty protective gear. This is not a surprise when you consider that the game involves a lot of body contact and also that the puck can travel extremely fast.

There are many heroes in hockey history, and the game has become one of the most popular sports in the United States. Professional players are very high visibility stars and the sport is lucrative. He has a combination of glamour, speed, technical ability and aggressiveness that makes him a binge-watcher.