Ice hockey is a game that dates back to the nineteenth century, and for a long time it remained a mystery which country was its ancestor. There were two applicants - England and Canada. In both countries, during the nineteenth century, enthusiasts were seen playing an incomprehensible game on ice.
Instructions
Step 1
The Canadians turned out to be more assertive and, using archival data, were able to prove that it was the country of the maple leaf that was the birthplace of ice hockey, and the match between Montreal students on March 3, 1875 was considered the first official ice hockey match.
Step 2
The rules of the game then differed noticeably from modern ones - there were nine people in teams, substitutions were strictly prohibited, and they played with a puck made of wood. Equipment borrowed from baseball could not always protect against injury, and in 1879 the wooden washer was replaced with a rubber one.
Step 3
Already in 1885, the Amateur Hockey Association was founded in Canada, and in 1890 the first tournament for four teams was held in Ontario. Ice hockey became so popular in Canada so quickly that in 1893, the Governor General of the Maple Leaf Country, Frederick Arthur Stanley, purchased the goblet to be presented to the champion. This prize became known as the Stanley Cup, and since 1910 only professionals began to fight for it, and the fight for this most prestigious trophy is still under way.
Step 4
In 1904, the first professional team was founded in Canada, and since 1908 there has been a complete division into amateurs and professionals. The winner of the amateur championship received another prize - the Allan Cup, and its owners subsequently received the opportunity to represent Canada at the world championships, since professionals were prohibited from playing in them.
Step 5
Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the rules of the ice hockey game have been constantly changing and improving. The number of players decreased to seven, and a net appeared on the goal, after which the eternal debate about whether there was a goal ceased.
Step 6
In 1904, hockey players altogether switched to the six-by-six format of the game, which is still preserved, and in 1910, to increase the entertainment of the game, player substitutions were allowed. By 1911, rules were formed that did not differ much from modern ones, and in 1920 the first world championship was held, in which European teams also participated. Team Canada deservedly became the winner of the tournament.
Step 7
In 1972, the famous super series took place between the teams of Canadian professionals and Soviet amateurs. The USSR national team proved that it is quite capable of competing with the best professionals in the world, and deprived them of the aura of invincibility.
Step 8
Shortly thereafter, in 1977, professionals were allowed to participate in the World Championships and the Olympic Games, and the border between amateurs and professionals began to gradually blur, and today only professionals take part in world-class tournaments.
