Hockey Research Paper

Professional hockey players eat, sleep, and breathe the game. This passion breeds a rare type of diehard fan to follow the sport. The game of hockey is over 100 years old and fighting is one element that has kept players engaged and fans hooked throughout the years. The first indoor hockey game was played in 1875 and the NHL was formed 42 years later in 1917. In 1922, fighting was added to the rule book as a regulated aspect of the game. Looking at the history of hockey shines a light on the players and fans’ passion for the game. Hockey fights should stay in the game for the protection and safety of skilled players, rivalries between teams, and finally because it's a unique part of the sport.

The most memorable moment in hockey history came thirty-four years ago with the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The Americans defeating the dominant Soviet team at the Olympics was not only an important triumph for USA Hockey, but for the entire nation. Contrary to popular belief, the underdog win was not only the result of a miracle; it was also the result of a hard-working team led by Coach Herb Brooks. With increasingly negative views on the position of the United States in the Cold War, the Miracle on Ice and the gold medal win lifted the spirits of the nation and brought hockey into the American spotlight.

Hockey is much faster and swifter than any other sport. As the players streak across the ice, their powerful shots and passes can send the puck faster than 100 miles [160 kilometers] per hour. A goalkeeper on each team defends his net from the puck going in. They must often make quick slides across the on their skates, stomachs, knees or backs to stop the puck from going into the net. A puck that

Sometimes it is easy to forget the game played on frozen ponds and backyard rinks, and get lost in the overwhelming professional sport known as hockey. However, we strive to remember that hockey became Canada's game because it made our never-ending winter months more bearable . The game gradually became a sport, then an entertainment industry. It seems like the lockout was one of the biggest news stories of the year. Part of the amazing nature of the game is that it's origins are fairly vague. However, we always remember that hockey is our game. It may not be our official sport, like lacrosse is, but hockey is what Canada seems to be most well-known for, and it continues to have immense influence on our free society, with its unique style

In “Imagining a Canadian Identity through Sport: A Historical Interpretation of Lacrosse and Hockey”, Michael A. Robidoux discusses hockey’s history of violence and how it represents Canadian identity. He argues that hockey is aggressive because it allows “Canadians to display their proficiency in… a sporting event” and to distinguish themselves from other countries. His main audience is Canadians, as is evident from naming Jack Laviolette without explaining that he is a famous Canadian hockey player. His essay could also be appreciated by hockey fans, because they have some knowledge of the sport. The main purpose of this passage is to explain how hockey’s history of violence allowed Canadians to differentiate themselves from other countries.

“Either the big heavyweight guys like Brian McGrattan, or the smaller agitators. I would hate to see the unintended side effects of where hockey would go without fighting, without that threat of retribution. It’s a fast, violent game where we’re wearing weapons on our feet and essentially carrying a club. So while a two- or five- minute penalty is a bad thing, it’s not going to knock somebody off their path of destruction as much as somebody grabbing them and punching them in the face.” Guys in the NHL are literally paid just to go out there and either try to get under the stars of the other teams skin or just to go fight one of the other players to get the team all hyped up. Not having those guys in the NHL will just be like watching the World Junior teams play against each other. Or it could turn out to be total mayhem because players know if they hit the super star of the team real hard they aren’t going to have to fight anyone, so the stars of each team will automatically be targeted.

Fighting in the NHL should be banned because it is banned in all other leagues. Fighting is banned in all the leagues in Europe, there is not one league where they would alloy the players to fight without a huge fine or suspension. This shows that the European leagues can still have physical play and not

Hockey does not only consist of players shooting the puck up and down the ice. There is more to hockey than that. The most important aspect of the game is the player's mentality. Ice hockey and roller hockey player's mentalities differ slightly. In ice hockey, players are told to stay in their position. For example, a right-winger is supposed to stay along the

Olympic hockey games allow 20 skaters and two goalies on each team. Also if a penalty is called the coach gets to pick the player that shoots the shot. If you start a fight in olympic ice hockey you will not just be

The National Hockey League, with its headquarters in New York City the NHL is considered to be the best professional ice-hockey league in the world. The NHL was established in 1917 with a handful of teams located in the greater Montreal and Toronto areas, the league played it’s first game on December 19th 1917. Teams and franchise came and left the NHL over the next few short years due to funding issues, lack of interest, and for the Montreal Wanderers it was the fact that they had nowhere to play being that their home rink Montreal Arena burned down causing them to cease operations. Finally after many franchises had came and gone, including some in the United States, in 1924 the NHL narrowed their league down to 6 teams. The “Original Six” they are known as, the 4 U.S. teams being the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, & the New York Rangers, accompanied by their 2 neighbors of the north being; the Toronto Maple Leafs, & the Montreal Canadians. Over the years since the “Original Six” was enacted in 1942, and was successful as a professional sports league in North America, many people wanted in on it. The Western Hockey League (WHL) was established in 1952 as a minor-pro ice-hockey league, combining with other small minor-pro leagues over the years the league gained a following, along with some big market cities like; Seattle, San Francisco and Vancouver. By the late 1950’s the WHL 9 teams, 3 more than its major league counterpart NHL had with the

The event of the lockdown of the NHL was about fears of the same thing that happened with the MLB in the 1994-1995 season, where they stopped the playoffs because of a strike. Many people said that it was the players fault. In some ways, they are true, because some players would be payed too much for their salaries, but not all teams experienced this dilemma. But there is still irony in that statement, because it was because of them that the NHL shut down.

In the game of ice hockey there are many rules and ways to play the game. The most basic rules of the game are, In order to start a game you must have 5 players and a goalie. The maximum players you are allowed to have on the bench are 18 skaters and 2 goalies. Every player must have the required equipment. The required equipment is a helmet, gloves, shin guards, skates, elbow pads, mouth guard, and chest protector. Games are three twenty minute periods played with a rubber puck. The game is very physical and is based around body contact but to hit legally you can only hit with your shoulder making contact anywhere as long as

Synopsis: When the USSR hockey team took on the United States in the 1980 Olympics, more than just a gold medal was on the line. Probably one of the most political games in history, this particular game symbolized one of many “battles” of the Cold War. In the, movie Miracle, this story of the underdog is told over, with a strong focus on American coach Herb Brooks and his relationship with his team. The movie highlights the extremely hard work done by the team and the demanding Coach Brooks unrelenting passion to win no matter what. The crux of the movie lies within the game with the Soviet union and those stomach wrenching moments before the game even started, as players knew that at this point it was make it or break it.

The more I researched the more I found that professionals have played in a lot of olympic games in the past but that has changed in the recent years. From what I've found lot’s of sportscasters and coaches believe that NHL should be allowed to play in the olympic games. The first reason is when the NHL players have played in the past 5 olympic games the USA was won a total of 2 silver medals in 2002 and 2010, that is very impressive when it comes to the

Professional hockey has been around in Canada for over one hundred years. Tradition runs deep in programs like the Toronto Maple Leaf's and Montreal Canadians, which have been located in