History Of Ice Hockey

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• Ice hockey is a great game. It is very popular in our country and all over the world.
• This kind of sport makes players stronger, more disciplined and sometimes famous. Lots of children in Russia go in for ice hockey because of its popularity. Of course, this sport has its own pluses and minuses for young people. In my project I am going to describe the history of ice hockey and to explain its meaning for teenagers.

• Ice hockey originated in Canada in the early 19th century, based on several similar sports played in Europe, although the word “hockey” comes from the old French word “hocquet”, meaning “stick”.

Around 1860, a puck was substituted for a ball, and in 1879 two McGill University students, Robertson and Smith, devised the first rules.

• University of Toronto Hockey Team, 1907-08 

• The first recognized team, the McGill University Hockey Club, was formed in 1880 as hockey became the Canadian national sport and spread throughout the country. In 1892 the Governor General of Canada donated the Stanley Cup.

The Ottawa Hockey Club "Silver Seven" (the original Ottawa Senators), 1905 Stanley Cup champions

• Ice hockey spread to Europe around the turn of the century, and the first Olympic Games to include ice hockey for men were the 1920 Antwerp Summer Games.

• Professional hockey has existed since the early 20th century. The league joined with teams in Michigan and Ontario to form the first fully professional league—the International Professional Hockey League (IPHL)—in 1904.

Pittsburgh Athletic Club, 1901 WPHL Champions

• After re-organizing as the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1917, the league expanded into the United States.

• Professional hockey leagues developed later in Europe. Today, professional leagues have been introduced in most countries of Europe. Top European leagues include the Continental Hockey League, the Czech Extraliga, the Finnish Liga and the Swedish Hockey League.

• Six-a-side men’s ice hockey has been on the programme of every edition of the Winter Games since 1924 in Chamonix. Women’s ice hockey was accepted as an Olympic sport in 1992.

Hockey in USSR and Russia

• Ice hockey was introduced to the Soviet Union in the 1930s and became a national sport following the Second World War.

When Anatoli Tarasov became a coach, he changed Russian hockey forever.

He created his own version of hockey – a game of speed, endurance and winning.

When the USSR entered its first team into the World Championship in 1954, they won.

• Today ice hockey is a very popular sport in Russia. It's top professional league, the Continental Hockey League, is among the strongest in the world.

• Today lots of children and teenagers go in for ice hockey in Russia. In many towns in our country children can learn how to play ice hockey in professional sport schools. For example, in Yaroslavl children and teenagers can play in a sport school, financed by ice hockey team "Lokomotiv".

• Today teenagers from sport schools participate in different tournaments not only in their native country, but all over the world.
• But like every sport, hockey has it is advantages and disadvantages.

• Physical Health: Hockey provides a cardiovascular workout, pushing the limits of your heart rate and lung capacity. It strengthens your leg and back muscles, and builds up your arms when dangling your way through the defense and shooting the puck. The quick moves and direction changes in hockey also improve balance and coordination.

• 2. Work in a Team: Participating in any team sport develops a sense of teamwork and good sportsmanship. Players must understand each other very well. Hockey teaches you how to play hard, but when the game is over, you treat each other with respect.

• 3. Discipline: Hockey players must keep themselves feet, have regular meals and observe daily regimen.

• 1. Injury Risk

Hockey players suffer from concussions, shoulder, elbow, back, hip, knee and ankle injuries. The fast-moving sport has plenty of contacts and spills on the ice. There are three times as many injuries in youth leagues that allow contact than those that don’t and among teen hockey players, body checking accounted for 86 percent of hockey-related injuries, and 23 percent of those were to the head and neck.

• 2. Violence Casual fans think of hockey as a game often marred by fighting and cheap shots. While fighting is only a small part of the game, players and teams use it to settle differences and defend teammates.

• Anyway, in conclusion I want to mention, that playing ice hockey is a good way to be healthy, strong and confident. Sometimes it could be a cruel game, but, I think, every sport could be dangerous in some aspects.

Playing ice hockey is a good way of spending time with friends. It is also good for health. It makes teenagers stronger. Breathing fresh air is a wonderful alternative to sitting at home and playing computer games.

• And even being a sport fan of ice hockey is also good. It develops sport culture in teenagers.