View source for Ice hockey

{{Short description|Team winter sport}}
{{About|the contact team sport played on ice|the overall family of sports involving sticks and goals|Hockey|the sport played on fields and using a hockeyball|Field hockey}}
{{Other uses}}
{{pp-semi-indef}}
{{More citations needed|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=September 2016}}
{{Infobox sport
|image = File:Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Bryan Rust (33744033514).jpg
|imagesize =
|caption = An ice hockey [[Forward (ice hockey)|forward]] ([[Bryan Rust]] of the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]]) shoots toward a net defended by a [[goaltender]] ([[Braden Holtby]] of the [[Washington Capitals]]).
|union = [[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]
|first = {{Start date and age|1875}}, [[Montreal]], Quebec, Canada
|registered =
|clubs =
|contact = 
{{Plainlist|
* Men's – [[Full-contact|Full]]
* Women's – [[Contact sport#Limited-contact|Limited]]}}
|team = 
{{Plainlist|
* 3 forwards
* 2 defencemen
* 1 goaltender
}}
|mgender = No
|category =
{{Plainlist|
*[[Winter sport|Winter]] [[team sport]]
}}
|equipment =
{{Plainlist|
* Ice hockey [[Hockey puck|pucks]]
* [[Ice hockey stick]]s
* [[Ice skates#ice hockey skates|Ice hockey skates]]
* Shin pads
* [[Shoulder pads (sport)|Shoulder pads]]
* Gloves
* [[Helmet]] (with visor or cage, depending on age of player and league)
* [[Elbow pads]]
* [[Jock strap|jock]] or [[pelvic protector|jill]]
* Ice [[hockey jersey]]
* Ice [[hockey socks]]
* Ice [[hockey pants]]
* [[Neck guard]] (depends on league)
* [[Mouthguard]] (depends on league)
}}
|venue = 
{{Plainlist|
* [[Ice hockey rink|Hockey rink]] or [[arena]]
* Sometimes played on a frozen lake or pond for recreation
}}
|paralympic = [[Sledge hockey|Yes]]
|olympic = {{plainlist|
* '''Men's''', [[1920 Summer Olympics]]
* '''Men's''', [[1924 Winter Olympics]] to present
* '''Women's''', [[1998 Winter Olympics]] to present
}}
}}

'''Ice hockey''' or simply known as '''hockey''' in [[North America]], is a team sport played on [[ice skates]], usually on an [[Ice rink|ice skating rink]] with [[Ice hockey rink|lines and markings]] specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called [[hockey]]. The two opposing teams score by using their [[ice hockey stick]]s to control and advance a [[vulcanized]] rubber [[hockey puck]], and then [[Shot (ice hockey)|shooting]] it into the net of the other team, each [[Goal (ice hockey)|goal]] is worth one point. The team with the highest score after an hour of gameplay is declared the winner; ties are broken in [[Overtime (ice hockey)|overtime]] or a [[Shootout (ice hockey)|shootout]]. In a formal game, each team has six [[Ice skating|skaters]] on the ice at a time, barring any penalties, including a [[goaltender]]. It is a [[contact sport#Grades|full contact]] game and one of the more physically demanding team sports.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Applied Physiology of Ice Hockey |journal=Sports Med. |date=1995 |volume=19 |issue=3 |pages=184–201 |doi=10.2165/00007256-199519030-00004 |pmid=7784758 |url=http://www.hockeystrengthandconditioning.com/Applied%20Physiology%20of%20Ice%20Hockey.pdf |last1=Cox |first1=M. H. |last2=Miles |first2=D. S. |last3=Verde |first3=T. J. |last4=Rhodes |first4=E. C. |s2cid=26998630 |access-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-date=January 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230109091454/http://www.hockeystrengthandconditioning.com/Applied%20Physiology%20of%20Ice%20Hockey.pdf |url-status=live | issn=0112-1642}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Movement of ice hockey players |journal=Isbs – Conference Proceedings Archive |year=1984 |url=https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/view/1410 |publisher=ISBS |last1=Dillman |first1=Charles J. |last2=Stockholm |first2=Alan J. |last3=Greer |first3=Nancy }}</ref> 

The modern sport of ice hockey was developed in [[Canada]], most notably in [[Montreal]], where the [[first indoor ice hockey game|first indoor game]] was played on March 3, 1875. It draws influence from [[shinty]] which originated in [[Scotland]], as well as [[field hockey]] which originated in England.<ref>{{cite web |title=Scots skate on thin ice with hockey claim |url=https://www.scotsman.com/news/scots-skate-on-thin-ice-with-hockey-claim-2444228 |website=The Scotsman |access-date=31 December 2024 |language=en |date=31 January 2009}}</ref> Some characteristics of ice hockey, such as the length of the ice rink and the use of a puck, have been retained to this day. Amateur ice hockey leagues began in the 1880s, and [[professional ice hockey]] originated around 1900. The [[Stanley Cup]], emblematic of ice hockey club supremacy, was initially commissioned in 1892 as the "Dominion Hockey Challenge Cup" and was first awarded in 1893 to recognise the Canadian amateur champion and later became the championship trophy of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). In the early 1900s, the Canadian rules were adopted by the {{langr|fr|Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace}}, in [[Paris]], France, the precursor to the [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF). The sport was played for the first time at the [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|Olympics]] during the [[1920 Summer Olympics|1920 Summer Games]]—today it is a mainstay at the [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]]. In 1994, ice hockey was officially recognized as Canada's national winter sport.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/n-16.7/page-1.html|title=National Sports of Canada Act, S.C. 1994, c. 16|website=Government of Canada, Justice Laws|date=December 31, 2002|publisher=|archive-date=November 6, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211106155708/https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/N-16.7/page-1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

While women also played the game during its early formative years, it was not until the mid-1980s when organizers began to officially remove [[Checking (ice hockey)|body checking]] from female ice hockey that it began to gain wider popularity, which by then had spread to Europe and a variety of other countries. The [[IIHF Women's World Championship]] was held in [[1990 IIHF Women's World Championship|1990]], and women's play was introduced into the Olympics in [[1998 Winter Olympics|1998]]. {{TOC limit|3}}

== History ==
{{Main article|History of ice hockey}}

Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily [[bandy]], [[hurling]], and [[shinty]]. The North American sport of [[lacrosse]], derived from tribal Native American games, was also influential. The former games were brought to North America and several similar winter games using informal rules developed, such as shinny and ice polo, but later were absorbed into a new organized game with codified rules which today is ice hockey.

==Game==
[[File:Icehockeylayout.svg|thumb|Traditional layout of an ice hockey rink surface.|alt=rectangle with markers for goal nets, faceoff positions, and lines for rules purposes]]
[[File:NHLRink.svg|thumb|An NHL ice hockey rink. It includes a trapezoid behind the goal line and a blue painted area in front of the goal. The blue lines are also closer together than they are on a traditional rink.]]

While the general characteristics of the game remain constant, the exact rules depend on the particular [[Ice hockey rules|code of play]] being used. The two most important codes are those of the IIHF and the NHL.<ref>{{cite book |last=International Ice Hockey Federation |url=http://www.iihf.com/pdfRules/IIHFRuleBookeng.pdf |title=Official Rule Book 2002–2006 |date=September 2002 |author-link=International Ice Hockey Federation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060319080459/http://www.iihf.com/pdfRules/IIHFRuleBookeng.pdf |archive-date=March 19, 2006}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=National Hockey League |author-link=National Hockey League |title=Official Rules 2006–07|publisher=Triumph Books |year=2006 |location=Chicago |url=http://cdn.nhl.com/rules/20062007rulebook.pdf |archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20090303204304/http://cdn.nhl.com/rules/20062007rulebook.pdf |archive-date=March 3, 2009 |isbn=1-894801-03-2 }}</ref> Both of these codes, and others, originated from Canadian rules of ice hockey of the early 20th century.{{sfn|Podnieks|Szemberg|2007|p=198}}

Ice hockey is played on a ''[[hockey rink]]''. During normal play, there are six players on ice skates on the ice per side, one of them being the goaltender. The objective of the game is to score ''[[goal (ice hockey)|goals]]'' by shooting a hard [[Vulcanization|vulcanized]] rubber disc, the ''[[hockey puck|puck]]'', into the opponent's goal net at the opposite end of the rink. The players use their sticks to pass or shoot the puck.

With certain restrictions, players may redirect the puck with any part of their body. Players may not hold the puck in their hand and are prohibited from using their hands to pass the puck to their teammates unless they are in the defensive zone. Players can knock a puck out of the air with their hands to themselves. Players are prohibited from kicking the puck into the opponent's goal, though unintentional redirections off their body or equipment, including skates, are permitted. Players may not intentionally bat the puck into the net with their hands or any part of their body.{{sfn|National Hockey League|2024|p=120}}

Hockey is an [[Offside (ice hockey)|off-side]] game, meaning that forward passes are allowed, unlike in rugby. Before the 1930s, hockey was an on-side game, meaning that only backward passes were allowed. Those rules emphasized individual stick-handling to drive the puck forward. With the arrival of offside rules, the forward pass transformed hockey into a true team sport, where individual performance diminished in importance relative to team play, which could now be coordinated over the entire surface of the ice as opposed to merely rearward players.{{sfn|Dryden|2005|p=246}}

[[File:Military appreciation night South Carolina Stingrays.jpg|thumb|Players from the [[South Carolina Stingrays]] perform a line change. A line change is a substitution of an entire [[line (ice hockey)|line]] at once.]]
 
The six players on each team are typically divided into three forwards, two defencemen, and one goaltender. The term ''skaters'' typically applies to all players except goaltenders. The ''[[Forward (ice hockey)|forward]]'' positions consist of a ''[[Center (ice hockey)|centre]]'' and two ''[[Winger (ice hockey)|wingers]]'': a ''left wing'' and a ''right wing''. Forwards often play together as units or ''lines'', with the same three forwards always playing together. The ''[[defenceman|defencemen]]'' usually stay together as a pair generally divided between left and right. Left and right side wingers or defencemen are generally positioned on the side on which they carry their stick. A [[substitution (sport)|substitution]] of an entire unit at once is called a ''line change''. Teams typically employ alternate sets of forward lines and defensive pairings when ''[[short-handed]]'' or on a ''[[Power play (sporting term)|power play]]''. The goaltender stands in a, usually blue, semi-circle called the ''crease'' in the defensive zone keeping pucks out of the goal. Substitutions are permitted at any time during the game, although during a stoppage of play the home team is permitted the final change. When players are substituted during play, it is called changing ''on the fly''. An NHL rule added in the 2005–06 season prevents a team from making any player substitutions after they ''[[Icing (ice hockey)|ice]]'' the puck.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://scoutingtherefs.com/2023/04/38006/nhl-historical-rule-changes-1910-2023/ |title=NHL Historical Rule Changes, 1910-2024 |date=April 3, 2023 |website=Scouting The Refs |access-date=January 25, 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Senators @ Capitals (January 22, 2022) (51847467923).jpg|thumb|left|A player [[Checking (ice hockey)|checks]] an opposing skater into the board that surrounds the ice.]]

The boards surrounding the ice help keep the puck in play and they can also be used as tools to play the puck. Players are permitted to [[bodycheck]] opponents into the boards to stop progress. The referees, linesmen and the outsides of the goal are "in play" and do not stop the game when the puck or players either bounce into or collide with them. Play can be stopped if the goal is knocked out of position. Play often proceeds for minutes without interruption. After a stoppage, play is restarted with a [[faceoff]]. Two players face each other and an official drops the puck to the ice, where the two players attempt to gain control of the puck. Markings (circles) on the ice indicate the locations for the faceoff and guide the positioning of players.

Three major rules of play in ice hockey limit the movement of the puck: ''offside'', ''icing'', and the puck going out of play. 
*A player is offside if he enters his [[Hockey rink#Zones|opponent's zone]] before the puck itself. 
*Under many situations, a player may not "ice the puck", which means shooting the puck all the way across both the centre line and the opponent's goal line. 
*The puck goes out of play whenever it goes past the perimeter of the ice rink (onto the player benches, over the [[Plexiglas|glass]], or onto the protective netting above the glass) and a stoppage of play is called by the officials using whistles. It does not matter if the puck comes back onto the ice surface from outside of the rink, because the puck is considered dead once it leaves the perimeter of the rink. The referee may also blow the whistle for a stoppage in play if the puck is jammed along the boards when two or more players are battling for the puck for a long time, or if the puck is stuck on the back of any of the two nets for a period of time.

Under IIHF rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. NHL rules restrict the total number of players per game to 18, plus two goaltenders. In the NHL, the players are usually divided into four lines of three forwards, and into three pairs of defencemen. On occasion, teams may elect to substitute an extra defenceman for a forward. The seventh defenceman may play as a substitute defenceman, spend the game on the bench, or if a team chooses to play four lines then this seventh defenceman may see ice-time on the [[fourth line]] as a forward.

===Periods and overtime===
A professional ice hockey game consists of three periods of twenty minutes, the clock running only when the puck is in play.{{sfn|National Hockey League|2024|p=118}} There is a rest period between the three periods.{{sfn|National Hockey League|2024|p=118}} The teams change ends after each period of play, including overtime. Recreational leagues and children's leagues often play shorter games, generally with three shorter periods of play.

[[File:American Hockey League ERI 5695 (5528600480).jpg|thumb|Scoreboard for a hockey game during the fourth period. If a game is tied at the end of the third period, several leagues and tournaments have teams play additional [[sudden death (sport)|sudden death]] overtime periods.]]

If a tie occurs in tournament play, as well as in the NHL playoffs, North Americans favour ''sudden death [[Overtime (ice hockey)|overtime]]'', in which the teams continue to play twenty-minute periods until a goal is scored. Up until the 1999–2000 season, regular-season NHL games were settled with a single five-minute sudden death period with five players (plus a goalie) per side, with both teams awarded one point in the standings in the event of a tie. With a goal, the winning team would be awarded two points and the losing team none (just as if they had lost in regulation). The total elapsed time from when the puck first drops, is about 2 hours and 20 minutes for a 60-minute game.

From the 1999–2000 until the 2003–04 seasons, the National Hockey League decided ties by playing a single five-minute sudden-death overtime period with each team having four skaters per side (plus the goalie). In the event of a tie, each team would still receive one point in the standings but in the event of a victory the winning team would be awarded two points in the standings and the losing team one point. The idea was to discourage teams from playing for a tie, since previously some teams might have preferred a tie and 1 point to risking a loss and zero points. The exception to this rule is if a team opts to pull their goalie in exchange for an extra skater during overtime and is subsequently scored upon (an ''empty net'' goal), in which case the losing team receives no points for the overtime loss. Since the 2015–16 season, the single five-minute sudden-death overtime session involves three skaters on each side. Since three skaters must always be on the ice in an NHL game, the consequences of penalties are slightly different from those during regulation play; any penalty during overtime that would result in a team losing a skater during regulation instead causes the other side to add a skater. Once the penalized team's penalty ends, the penalized skater exits the penalty box and the teams continue at 4-on-4 until the next stoppage of play, at which point the teams return to three skaters per side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/rules/2015-2016-Interactive-rulebook.pdf|title=National Hockey League Official Rules 2015–2016|publisher=National Hockey League|year=2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025215742/http://www.nhl.com/nhl/en/v3/ext/rules/2015-2016-Interactive-rulebook.pdf|archive-date=October 25, 2015}}</ref>
[[File:Peter Mueller shootout goal.jpg|thumb|Several leagues and tournaments have implemented the [[shootout (hockey)|shootout]] as a means to determine a winner, if the game remains tied after an extra overtime period.]]
International play and several North American professional leagues, including the NHL (in the regular season), now use an overtime period identical to that from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 followed by a [[Shootout (hockey)|penalty shootout]]. If the score remains tied after an extra overtime period, the subsequent shootout consists of three players from each team taking penalty shots. After these six total shots, the team with the most goals is awarded the victory. If the score is still tied, the shootout then proceeds to ''[[Sudden death (sport)|sudden death]]''. Regardless of the number of goals scored by either team during the shootout, the final score recorded will award the winning team one more goal than the score at the end of regulation time. In the NHL if a game is decided in overtime or by a shootout the winning team is awarded two points in the standings and the losing team is awarded one point. Ties no longer occur in the NHL.

Overtime in the NHL playoffs differs from the regular season. In the playoffs there are no shootouts. If a game is tied after regulation, then a 20-minute period of 5-on-5 sudden-death overtime will be added. If the game is still tied after the overtime, another period is added until a team scores, which wins the match. Since 2019, the IIHF World Championships and the gold medal game in the Olympics use the same format, but in a 3-on-3 format.

===Penalties===
{{Main|Penalty (ice hockey)}}

[[File:David Meckler enters the penalty box.jpg|thumb|An ice hockey player enters the penalty box. Players may be sent to the [[penalty box]] for rule infractions, forcing their team to play with one less player for a specified time.]]
In ice hockey, infractions of the rules lead to a play stoppage whereby the play is restarted at a faceoff. Some infractions result in a ''penalty'' on a player or team. In the simplest case, the offending player is sent to the ''[[penalty box]]'' and their team must play with one less player on the ice for a designated time. ''Minor'' penalties last for two minutes, ''major'' penalties last for five minutes, and a ''double minor'' penalty is two ''consecutive'' penalties of two minutes duration. A single minor penalty may be extended by two minutes for causing visible injury to the victimized player. This is usually when blood is drawn during high sticking. Players may be also assessed personal extended penalties or game expulsions for misconduct in addition to the penalty or penalties their team must serve. The team that has been given a penalty is said to be playing ''short-handed'' while the opposing team is on a ''[[power play (sport)|power play]]''.

A two-minute minor penalty is often charged for lesser infractions such as [[tripping (ice hockey)|tripping]], [[elbow (strike)|elbowing]], [[roughing]], [[high-sticking]], [[delay of game|delay of the game]], [[too many men|too many players on the ice]], [[boarding (ice hockey)|boarding]], illegal equipment, [[charging (ice hockey)|charging]] (leaping into an opponent or body-checking him after taking more than two strides), holding, holding the stick (grabbing an opponent's stick), interference, [[hooking (ice hockey)|hooking]], [[slashing (ice hockey)|slashing]], kneeing, unsportsmanlike conduct (arguing a penalty call with referee, extremely vulgar or inappropriate verbal comments), "butt-ending" (striking an opponent with the knob of the stick), "spearing" (jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick), or [[cross-checking]]. As of the 2005–2006 season, a minor penalty is also assessed for [[diving (ice hockey)|diving]], where a player embellishes or simulates an offence. More egregious fouls may be penalized by a four-minute double-minor penalty, particularly those that injure the victimized player. These penalties end either when the time runs out or when the other team scores during the power play. In the case of a goal scored during the first two minutes of a double-minor, the penalty clock is set down to two minutes upon a score, effectively expiring the first minor penalty. 
{{multiple image
|align    = right
|width1   = 198
|image1   = Crosscheck2535 9045253945 l (39591689064).jpg
|width2   = 132
|image2   = Joel Larsson and Davis Dryden.jpg
|caption1 = A skater [[cross-checking]] his opponent, [[checking (ice hockey)|checking]] him with the shaft of his stick with two hands.
|caption2 = A skater [[Hooking (ice hockey)|hooking]] his opponent, using his stick to restrain him.
|footer   = These are examples of rule infractions in the sport; a penalty may be assessed against the players committing them.
}}
Five-minute major penalties are called for especially violent instances of most minor infractions that result in intentional injury to an opponent, or when a minor penalty results in visible injury (such as bleeding), as well as for fighting. Major penalties are always served in full; they do not terminate on a goal scored by the other team. Major penalties assessed for fighting are typically offsetting, meaning neither team is short-handed and the players exit the penalty box upon a stoppage of play following the expiration of their respective penalties. The foul of boarding (defined as "check[ing] an opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to be thrown violently in the boards")<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nhlofficials.com/images/2008_NHL_Rulebook.pdf|title=NHL Rulebook|publisher=nhlofficials.com|access-date=October 19, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025043505/http://www.nhlofficials.com/images/2008_NHL_Rulebook.pdf|archive-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> is penalized either by a minor or major penalty at the discretion of the referee, based on the violent state of the hit. A minor or major penalty for boarding is often assessed when a player checks an opponent from behind and into the boards.

Some varieties of penalty do not require the offending team to play a man short. Concurrent five-minute major penalties in the NHL usually result from fighting. In the case of two players being assessed five-minute fighting majors, both the players serve five minutes without their team incurring a loss of player (both teams still have a full complement of players on the ice). This differs with two players from opposing sides getting minor penalties, at the same time or at any intersecting moment, resulting from more common infractions. In this case, both teams will have only four skating players (not counting the goaltender) until one or both penalties expire (if one penalty expires before the other, the opposing team gets a power play for the remainder of the time); this applies regardless of current pending penalties. In the NHL, a team always has at least three skaters on the ice. Thus, ten-minute ''misconduct'' penalties are served in full by the penalized player, but his team may immediately substitute another player on the ice ''unless'' a minor or major penalty is assessed in conjunction with the misconduct (a ''two-and-ten'' or ''five-and-ten''). In this case, the team designates another player to serve the minor or major; both players go to the penalty box, but only the designee may not be replaced, and he is released upon the expiration of the two or five minutes, at which point the ten-minute misconduct begins. In addition, ''game misconducts'' are assessed for deliberate intent to inflict severe injury on an opponent (at the officials' discretion), or for a major penalty for a stick infraction or repeated major penalties. The offending player is ejected from the game and must immediately leave the playing surface (he does not sit in the penalty box); meanwhile, if an additional minor or major penalty is assessed, a designated player must serve out of that segment of the penalty in the box (similar to the above-mentioned "two-and-ten"). In some rare cases, a player may receive up to nineteen minutes in penalties for one string of plays. This could involve receiving a four-minute double-minor penalty, getting in a fight with an opposing player who retaliates, and then receiving a game misconduct after the fight. In this case, the player is ejected and two teammates must serve the double-minor and major penalties.
[[File:Mike Condon & Ondrej Palat.png|thumb|A skater taking a [[Penalty shot (ice hockey)|penalty shot]], with a referee in the background. A referee may award a player with a penalty shot if they assess an infraction stopped the player from a clear scoring opportunity.]] 
A [[Penalty shot (ice hockey)|penalty shot]] is awarded to a player when the illegal actions of another player stop a clear scoring opportunity, most commonly when the player is on a [[Breakaway (ice hockey)|breakaway]]. A penalty shot allows the obstructed player to pick up the puck on the centre red-line and attempt to score on the goalie with no other players on the ice, to compensate for the earlier missed scoring opportunity. A penalty shot is also awarded for a defender other than the goaltender covering the puck in the goal crease, a goaltender intentionally displacing his own goal posts during a breakaway to avoid a goal, a defender intentionally displacing his own goal posts when there is less than two minutes to play in regulation time or at any point during overtime, or a player or coach intentionally throwing a stick or other object at the puck or the puck carrier and the throwing action disrupts a shot or pass play.

Officials also stop play for puck movement violations, such as using one's hands to pass the puck in the offensive end, but no players are penalized for these offences. The sole exceptions are deliberately falling on or gathering the puck to the body, carrying the puck in the hand, and shooting the puck out of play in one's defensive zone (all penalized two minutes for delay of game).

In the NHL, a unique penalty applies to the goalies. The goalies now are forbidden to play the puck in the "corners" of the rink near their own net. This will result in a two-minute penalty against the goalie's team. Only in the area in front of the goal line and immediately behind the net (marked by two red lines on either side of the net) can the goalie play the puck.

An additional rule that has never been a penalty, but was an infraction in the NHL before recent rules changes, is the [[Two-line pass|two-line offside pass]]. Prior to the 2005–06 NHL season, play was stopped when a pass from inside a team's defending zone crossed the centre line, with a face-off held in the defending zone of the offending team. Now, the centre line is no longer used in the NHL to determine a two-line pass infraction, a change that the IIHF had adopted in 1998. Players are now able to pass to teammates who are more than the blue and centre ice red line away.

The NHL has taken steps to speed up the game of hockey and create a game of finesse, by reducing the number of illegal hits, fights, and "clutching and grabbing" that occurred in the past. Rules are now more strictly enforced, resulting in more penalties, which provides more protection to the players and facilitates more goals being scored. The governing body for United States' amateur hockey has implemented many new rules to reduce the number of stick-on-body occurrences, as well as other detrimental and illegal facets of the game ("zero tolerance").

In men's hockey, but not in women's, a player may use his hip or shoulder to hit another player if the player has the puck or is the last to have touched it. This use of the hip and shoulder is called ''[[Checking (ice hockey)|body checking]]''. Not all physical contact is legal—in particular, hits from behind, hits to the head and most types of forceful stick-on-body contact are illegal.
[[File:Second Period - Hyman on delayed penalty (16646925966).jpg|thumb|A referee calls a ''delayed penalty'', which sees play continue until a goal is scored, or the opposing team regains control of the puck.]]
A ''delayed penalty call'' occurs when an offence is committed by the team that does not have possession of the puck. In this circumstance the team with possession of the puck is allowed to complete the play; that is, play continues until a goal is scored, a player on the opposing team gains control of the puck, or the team in possession commits an infraction or penalty of their own. Because the team on which the penalty was called cannot control the puck without stopping play, it is impossible for them to score a goal. In these cases, the team in possession of the puck can pull the goalie for an extra attacker without fear of being scored on. It is possible for the controlling team to mishandle the puck into their own net. If a delayed penalty is signalled and the team in possession scores, the penalty is still assessed to the offending player, but not served. In 2012, this rule was changed by the United States' [[National Collegiate Athletic Association]] (NCAA) for [[college ice hockey|college level hockey]]. In college games, the penalty is still enforced even if the team in possession scores.<ref>{{cite web|author=National Collegiate Athletic Association|title=Ice Hockey 2012–2013 and 2013–2014 Rules and Interpretations|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH14.pdf|page=HR–33|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160118144415/http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH14.pdf|archive-date=January 18, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Officials===
{{Main|Official (ice hockey)}}

A typical game of hockey is governed by two to four ''[[Official (ice hockey)|officials]]'' on the ice, charged with enforcing the rules of the game. There are typically two ''linesmen'' who are mainly responsible for calling "offside" and "[[Icing (ice hockey)|icing]]" violations, breaking up fights, and conducting faceoffs,<ref>{{cite web|author=National Collegiate Athletic Association|title=Ice Hockey 2008–2010 Rules and Interpretations|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|page=HR–53|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107011552/http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|archive-date=November 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> and one or two ''referees'',<ref>{{cite web|author=National Collegiate Athletic Association|title=Ice Hockey 2008–2010 Rules and Interpretations|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|page=HR–52|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107011552/http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|archive-date=November 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> who call goals and all other penalties. Linesmen can report to the referee(s) that a penalty should be assessed against an offending player in some situations.<ref>{{cite web|author=National Collegiate Athletic Association|title=Ice Hockey 2008–2010 Rules and Interpretations|url=http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|page=HR–54|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151107011552/http://www.ncaapublications.com/productdownloads/IH10.pdf|archive-date=November 7, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> The restrictions on this practice vary depending on the governing rules. On-ice officials are assisted by off-ice officials who act as goal judges, time keepers, and official scorers.
[[File:Montreal - Burlington 3 decembre 2011 021.jpg|thumb|Officials working under a four-official system. Orange armbands are worn by the referees to distinguish them from the lineswomen.]]
The most widespread system is the "three-man system", which uses one referee and two linesmen. A less commonly used system is the two referee and one linesman system. This system is close to the regular three-man system except for a few procedure changes. Beginning with the National Hockey League, a number of leagues have implemented the "four-official system", where an additional referee is added to aid in the calling of penalties normally difficult to assess by one referee. The system is used in every NHL game since 2001, at [[Ice Hockey World Championships|IIHF World Championships]], the [[Olympics]] and in many professional and high-level amateur leagues in North America and Europe.

Officials are selected by the league they work for. Amateur hockey leagues use guidelines established by national organizing bodies as a basis for choosing their officiating staffs. In North America, the national organizing bodies [[Hockey Canada]] and [[USA Hockey]] approve officials according to their experience level as well as their ability to pass rules knowledge and skating ability tests. Hockey Canada has officiating levels I through VI.<ref>{{cite web|author=Hockey Canada Officiating Department|title=How to Get Started – Officials|url=http://hockeycanada.com/index.php/ci_id/63557/la_id/1.htm|access-date=April 14, 2010|archive-date=July 11, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711172738/http://www.hockeycanada.com/index.php/ci_id/63557/la_id/1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> USA Hockey has officiating levels 1 through 4.<ref>{{cite web|author=USA Hockey Officiating Program|title=USA Hockey officials registration program|url=http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Officials/Registration%20Rules.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130512093248/http://www.usahockey.com/uploadedFiles/USAHockey/Menu_Officials/Registration%20Rules.pdf|archive-date=May 12, 2013}}</ref>

===Equipment===
{{Main|Ice hockey equipment}}

====Protective gear====
[[File:Hockey equipment rom.jpg|upright|thumb|Models with the protective equipment worn by ice hockey skaters, such as a helmet, shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, hockey pants, and shin guards.]]
Since men's ice hockey is a full-contact sport, body checks are allowed so injuries are a common occurrence. Protective equipment is mandatory and is enforced in all competitive situations. This includes a helmet with either a visor or a full face mask, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts (also known as hockey pants) or a girdle, [[athletic cup]] (also known as a jock, for males; and jill, for females), shin pads, skates, and (optionally) a neck protector.

====Goaltenders====
[[Ice hockey goaltending equipment|Goaltenders]] use different equipment. With hockey pucks approaching them at speeds of up to {{cvt|100|mph}} they must wear equipment with more protection. Goaltenders wear specialized goalie skates (these skates are built more for movement side to side rather than forwards and backwards), a jock or jill, large leg pads (there are size restrictions in certain leagues), blocking glove, catching glove, a chest protector, a goalie mask, and a large jersey. Goaltenders' equipment has continually become larger and larger, leading to fewer goals in each game and many official rule changes.

====Ice skates====
[[Ice skates#Ice hockey skates|Ice hockey skates]] are optimized for physical acceleration, speed and manoeuvrability. This includes rapid starts, stops, turns, and changes in skating direction. In addition, they must be rigid and tough to protect the skater's feet from contact with other skaters, sticks, pucks, the boards, and the ice itself. Rigidity also improves the overall manoeuvrability of the skate. Blade length, thickness (width), and curvature (rocker/radius) (front to back) and radius of hollow (across the blade width) are quite different from speed or figure skates. Hockey players usually adjust these parameters based on their skill level, position, and body type. The blade width of most skates are about {{convert|1/8|in|mm}} thick.

====Ice hockey stick====
Each player other than the goaltender carries a stick consisting of a long, relatively wide, and slightly curved flat blade, attached to a shaft. The curve itself has a big impact on its performance. A deep curve allows for lifting the puck easier while a shallow curve allows for easier backhand shots. The flex of the stick also impacts the performance. Typically, a less flexible stick is meant for a stronger player since the player is looking for the right balanced flex that allows the stick to flex easily while still having a strong "whip-back" which sends the puck flying at high speeds. It is quite distinct from sticks in other sports games and most suited to hitting and controlling the flat puck. Its unique shape contributed to the early development of the game.

The goaltender carries a stick of a different design, with a larger blade and a wide, flat shaft. This stick is primarily intended to block shots, but the goaltender may use it to play the puck as well.

{{Anchor|Injury}}

== Injury ==
Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately {{convert|20|–|30|mph|-1|abbr=on}} and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact, hip contact, and hockey pucks can all potentially cause injuries. [[Lace bite]], an irritation felt on the front of the foot or ankle, is a common ice hockey injury.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Levitsky |first1=Matthew M. |last2=Vosseller |first2=James Turner |last3=Popkin |first3=Charles A. |date=March 9, 2020 |title=Lace bite: A review of tibialis anterior tendinopathy in ice hockey players |journal=Translational Sports Medicine |volume=3 |issue=4 |pages=296–299 |doi=10.1002/tsm2.152 |s2cid=216389138 |issn=2573-8488 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

[[File:Injury, Montreal Canadiens 3, Ottawa Senators 4, Centre Bell, Montreal, Quebec (29439896364).jpg|thumb|An injured skater being attended to after hitting the endboards. Because ice hockey is a full-contact sport, and involves players moving at high speeds, injuries can occur during play.]]

Compared to athletes who play other sports, ice hockey players are at higher risk of [[overuse injuries]] and injuries caused by [[early sports specialization]] by teenagers.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Feeley|first1=Brian T.|last2=Agel|first2=Julie|last3=LaPrade|first3=Robert F.|date=January 2016|title=When Is It Too Early for Single Sport Specialization?|journal=The American Journal of Sports Medicine|volume=44|issue=1|pages=234–241|doi=10.1177/0363546515576899|issn=1552-3365|pmid=25825379|s2cid=15742871 }}</ref>

According to the Hughston Health Alert, prior to the widespread use of helmets and face cages, "Lacerations to the head, scalp, and face are the most frequent types of injury [in hockey]."<ref name="hughston.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.hughston.com/a-hockey.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822231059/http://www.hughston.com/a-hockey.aspx|archive-date=August 22, 2016|title=Ice Hockey Injuries|publisher=Hughston Clinic}}</ref>

One of the leading causes of head injury is body checking from behind. Due to the danger of delivering a check from behind, many leagues – including the NHL – have made this a major and game misconduct penalty. Another type of check that accounts for many of the player-to-player contact concussions is a check to the head resulting in a misconduct penalty (called "head contact"). In recent years, the NHL has implemented new rules which penalize and suspend players for illegal checks to the heads, as well as checks to unsuspecting players. Studies show that ice hockey causes 44.3% of all sports-related traumatic brain injuries among Canadian children.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cusimano|first1=Michael D.|last2=Cho|first2=Newton|last3=Amin|first3=Khizer|last4=Shirazi|first4=Mariam|last5=McFaull|first5=Steven R.|last6=Do|first6=Minh T.|last7=Wong|first7=Matthew C.|last8=Russell|first8=Kelly|date=March 28, 2013|editor-last=Mendelson|editor-first=John E.|title=Mechanisms of Team-Sport-Related Brain Injuries in Children 5 to 19 Years Old: Opportunities for Prevention|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=8|issue=3|article-number=e58868|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0058868|issn=1932-6203|pmc=3610710|pmid=23555602|bibcode=2013PLoSO...858868C|doi-access=free }}</ref>

Some teams in the [[Switzerland|Swiss]] [[National League (ice hockey)|National League]] are testing out systems that combine helmet-integrated sensors and analysis software to reveal a player's ongoing brain injury risk during a game. These sensors provide players and coaches with real-time data on head impact strength, frequency, and severity.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Nagalwade |first=Vidya |date=2023-04-01 |title=Smart helmets to protect against head trauma |url=https://www.techexplorist.com/smart-helmets-protect-against-head-trauma/58321/ |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=Tech Explorist }}</ref> Furthermore, if the app determines that a particular impact has the potential to cause brain injury, it will alert the coach who can in turn seek medical attention for the individual.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coxworth |first=Ben  |date=2023-03-31 |title=Smart hockey helmet assesses players' knocks to the noggin |url=https://newatlas.com/health-wellbeing/bearmind-impact-sensing-hockey-helmet/ |access-date=2023-09-04 |website=New Atlas}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Carron |first=Cécilia |date=2023-03-31 |title=Smart helmets to prevent head trauma |url=https://actu.epfl.ch/news/smart-helmets-to-prevent-head-trauma/ }}</ref>

==Tactics==

===Defensive tactics===
Defensive ice hockey tactics vary from more active to more conservative styles of play. One distinction is between [[man-to-man defence|man-to-man]] oriented defensive systems, and [[zone defence|zonal]] oriented defensive systems, though a lot of teams use a combination between the two. Defensive skills involve ''pass interception'', ''shot blocking'', and ''stick checking'' (in which an attempt to take away the puck or cut off the puck lane is initiated by the stick of the defensive player). Tactical points of emphasis in ice hockey defensive play are concepts like "managing gaps" (gap control), "boxing out"' (not letting the offensive team go on the inside), and "staying on the right side" (of the puck). Another popular concept in ice hockey defensive tactics is that of playing a [[200-foot game]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Bernardi |first1=Sam |title=Stout defense, relentless offense propels Michigan past Bowling Green, 7-1. |url=https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=AONE&sw=w&issn=&v=2.1&it=r&id=GALE%7CA677670159&sid=googleScholar&linkaccess=abs&userGroupName=anon%7Ee5160edc |access-date=17 April 2023 |publisher=ULOOP Inc.}}</ref>

====Checking====
{{main|Checking (ice hockey)|Backcheck}}

[[File:Body checking lesson.jpg|thumb|Youths being taught how to properly deliver a check in ice hockey.]]
An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. ''Stick checking'', ''sweep checking'', and ''poke checking'' are legal uses of the stick to obtain possession of the puck. The ''[[neutral zone trap]]'' is designed to isolate the puck carrier in the neutral zone preventing him from entering the offensive zone. ''Body checking'' is using one's shoulder or hip to strike an opponent who has the puck or who is the last to have touched it (the last person to have touched the puck is still legally "in possession" of it, although a penalty is generally called if he is checked more than two seconds after his last touch). Body checking is also a penalty in certain leagues in order to reduce the chance of injury to players. Often the term checking is used to refer to body checking, with its true definition generally only propagated among fans of the game.

One of the most important strategies for a team is their ''[[forecheck]]''. Forechecking is the act of attacking the opposition in their defensive zone. Forechecking is an important part of the ''[[dump and chase]]'' strategy (i.e. shooting the puck into the offensive zone and then chasing after it). Each team uses their own unique system but the main ones are: [[2-1-2 Forecheck|2–1–2]], 1–2–2, and 1–4. The 2–1–2 is the most basic forecheck system where two forwards go in deep and pressure the opposition's defencemen, the third forward stays high and the two defencemen stay at the blueline. The 1–2–2 is a bit more conservative system where one forward pressures the puck carrier and the other two forwards cover the oppositions' wingers, with the two defencemen staying at the blueline. The 1–4 is the most defensive forecheck system, referred to as the neutral zone trap, where one forward applies pressure to the puck carrier around the oppositions' blueline and the other four players stand basically in a line by their blueline in hopes the opposition will skate into one of them. Another strategy is the [[left wing lock]], which has two forwards pressure the puck and the left wing and the two defencemen stay at the blueline.

===Offensive tactics===
{{main|Shot (ice hockey)|Slapshot|Wrist shot|Snap shot (ice hockey)|Backhand slapshot|Offside (ice hockey)|Extra attacker|Deke (ice hockey)}}

Offensive tactics include improving a team's position on the ice by advancing the puck out of one's zone towards the opponent's zone, progressively by gaining lines, first your own blue line, then the red line and finally the opponent's blue line. [[National Hockey League rules|NHL rules]] instated for the 2006 season redefined the offside rule to make the two-line pass legal; a player may pass the puck from behind his own blue line, past both that blue line and the centre red line, to a player on the near side of the opponents' blue line. Offensive tactics are designed ultimately to score a goal by taking a shot. When a player purposely directs the puck towards the opponent's goal, he or she is said to "shoot" the puck.
[[File:2016 NHL All-Star Game (24660199222).jpg|left|upright|thumb|An [[National Hockey League|NHL]] fan exhibit, where guests attempt to deflect the puck in order to score.]]
A ''deflection'' is a shot that redirects a shot or a pass towards the goal from another player, by allowing the puck to strike the stick and carom towards the goal. A ''[[one-timer]]'' is a shot struck directly off a pass, without receiving the pass and shooting in two separate actions. ''Headmanning the puck'', also known as ''breaking out'', is the tactic of rapidly passing to the player farthest down the ice. ''[[Loafing (ice hockey)|Loafing]]'', also known as ''[[cherry picking (basketball)|cherry-picking]]'', is when a player, usually a forward, skates behind an attacking team, instead of playing defence, in an attempt to create an easy scoring chance.

A team that is losing by one or two goals in the last few minutes of play will often elect to ''pull the goalie''; that is, remove the goaltender and replace him or her with an ''[[extra attacker]]'' on the ice in the hope of gaining enough advantage to score a goal. This is a desperate act, as it sometimes leads to the opposing team extending their lead by scoring a goal in the empty net.

[[File:Delayed Penalty (4265089028).jpg|thumb|A goalie heads to the bench in order to allow for an [[extra attacker]].]]
There are many other little tactics used in the game of hockey. ''[[Cycling (ice hockey)|Cycling]]'' moves the puck along the boards in the offensive zone to create a [[scoring chance]] by making defenders tired or moving them out of position. ''Pinching'' is when a defenceman pressures the opposition's winger in the offensive zone when they are breaking out, attempting to stop their attack and keep the puck in the offensive zone. A ''[[saucer pass]]'' is a pass used when an opposition's stick or body is in the passing lane. It is the act of raising the puck over the obstruction and having it land on a teammate's stick.

A [[deke (ice hockey)|deke]], short for "decoy", is a [[feint]] with the body or stick to fool a defender or the goalie. Many modern players, such as [[Pavel Datsyuk]], [[Sidney Crosby]] and [[Patrick Kane]], have picked up the skill of "dangling", which is fancier deking and requires more stick handling skills.

A tactic used by a player to keep possession of the puck is ''stick handling'' and also known as ''ragging''.{{sfn|Finnigan|1992|p=12}} A player can use their stick to manipulate the puck out of reach of opposing players, while attempting to skate past them. When combined with deking or dangling skills, a player can attempt an ''end-to-end rush'' and make a solo play to score. Ragging is also a common penalty-killing tactic to use up time during a penalty's duration.

===Fights===
{{Main|Fighting in ice hockey}}

[[File:Fight in ice hockey 2009.JPG|thumb|Fighting is prohibited by the rules but is common in North America.]]

Although fighting is officially prohibited in the rules, it is not an uncommon occurrence at the professional level, and its prevalence has been both a target of criticism and a considerable draw for the sport. At the professional level in North America fights are unofficially condoned. [[enforcer (ice hockey)|Enforcers]] and other players fight to demoralize the opposing players while exciting their own, as well as settling personal scores. A fight will also break out if one of the team's skilled players gets hit hard or someone receives what the team perceives as a dirty hit. The amateur game penalizes fisticuffs more harshly, as a player who receives a fighting major is also assessed at least a 10-minute misconduct penalty (NCAA and some Junior leagues) or a game misconduct penalty and [[suspension (punishment)|suspension]] (high school and younger, as well as some casual adult leagues).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.usahockey.com/kahc/default.aspx?NAV=AF_06&ID=190764|title=KAHC Suspended Players|access-date=August 2, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090813154239/http://www.usahockey.com/kahc/default.aspx?NAV=AF_06&ID=190764|archive-date=August 13, 2009}}</ref>

{{Anchor|Women's ice hockey}}
==Women's ice hockey==

===History===
{{Globalize|section|North America|date=February 2022}}
{{See also|Canadian women's ice hockey history|History of women's ice hockey in the United States}}
[[File:Womenplayinghockey.jpg|thumb|Women playing ice hockey, c. 1888. The daughter of [[Frederick Stanley, 16th Earl of Derby|Lord Stanley of Preston]], [[Lady Isobel Gathorne-Hardy]], is visible in white.]]

Women began playing the game of ice hockey in the late 19th century. Several games were recorded in the 1890s in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The women of Lord Stanley's family were known to participate in the game of ice hockey on the outdoor ice rink at [[Rideau Hall]], the residence of Canada's [[Governor General of Canada|Governor General]].<ref name="Jamieson-2013">{{Cite news |last=Jamieson |first=Natasha |date=2013-04-07 |title=Women's Hockey Herstory: 1890 to 1990 |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/womens-hockey-herstory-1890-to-1990 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230206151704/https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/news/womens-hockey-herstory-1890-to-1990 |archive-date=2023-02-06 |access-date=2024-01-07 |work=Hockey Canada}}</ref>

The earliest available records of women's ice hockey were in the late 19th-century in Canada. Much like the men's game, women had previously been playing a conglomeration of stick-and-ball ice games. As with men's hockey, the women's game developed at first without an organizing body. A tournament in 1902 between [[Montreal]] and [[Trois-Rivières]] was billed as the first women's ice hockey championship tournament.<ref>{{Cite web |title=History of Ice hockey in Timeline - Popular Timelines |url=https://populartimelines.com/t/14790/Ice-hockey |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=populartimelines.com |language=en}}</ref> Several tournaments, such as at the Banff Winter Carnival, were held in the early 20th century with numerous women's teams such as the [[Seattle Vamps]] and [[Vancouver Amazons]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Podnieks |first=Andrew |author-link=Andrew Podnieks |title=Women made history 100 years ago |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/24545/women_made_history_100_years_ago |access-date=2024-01-20 |website=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]] |language=en}}</ref> Organizations started to develop in the 1920s, such as the [[Ladies Ontario Hockey Association]] in Canada, and later, the [[Dominion Women's Amateur Hockey Association]].

Starting in Canada in 1961, the women's game spread to more universities after the ''Fitness and Amateur Sport Act'' came into force in whereby the Government of Canada made an official commitment to "encourage, promote and develop fitness and amateur sport in Canada."<ref>"Sport Canada and the Public Policy Framework for Participation and Excellence in Sport"</ref>

[[File:Amy Menke takes a shot at the goal with Emily Pfalzer.jpg|thumb|Members of the [[Buffalo Beauts]] and the [[Minnesota Whitecaps]] during the 2019 [[Isobel Cup]] championship game for the [[Premier Hockey Federation|NWHL]], later known as the [[Premier Hockey Federation]].]]

Today, the women's game is played from youth through adult leagues, and at the university level in North America and internationally. In 2019, the [[Professional Women's Hockey Players Association]] was formed by over 150 players with the goal of creating a sustainable professional league for women's ice hockey in North America.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Kaplan |first=Emily |date=2019-05-02 |title=Women's hockey stars to boycott pro leagues |url=https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26655231/women-hockey-stars-boycott-pro-leagues |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503024453/https://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26655231/women-hockey-stars-boycott-pro-leagues |archive-date=2019-05-03 |access-date=2024-01-06 |work=[[ESPN]]}}</ref> Today, there are major professional women's hockey leagues: the [[Professional Women's Hockey League]], with teams in the United States and Canada, and the [[Zhenskaya Hockey League]], with teams in Russia and, previously, China.

Prior to the professionalization of women's ice hockey in the 21st century, professional women hockey players who played against men tended to be goaltenders. The [[United States Hockey League]] (USHL) welcomed the first female professional ice hockey player in 1969–70, when the [[Marquette Iron Rangers]] signed 18-year-old goaltender [[Karen Koch]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Karen Koch |url=http://www.marquetteironrangers.com/kar.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714041722/http://www.marquetteironrangers.com/kar.htm |archive-date=July 14, 2011 |access-date=February 24, 2011 |publisher=Marquette Iron Rangers}}</ref> Only one woman has ever played in the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL), goaltender [[Manon Rhéaume]]. Rhéaume played in NHL pre-season games as a goaltender for the [[Tampa Bay Lightning]] against the [[St. Louis Blues]] and the [[Boston Bruins]]. In 2003, forward [[Hayley Wickenheiser]] played with the [[Kirkkonummi]] [[HC Salamat|Salamat]] in the Finnish men's [[Suomi-sarja]] league.<ref name="CBC">{{cite news |date=2003-01-09 |title=Wickenheiser makes pro debut Saturday |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/wickenheiser-makes-pro-debut-saturday-1.373705 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090603230959/http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2003/01/08/wickenheiser030108.html |archive-date=2009-06-03 |access-date=2007-11-16 |work=CBC Sports |publisher=}}</ref> Women have occasionally competed in North American minor leagues: among them Rhéaume, and fellow goaltenders [[Kelly Dyer]] and [[Erin Whitten]].  Defenceman [[Angela Ruggiero]] became the first woman to actively play in a regular season professional hockey game in North America at a position other than goalie, playing in a single game for the [[Tulsa Oilers]] of the [[Central Hockey League]].

Between 1995 and 2005 the number of women's hockey participants increased by 400 percent.<ref>{{cite web|title=Industry Canada|url=http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr-72585e.html|access-date=December 4, 2005|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040927042219/http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/epic/internet/inimr-ri.nsf/en/gr-72585e.html|archive-date=September 27, 2004}}</ref> In 2011, Canada had 85,827 women players,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/canada.html|title=IIHF About Hockey Canada|publisher=Iihf.com|date=April 26, 1920|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-date=August 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180814001811/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/canada.html}}</ref> the United States had 65,609,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/united-states.html|title=IIHF About United States|publisher=Iihf.com|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-date=June 30, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630075121/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/united-states.html}}</ref> Finland 4,760,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/finland.html|title=IIHF About Finland|publisher=Iihf.com|date=February 10, 1928|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-date=May 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180504095134/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/finland.html}}</ref> Sweden 3,075<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/sweden.html|title=IIHF About Sweden|publisher=Iihf.com|date=March 23, 1912|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918193810/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/sweden.html}}</ref> and Switzerland 1,172.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/switzerland.html|title=IIHF About Switzerland|publisher=Iihf.com|date=November 23, 1908|access-date=February 8, 2014|archive-date=September 18, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180918160722/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/countries/switzerland.html}}</ref>

Women's ice hockey was added as an Olympic medal sport eight years after the first official women's ice hockey world championship in 1990, at the [[1998 Winter Olympics]] in [[Nagano, Nagano|Nagano, Japan]].<ref name="Hunter 1998 Olympics">{{cite web|author=Andria Hunter|title=1998 Winter Olympics|url=http://www.whockey.com/int/olympics/1998/|access-date=December 28, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070116185502/http://www.whockey.com/int/olympics/1998/|archive-date=January 16, 2007}}</ref> 
[[File:WomenHockey2010WinterOlympicsvictory.jpg|thumb|Medal ceremony for the women's ice hockey tournament at the [[2010 Winter Olympics]].]]

===Women's World Championship===
{{Main|IIHF Women's World Championship}}

The [[1987 World Women's Hockey Tournament]] in Toronto was the first international competition in women's hockey, although it was not sanctioned by the IIHF.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web |title=A Brief History of Women's Hockey |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/static/42596/general_information |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231003094343/https://www.iihf.com/en/static/42596/general_information |archive-date=2023-10-03 |access-date=2024-01-07 |website=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]]}}</ref> Two years later, the [[1989 IIHF European Women Championships]] in [[West Germany]] was the first IIHF-sanctioned event and the first European Championship held in women's hockey, preceding the IIHF-sanctioned [[IIHF Women's World Championship|Women's World Championship]]. The first world ice hockey championship for women was the [[1990 IIHF Women's World Championship]] in Ottawa.<ref name="Jamieson-2013" /> 

As of 2025, more than forty national teams participate in the annual competition, across four divisions: ten teams play in the top division and twelve teams each in Division I, Division II, and Division III. From the introduction of women's ice hockey as a medal sport in 1998, the top division tournament was not held in Olympic years until a change was approved to the IIHF Statutes & Bylaws in 2021; the [[2022 IIHF Women's World Championship|2022 top division tournament]] was the first to be held in an Olympic season.<ref name="IIHF WWC list">{{cite web |title=IIHF World Women's Championships |url=http://www.iihf.com//archive/WW.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210235637/http://www.iihf.com/archive/WW.pdf |archive-date=December 10, 2006 |access-date=December 28, 2006 |publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]]}}</ref><ref name="merk20220922">{{cite web |last1=Merk |first1=Martin |title=Women's Worlds in Olympic years |url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/28513/2022_women_s_worlds_in_denmark |website=IIHF |access-date=11 January 2025 |language=en |date=22 September 2022}}</ref>

===Equipment===
Players in women's competition are required to wear protective full-[[hockey mask|face masks]].<ref name="IIHF Rules Section 6">{{cite book |title=International Ice Hockey Federation Official Rule Book |publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation]] |chapter=Section 6 – Specific Rules |access-date=December 28, 2006 |chapter-url=http://www.iihf.com/hockey/rules/img/sec6.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061021194221/http://www.iihf.com/hockey/rules/img/sec6.pdf |archive-date=October 21, 2006}}</ref> At all levels, players must wear a [[Jockstrap#Jockstraps for females|pelvic protector]], essentially the female equivalent of a jockstrap, known colloquially as a "jill" or "jillstrap". Other protective equipment for girls and women in ice hockey is sometimes specifically designed for the female body, such as shoulder pads designed to protect a women's breast area without reducing mobility.

===Body checking===
[[Checking (ice hockey)|Body checking]] has long been a divisive topic in women's hockey, and has largely been prohibited since the mid-1980s in Canada, and from there internationally. Canada's [[Rhonda Leeman Taylor]] was responsible for banning body contact from all Canadian national women's tournaments in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 28, 2020 |title=Newmarket author reveals untold stories of women's hockey history |url=https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/newmarket-author-reveals-untold-stories-of-womens-hockey-history-2126317 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220213011141/https://www.newmarkettoday.ca/local-news/newmarket-author-reveals-untold-stories-of-womens-hockey-history-2126317 |archive-date=February 13, 2022 |access-date=February 13, 2022 |website=newmarkettoday.ca |publisher=}}</ref> Body checking in some of the women's hockey leagues in Canada was completely removed in 1986, which helped lead to a substantial increase in female participation in youth ice hockey in Canada.<ref name="Second Story Press">{{cite book |last1=Etue |first1=Elizabeth |url= |title=On the Edge: Women Making Hockey History |last2=Williams |first2=Megan |date=September 11, 1996 |publisher=Second Story Press |isbn=978-0-929005-79-9 |location= |page= }}</ref><ref name="Smith">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Beverly |date=November 27, 2002 |title=Canada out to ring up gold medal |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/canada-out-to-ring-up-gold-medal/article25427111/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211213214002/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/canada-out-to-ring-up-gold-medal/article25427111/ |archive-date=December 13, 2021 |newspaper=[[Globe and Mail]]}}</ref>

Prior to this point, body checking had been a part of the women's game in most cases, including in Europe. It was not until after the [[1990 IIHF Women's World Championship|1990 Women's World Championship]] that body checking was eliminated from women's hockey internationally. In addition, until the mid-2000s, obstruction and interference were allowed, including pushing players in front of the net, minor hooking, and setting picks. When the [[National Hockey League]] removed obstruction and interference in the mid-2000s, minor hockey leagues and female leagues followed suit.<ref>{{cite web |last=McCullough |first=Kim |date=January 26, 2018 |title=Is girls' hockey too rough? |url=https://www.stateofhockey.com/news_article/show/879516-is-girls-hockey-too-rough- |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531185152/https://www.stateofhockey.com/news_article/show/879516-is-girls-hockey-too-rough- |archive-date=May 31, 2022 |access-date=April 27, 2022 |website=stateofhockey.com}}</ref> In women's IIHF ice hockey today, body checking is considered an "illegal hit" and is punishable by a [[minor penalty]], [[major penalty]] and [[game misconduct]], or [[match penalty]].<ref name="IIHF Rules Section 6" />

The idea of reintroducing body checking to the female game after its removal in the 1980s and 1990s remains controversial. Some of those opposed to its reintroduction maintain it would lead to a loss of female participants, as once stated by Arto Sieppi, Finland's director of women's hockey.<ref>{{cite web |author=International Ice Hockey Federation |date= |title=Director Female Hockey – Arto Sieppi, Finnish Ice Hockey |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/world-hockey-summit/home/attendees/panelists/arto-sieppi |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525235306/https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/world-hockey-summit/home/attendees/panelists/arto-sieppi |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=hockeycanada.ca |publisher=Hockey Canada}}</ref> Sieppi made the statement in response to claims made by the head coach of [[Sweden women's national ice hockey team|Sweden's national women's team]], Peter Elander,<ref>{{cite web |author=International Ice Hockey Federation |date= |title=Head Coach – Peter Elander, UND |url=https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/world-hockey-summit/home/attendees/panelists/peter-elander |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525234633/https://www.hockeycanada.ca/en-ca/exclusive/world-hockey-summit/home/attendees/panelists/peter-elander |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=hockeycanada.ca |publisher=Hockey Canada}}</ref> who had claimed its absence was due to patriarchal sexism.<ref name="femalehitting">{{cite web |author=Mathew Sekeres |date=September 5, 2009 |title=Too Dainty to Hit? |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/too-dainty-to-hit/article4286762/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220525233819/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/too-dainty-to-hit/article4286762/ |archive-date=May 25, 2022 |access-date=May 25, 2022 |website=theglobeandmail.com}}</ref>

{{Blockquote
|text=Peter is a good friend of mine, but I totally disagree... First of all, it's a women's sport, and if bodychecking would be allowed, the number of young girls entering the game would decrease rapidly.<ref name="femalehitting" />
|title="Too Dainty to Hit?"
|source=''The Globe and Mail'' (September 5, 2009)
|author=Mathew Sekeres
}}

The Svenska damhockeyligan (SDHL), known as the [[Swedish Women's Hockey League]] in English, announced in 2022 that it would include body checking during its 2022–23 season, but would maintain a prohibition on open-ice hits.<ref>{{cite web |author=Greg Wyshynski |date=March 20, 2022 |title=Swedish Women's Hockey League to OK bodychecking for 2022–23 season |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/hockey/story/_/id/33951467/swedish-women-hockey-league-ok-body-checking-2022-23-season |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530214244/https://www.espn.com/olympics/hockey/story/_/id/33951467/swedish-women-hockey-league-ok-body-checking-2022-23-season |archive-date=May 30, 2022 |access-date=May 31, 2022 |website=espn.com |publisher=ESPN}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=Ian Lennedy |date=March 31, 2022 |title=Swedish Women's Hockey League to Introduce Body Checking |url=https://thehockeynews.com/news/swedish-womens-hockey-league-to-introduce-bodychecking |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220601080843/https://thehockeynews.com/news/swedish-womens-hockey-league-to-introduce-bodychecking |archive-date=June 1, 2022 |access-date=May 31, 2022 |newspaper=The Hockey News}}</ref> The new program also applies to the [[Damettan]], Sweden's second-tier women's league. The [[Professional Women's Hockey League]], the highest level of women's professional hockey, which debuted in 2024, also allows body checking. The PWHL rule-book outlines that body checking is permissible "when there is a clear intention of playing the puck or attempting to 'gain possession' of the puck", which is allowed principally along the boards.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Donkin |first=Karissa |date=2024-01-06 |title=PWHL showcases physicality of women's game, with full approval from players |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-physicality-officiating-2024-1.7076009 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106093359/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-physicality-officiating-2024-1.7076009 |archive-date=2024-01-06 |access-date=2024-01-07 |work=CBC Sports}}</ref> League executive [[Jayna Hefford]] has stated that body checking was included at the behest of players, and the league's physicality drew positive reviews when the league began play in January 2024.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite news |last=Donkin |first=Karissa |date=2024-01-05 |title=Players beaming as physical play, new rules and historic moments highlight PWHL's 1st week |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-roundup-jan-4-1.7074704 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105232750/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-roundup-jan-4-1.7074704 |archive-date=2024-01-05 |access-date=2024-01-05 |work=CBC Sports}}</ref>

==Leagues and championships==
{{Main|List of ice hockey leagues}}

The following is a list of professional ice hockey leagues by attendance:

{|class="wikitable sortable" style="margin-left:1cm"
|-
! style="width:15em"|League
! style="width:15em"|Country
! style="width:25em"|Notes
! style="width:5em; text-align:center"|Average Attendance<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/news/9527/european-attendance-ranking|title=European attendance ranking|date=May 10, 2019|publisher=IIHF.com|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=November 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124054142/https://www.iihf.com/en/news/9527/european-attendance-ranking|url-status=live}}</ref> <br /><small>for 2018–19</small>
|-
|[[National Hockey League]] (NHL)||{{flagu|United States}}&nbsp;(25&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|Canada}}&nbsp;(7&nbsp;teams)||||17,406
|-
|[[National League (ice hockey)|National League]] (NL)||{{CHE}}||||6,949
|-
|[[Deutsche Eishockey Liga]] (DEL)||{{DEU}}||||6,215
|-
|[[Kontinental Hockey League]] (KHL)||{{flagu|Russia}}&nbsp;(19&nbsp;teams)<br />{{BLR}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />{{flagu|China}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />{{KAZ}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />||Successor to [[Russian Superleague]] and [[Soviet Championship League]]||6,397
|-
|[[American Hockey League]]||{{flagu|United States}}&nbsp;(26&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|Canada}}&nbsp;(6&nbsp;teams)||Developmental league for NHL||5,672
|-
|[[Swedish Hockey League]] (SHL)||{{flagu|Sweden}}||Known as Elitserien until 2013||5,936
|-
|[[Professional Women's Hockey League]]
|{{flagu|United States}} (3 teams)<br />{{flagu|Canada}} (3 teams)
|Founded in 2023, first game in 2024
|5,448
|-
|[[Czech Extraliga]]||{{CZE}}||Formed from the split of the [[Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League]]||5,401
|-
|[[SM-liiga]]||{{FIN}}||Originally [[SM-sarja]] from 1928 to 1975. Known as SM-liiga since 1975||4,232
|-
|[[Western Hockey League]]||{{flagu|Canada}}&nbsp;(17&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|United States}}&nbsp;(5&nbsp;teams)||Junior league||4,295
|-
|[[ECHL]]||{{flagu|United States}}&nbsp;(25&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|Canada}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)|||Developmental league for NHL|||4,365
|-
|[[Ontario Hockey League]]||{{flagu|Canada}}&nbsp;(17&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|United States}}&nbsp;(3&nbsp;teams)||Junior league||3,853
|-
|[[List of NCAA Division I ice hockey programs|NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament]]||{{flagu|United States}}||Amateur intercollegiate competition||3,281
|-
|[[Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League]]||{{flagu|Canada}}||Junior league||3,271
|-
|[[Champions Hockey League]]||{{country|Europe}}||Europe-wide championship tournament league. Successor to [[European Trophy]] and [[Champions Hockey League (2008–09)|Champions Hockey League]]||3,397<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/statistics#tab_statistics=teams&select_statistics=0|title=Statistics: Teams|publisher=championshockeyleague.net|access-date=May 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190214174736/https://www.championshockeyleague.com/en/statistics#tab_statistics=teams&select_statistics=0|archive-date=February 14, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|[[Southern Professional Hockey League]]||{{flagu|United States}}||||3,116
|-
|[[Austrian Hockey League]]||{{AUT}}&nbsp;(8&nbsp;teams)<br />{{HUN}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />{{CZE}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />{{flagu|Italy}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)<br />{{HRV}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)||||2,970
|-
|[[Elite Ice Hockey League]]||{{flagu|United Kingdom}}||Teams in all of the [[home nations]]: England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland||2,850
|-
|[[DEL2]]||{{DEU}}||Second division of Germany||2,511
|-
|[[United States Hockey League]]||{{flagu|United States}}||Amateur junior league||2,367
|-
|[[HockeyAllsvenskan]]||{{flagu|Sweden}}||Second division of Sweden||2,713
|-
|[[GET-ligaen]]||{{NOR}}||||1,827
|-
|[[Slovak Extraliga]]||{{SVK}} &nbsp;(11&nbsp;teams)<br />{{HUN}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)||Formed from the split of the [[Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey League]]||1,663
|-
|[[Ligue Magnus]]||{{flagu|France}}||||1,716
|-
|[[Supreme Hockey League|Supreme Hockey League (VHL)]]||{{flagu|Russia}}&nbsp;(24&nbsp;teams)<br />{{KAZ}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|China}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)||Second division of Russia and partial development league for the KHL||1,766
|-
|[[Swiss League]]||{{SWI}}||Second division of Switzerland||1,845
|-
|[[1st Czech Republic Hockey League|Chance Liga]]||{{CZE}}||Second division of Czechia||1,674
|-
|[[Latvian Hockey Higher League]]||{{LAT}}&nbsp;(6&nbsp;teams)||||1,354
|-
|[[Metal Ligaen]]||{{DEN}}||||1,525
|-
|[[Premier Hockey Federation]]||{{flagu|United States}} (5 teams)<br />{{flagu|Canada}} (1 team)||Formed in 2015||954<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nwhl.zone/news_article/show/1007786|title=2018–19 Season Sets New Highs for Attendance|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190405205631/https://www.nwhl.zone/news_article/show/1007786|archive-date=April 5, 2019}}</ref>
|-
|[[Asia League Ice Hockey|Asia League]]||{{flagu|Japan}}&nbsp;(4&nbsp;teams)<br />{{KOR}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;teams)||||976
|-
|[[Mestis]]||{{FIN}}
|Successor to [[I-Divisioona]], Second division of Finland||762
|-
|[[Federal Prospects Hockey League]]||{{flagu|United States}}||||1,546<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.federalhockey.com/stats#/182/attendance?division_id=5318|title=Federal Hockey League attendance|access-date=May 10, 2019|archive-date=November 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106132343/https://www.federalhockey.com/stats#/182/attendance?division_id=5318|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|{{langr|fr|[[Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey]]}}||{{flagu|Canada}}||||1,131<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=LNAH2005&sid=2019|title=Ligue Nord-Americaine de Hockey 2018–19 Attendance Graph|work=[[HockeyDB]]|access-date=May 6, 2021|archive-date=May 7, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507123117/https://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=LNAH2005&sid=2019|url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
|[[BeNe League (ice hockey)|BeNe League]]||{{NLD}}&nbsp;(10&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|Belgium}}&nbsp;(6&nbsp;teams)||Formed in 2015 with teams from Dutch [[Eredivisie (ice hockey)|Eredivisie]] and [[Belgian Hockey League]]||784
|- 
|[[Polska Hokej Liga]]||{{flagu|Poland}}||||751
|-
|[[Erste Liga (ice hockey)|Erste Liga]]||{{HUN}}&nbsp;(6&nbsp;teams)<br />{{ROM}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)<br />{{AUT}}&nbsp;(1&nbsp;team)||||601
|-
|[[Alps Hockey League]]||{{AUT}}&nbsp;(7&nbsp;teams)<br />{{flagu|Italy}}&nbsp;(8&nbsp;teams)<br />{{SVN}}&nbsp;(2&nbsp;teams)||Formed in 2016 with the merger of Italy's [[Serie A (ice hockey)|Serie A]] and the joint Austrian–Slovenian [[Inter-National League]]||734
|-
|[[Belarusian Extraleague]]||{{BLR}}||||717
|-
|[[Swedish Women's Hockey League]]||{{flagu|Sweden}}||Formed in 2007 and known as Riksserien until 2016||234
|}

===Club competition===
====North America====

The NHL is the best attended and most popular ice hockey league in the world, and is among the [[major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada]]. The league's history began after Canada's National Hockey Association decided to disband in 1917; the result was the creation of the National Hockey League with four teams. The league expanded to the United States beginning in 1924 and had as many as 10 teams before contracting to six teams—known today as the [[Original Six]]—by 1942–43. In 1967, the NHL doubled in size to 12 teams, undertaking one of the greatest expansions in professional sports history. A few years later, in 1972, a new 12-team league, the [[World Hockey Association]] (WHA), was formed and its ensuing rivalry with the NHL caused a rapid escalation in players' salaries. In 1979, the 17-team NHL merged with the WHA creating a 21-team league.<ref name=":02">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/sports/ice-hockey|title=Ice hockey|last1=Fischler|first1=Stanley|last2=Eskenazi|first2=Gerald|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=November 3, 2021|archive-date=November 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103093203/https://www.britannica.com/sports/ice-hockey|url-status=live}}</ref> By 2017, the NHL had expanded to 31 teams, and after a realignment in 2013, these teams were divided into two conferences and four divisions.<ref name=":12">{{cite web|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Hockey-League|title=National Hockey League (NHL)|website=Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=June 23, 2022|archive-date=June 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220629052224/https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Hockey-League|url-status=live}}</ref> The league expanded to 32 teams in 2021.<ref>{{cite news|title=Seattle Kraken officially become NHL's 32nd team after final expansion payment|url=https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/seattle-kraken-officially-become-nhls-32nd-team-final-expansion-payment/|publisher=[[Sportsnet]]|date=April 30, 2021|access-date=December 9, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029174646/https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/seattle-kraken-officially-become-nhls-32nd-team-final-expansion-payment/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[American Hockey League]] (AHL) is the primary developmental professional league for players aspiring to enter the NHL. It comprises 31 teams from the United States and Canada. It is run as a [[Farm team|farm league]] to the NHL, with the vast majority of AHL players under contract to an NHL team. The [[ECHL]] (called the East Coast Hockey League before the 2003–04 season) is a mid-level minor league in the United States with a few players under contract to NHL or AHL teams.

As of 2019, there are three minor professional leagues with no NHL affiliations: the [[Federal Prospects Hockey League]] (FPHL), {{langr|fr|[[Ligue Nord-Américaine de Hockey]]}} (LNAH), and the [[Southern Professional Hockey League]] (SPHL).

[[File:2007 Memorial Cup warmup.JPG|thumb|Pre-game warmups prior to a [[Memorial Cup]] game. The tourney serves as the championship for the major junior [[Canadian Hockey League]].]]

[[U Sports]] ice hockey is the highest level of play at the Canadian university level under the auspices of U Sports, Canada's governing body for university sports. As these players compete at the university level, they are obligated to follow the rule of standard eligibility of five years.
In the United States especially, [[college hockey]] is popular and the best university teams compete in the annual [[NCAA Men's Ice Hockey Championship]]. The [[American Collegiate Hockey Association]] is composed of college teams at the club level.

In Canada, the [[Canadian Hockey League]] is an umbrella organization comprising three major junior leagues: the [[Ontario Hockey League]], the [[Western Hockey League]], and the [[Quebec Major Junior Hockey League|Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League]]. It attracts players from Canada, the United States, and Europe. The major junior players are considered amateurs as they are under 21-years-old and not paid a salary, rather a stipend, and play a schedule similar to a professional league. Typically, the [[NHL draft]]s many players directly from the major junior leagues. In the United States, the [[United States Hockey League]] (USHL) is the highest junior league. Players in this league are also amateur with players required to be under 21-years old, but do not get a stipend, which allows players to retain their eligibility for participation in [[College ice hockey#NCAA|NCAA ice hockey]].

The [[Professional Women's Hockey League]] is the highest level of club competition in women's hockey. It was founded in 2023 and debuted in 2024 with three teams in Canada and three in the United States.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Donkin |first=Karissa |date=2024-01-05 |title=Players beaming as physical play, new rules and historic moments highlight PWHL's 1st week |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-roundup-jan-4-1.7074704 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240105232750/https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pwhl/pwhl-roundup-jan-4-1.7074704 |archive-date=2024-01-05 |access-date=2024-01-05 |work=CBC Sports}}</ref>

====Eurasia====
[[File:Stamp-russia2016-hockey-gagarin-cup.png|thumb|A Russian stamp commemorating the [[Gagarin Cup]], which is presented to the [[Kontinental Hockey League|KHL]]'s playoff champion. The KHL is the largest ice hockey league in Eurasia.]]

The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) is the largest and most popular ice hockey league in Eurasia. The league is the direct successor to the [[Russian Super League]], which in turn was the successor to the [[Soviet Championship League|Soviet League]], the history of which dates back to the Soviet adoption of ice hockey in the 1940s. The KHL was [[2008–09 KHL season|launched in 2008]] with clubs predominantly from Russia, but featuring teams from other [[post-Soviet states]]. The league expanded beyond the former Soviet countries beginning in the [[2011–12 KHL season|2011–12 season]], with clubs in Croatia and Slovakia. The KHL currently comprises member clubs based in [[Belarus]] (1), China (1), [[Kazakhstan]] (1) and Russia (19) for a total of 22.

The second division of hockey in Eurasia is the [[Supreme Hockey League]] (VHL). This league features 24 teams from Russia and 2 from Kazakhstan. This league is currently being converted to a farm league for the KHL, similarly to the AHL's function in relation to the NHL. The third division is the [[Russian Hockey League]], which features only teams from Russia. The [[Asia League Ice Hockey|Asia League]], an international ice hockey league featuring clubs from China, Japan, South Korea, and the Russian Far East, is the successor to the [[Japan Ice Hockey League]].

The highest junior league in Eurasia is the [[Junior Hockey League (Russia)|Junior Hockey League]] (MHL). It features 32 teams from post-Soviet states, predominantly Russia. The second tier to this league is the [[Junior Hockey League Championships]] (MHL-B).

====Europe====
[[File:Lineup (5154107439).jpg|thumb|Players from the [[ZSC Lions]] line up prior to a game. The club plays in the Swiss [[National League A]].]]
[[File:Talviklassikko 2011.jpg|thumb|Finnish clubs [[Jokerit]] and [[HIFK Hockey|HIFK]] during a 2011 game at the [[Helsinki Olympic Stadium]].]]
Several countries in Europe have their own top professional senior leagues. Many future KHL and NHL players start or end their professional careers in these leagues. The National League A in Switzerland, Swedish Hockey League in Sweden, SM-liiga in Finland, and Czech Extraliga in the Czech Republic are all very popular in their respective countries.

Beginning in the 2014–15 season, the [[Champions Hockey League]] was launched, a league consisting of first-tier teams from several European countries, running parallel to the teams' domestic leagues. The competition is meant to serve as a Europe-wide ice hockey club championship. The competition is a direct successor to the [[European Trophy]] and is related to the 2008–09 [[Champions Hockey League (2008–09)|tournament of the same name]].

There are also several annual tournaments for clubs, held outside of league play. [[Season (sports)|Pre-season]] tournaments include the European Trophy, [[Tampere Cup]] and the [[Pajulahti Cup]]. One of the oldest international ice hockey competition for clubs is the [[Spengler Cup]], held every year in [[Davos]], Switzerland, between Christmas and New Year's Day. It was first awarded in 1923 to the Oxford University Ice Hockey Club. The [[Memorial Cup]], a competition for junior-level (age 20 and under) clubs is held annually from a pool of junior championship teams in Canada and the United States.

International club competitions organized by the IIHF include the [[IIHF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]], the [[Victoria Cup (ice hockey)|Victoria Cup]] and the European Women's Champions Cup. The [[World Junior Club Cup]] is an annual tournament of [[junior ice hockey]] clubs representing each of the top junior leagues.

====Other regions====
The [[Australian Ice Hockey League]] and [[New Zealand Ice Hockey League]] are represented by nine and five teams respectively. As of 2012, the two top teams of the previous season from each league compete in the [[Trans-Tasman Champions League]].

[[Ice hockey in Africa]] is a small but growing sport; while no African ice hockey playing nation has a domestic national league, there are several regional leagues in [[South Africa]].

===National team competitions===
[[Image:Ice hockey pictogram.svg|thumb|Pictogram used to identify ice hockey at the [[Winter Olympic Games]]]]
[[File:OvechkinKuba2010WinterOlympics.jpg|thumb|[[Alexander Ovechkin]] of the [[Russia men's national ice hockey team|Russian men's hockey team]] moves the puck as [[Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team|Czech Republic's]] [[Filip Kuba]] defends against him, during the 2010 Olympics.]]

Ice hockey has been [[Ice hockey at the Olympic Games|played]] at the [[Winter Olympic Games|Winter Olympics]] since 1924 (and was played at the [[Ice hockey at the 1920 Summer Olympics|summer games in 1920]]). Hockey is Canada's national winter sport, and Canadians are extremely passionate about the game. The nation has traditionally done very well at the Olympic Games, winning six of the first seven gold medals. By 1956, its amateur club teams and national teams could not compete with the teams of government-supported players from the Soviet Union. The USSR won all but two gold medals from [[Ice hockey at the 1956 Winter Olympics|1956]] to [[Ice hockey at the 1988 Winter Olympics|1988]]. The United States won its first gold medal in [[Ice hockey at the 1960 Winter Olympics|1960]]. On the way to winning the gold medal at the [[1980 Winter Olympics|1980 Lake Placid Olympics]], amateur US college players defeated the heavily favoured Soviet squad—an event known as the "[[Miracle on Ice]]" in the United States. Restrictions on professional players were fully dropped at the 1988 games in Calgary. NHL agreed to participate ten years later. The 1998 Games saw the full participation of players from the NHL, which suspended operations during the Games and has done so in subsequent Games up until 2018. The [[2010 Winter Olympics|2010 games in Vancouver]] were the first played in an NHL city since the inclusion of NHL players. The 2010 games were the first played on NHL-sized ice rinks, which are narrower than the IIHF standard.

National teams representing the member federations of the IIHF compete annually in the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championships. Teams are selected from the available players by the individual federations, without restriction on amateur or professional status. Since it is held in the spring, the tournament coincides with the annual NHL Stanley Cup playoffs and many of the top players are hence not available to participate in the tournament. Many of the NHL players who do play in the IIHF tournament come from teams eliminated before the playoffs or in the first round, and federations often hold open spots until the tournament to allow for players to join the tournament after their club team is eliminated. For many years, the tournament was an amateur-only tournament, but this restriction was removed, beginning in 1977.

[[File:IIHF16WC - Game FIN v BLR.jpg|thumb|Skaters from the [[Finland men's national ice hockey team|Finnish]] and [[Belarus men's national ice hockey team|Belarusian men's ice hockey teams]] shortly after a [[face-off]] during the [[2016 IIHF World Championship]]. The IIHF is an annual national team tournament.]]

The [[Summit Series|1972 Summit Series]] and [[1974 Summit Series]], two series pitting the best Canadian and [[Soviet]] players without IIHF restrictions were major successes, and established a rivalry between Canada and the USSR. In the spirit of best-versus-best without restrictions on amateur or professional status, the series were followed by five [[Canada Cup (ice hockey)|Canada Cup]] tournaments, played in North America. Two NHL versus USSR series were also held: the 1979 Challenge Cup and [[Rendez-vous '87]]. The Canada Cup tournament later became the World Cup of Hockey, played in 1996, 2004 and 2016. The United States won in 1996 and Canada won in 2004 and 2016.

Since the initial women's world championships in 1990, there have been fifteen tournaments.<ref name="IIHF WWC list" /> Women's hockey has been played at the Olympics since 1998.<ref name="Hunter 1998 Olympics" /> The only finals in the women's world championship or Olympics that did not involve both Canada and the United States were the [[Ice hockey at the 2006 Winter Olympics – Women's tournament|2006 Winter Olympic final]] between Canada and Sweden and [[2019 IIHF Women's World Championship final|2019 World Championship final]] between the US and Finland.

Other ice hockey tournaments featuring national teams include the [[IIHF World Junior Championship|World Junior Championship]], the [[IIHF World U18 Championship|World U18 Championships]], the [[World U-17 Hockey Challenge]], the [[World Junior A Challenge]], the [[Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament]], the [[IIHF World Women's U18 Championships|World Women's U18 Championships]] and the [[4 Nations Cup]]. The annual [[Euro Hockey Tour]], an unofficial European championship between the national men's teams of the Czech Republic, Finland, Russia and Sweden have been played since 1996–97.

===Attendance records===
{{Main|List of ice hockey games with highest attendance}}

[[File:TheBigChillattheBigHouse.JPG|thumb|[[The Big Chill at the Big House]] was a collegiate ice hockey game played at [[Michigan Stadium]] in 2010. The game set the attendance record for ice hockey games.]]

The attendance record for an ice hockey game was set on December 11, 2010, when the [[University of Michigan]]'s [[Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey|men's ice hockey team]] faced cross-state rival [[Michigan State Spartans men's ice hockey|Michigan State]] in an event billed as "[[The Big Chill at the Big House]]". The game was played at [[Michigan Wolverines football|Michigan's (American) football]] venue, [[Michigan Stadium]] in [[Ann Arbor, Michigan|Ann Arbor]], with a capacity of 109,901 as of the [[2010 Michigan Wolverines football team|2010 football season]]. When UM stopped sales to the public on May 6, 2010, with plans to reserve remaining tickets for students, over 100,000 tickets had been sold for the event.<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/050610aac.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100526162157/http://www.mgoblue.com/sports/m-hockey/spec-rel/050610aac.html|archive-date=May 26, 2010|title=Ticket Freeze for The Big Chill at the Big House Presented by Arby's|publisher=University of Michigan Athletic Department|date=May 6, 2010|access-date=July 25, 2010 }}</ref> Ultimately, a crowd announced by UM as 113,411, the largest in the stadium's history (including football), saw the homestanding Wolverines win 5–0. ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', using a count of ticketed fans who actually entered the stadium instead of UM's figure of tickets sold, announced a final figure of 104,173.<ref name=Janela>{{cite web|last=Janela|first=Mike|title=Highest ice hockey game attendance|url=http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Highest-ice-hockey-game-attendance/BLOG/3099369/7691.html|publisher=guinnessworldrecords.com|date=December 14, 2010|access-date=December 16, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125132212/http://community.guinnessworldrecords.com/_Highest-ice-hockey-game-attendance/blog/3099369/7691.html|archive-date=January 25, 2011 }}</ref><ref name="Big Chill record">{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/college-sports/news/story?id=5909615|title=Record crowd watches hockey game|agency=Associated Press|publisher=ESPN|date=December 11, 2010|access-date=December 12, 2010|archive-date=December 14, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101214104735/http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=5909615|url-status=live}}</ref>

The record was approached but not broken at the [[2014 NHL Winter Classic]], which also held at Michigan Stadium, with the [[Detroit Red Wings]] as the home team and the [[Toronto Maple Leafs]] as the opposing team with an announced crowd of 105,491. The record for an NHL Stanley Cup playoff game is 28,183, set on April 23, 1996, at the [[Thunderdome (Tampa)|Thunderdome]] during a Tampa Bay Lightning – [[Philadelphia Flyers]] game.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/the-morning-skate-assessing-the-winter-classic-and-don-sandersons-passing/|work=The New York Times|title=The Morning Skate: Assessing the Winter Classic|first=Stu|last=Hackel|date=January 2, 2009|access-date=May 8, 2010|archive-date=June 18, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618231028/http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/01/02/the-morning-skate-assessing-the-winter-classic-and-don-sandersons-passing/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The attendance record for a professional women's game was set on April 20, 2024, when a sold-out crowd of 21,105 people at the [[Bell Centre]] in Montreal watched a PWHL game between [[PWHL Montreal|Montreal]] and [[PWHL Toronto|Toronto]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=amclellan |date=2024-04-20 |title=PROFESSIONAL WOMEN'S HOCKEY LEAGUE (PWHL) SETS WORLD RECORD FOR ATTENDANCE |url=https://www.thepwhl.com/en/professional-womens-hockey-league-pwhl-sets-world-record-for-attendance |access-date=2024-04-28 |website=www.thepwhl.com |language=en-CA |archive-date=April 24, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240424211204/https://www.thepwhl.com/en/professional-womens-hockey-league-pwhl-sets-world-record-for-attendance }}</ref>

==International status==
[[File:Nokia Arenan avajaiset 14.jpg|thumb|The match between [[Ilves]] (yellow and green) and [[Tappara]] (blue and orange) on December 3, 2021, at [[Nokia Arena (Tampere)|Nokia Arena]] in [[Tampere]], Finland.]]

Ice hockey is most popular in [[Ice hockey in Canada|Canada]], [[Ice hockey in Germany|Germany]], [[Ice hockey in Austria|Austria]], [[Ice hockey in Switzerland|Switzerland]], Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, and the [[Ice hockey in the United States|United States]]. Ice hockey is the official [[National sport|national winter sport]] of Canada.<ref>[[s:National Sports of Canada Act|National Sports of Canada Act]]</ref> 

In addition, ice hockey is the most popular winter sport in [[Sport in Austria|Austria]], [[Sport in Belarus|Belarus]], the [[Sport in the Czech Republic|Czech Republic]], [[Sport in Finland|Finland]], [[Sport in Germany|Germany]], [[Sport in Latvia|Latvia]], [[Sport in Norway|Norway]], [[Sport in Russia|Russia]], [[Sport in Slovakia|Slovakia]], [[Sport in Sweden|Sweden]], and [[Sport in Switzerland|Switzerland]]. [[North America]]'s [[National Hockey League]] (NHL) is the highest level for men's ice hockey and the strongest professional ice hockey league in the world. The [[Kontinental Hockey League]] (KHL) is the highest league in Russia and much of Eastern Europe. 

The [[International Ice Hockey Federation]] (IIHF) is the formal governing body for international ice hockey, with the IIHF managing international tournaments and maintaining the [[IIHF World Ranking]]. Worldwide, the International Ice Hockey Federation has 83 member national associations, comprising 60 full members, 22 associate members, and one affiliate member.<ref>{{cite web |date= |title=Member National Associations |url=https://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/the-iihf/ |url-status=live |access-date=November 18, 2022 |website=International Ice Hockey Federation |publisher=IIHF |archive-date=September 21, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180921152900/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/the-iihf/ }}</ref>

In international competitions, the national teams of six countries (the [[Big Six (ice hockey)|Big Six]]) predominate: [[Canada men's national ice hockey team|Canada]], [[Czech Republic men's national ice hockey team|Czechia]], [[Finland men's national ice hockey team|Finland]], [[Russia men's national ice hockey team|Russia]], [[Sweden men's national ice hockey team|Sweden]], and [[United States men's national ice hockey team|the United States]]. Of the 69 medals awarded all-time in men's competition at the Olympics, only seven medals were not awarded to one of those countries (or two of their precursors: the Soviet Union for Russia, and Czechoslovakia for Czechia). In the annual [[Ice Hockey World Championships]], 177 of 201 medals have been awarded to the six nations; Canada has won the most gold medals. Teams outside the Big Six have won only nine medals in either competition since 1953.<ref>Including former incarnations of them, such as [[Czechoslovakia]] or the Soviet Union.</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/men.html|title=IIHF World Championships: All Medalists: Men|publisher=Iihf.com|access-date=February 24, 2011|archive-date=November 26, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091126014556/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/men.html|url-status=live}}</ref> 

The [[World Cup of Hockey]] is organized by the National Hockey League and the [[National Hockey League Players' Association]] (NHLPA), unlike the annual World Championships and quadrennial Olympic tournament, both run by the International Ice Hockey Federation. World Cup games are played under NHL rules and not those of the IIHF, and the tournament occurs prior to the NHL pre-season, allowing for all NHL players to be available, unlike the World Championships, which overlaps with the NHL's [[Stanley Cup playoffs]]. Furthermore, all twelve Women's Olympic and 36 [[IIHF Women's World Championship]] medals were awarded to one of the Big Six. The [[Canada women's national ice hockey team|Canadian national team]] or the [[United States women's national ice hockey team|United States national team]] have between them won every gold medal of either series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/women.html|title=IIHF World Championships: All Medalists: Women|publisher=Iihf.com|access-date=February 24, 2011|archive-date=October 15, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121015001653/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/women.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/olympics/women.html|title=Olympic Ice Hockey Tournaments: All Medalists:Women|publisher=Iihf.com|access-date=February 24, 2011|archive-date=May 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526162230/http://www.iihf.com/iihf-home/history/all-medallists/olympics/women.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Number of registered players by country===
Number of registered hockey players, including male, female and junior, provided by the respective countries' federations. This list only includes the 39 of 84 IIHF member countries with more than 1,000 registered players as of March 2025.<ref>{{cite web|title=Member National Associations|url=https://www.iihf.com/en/associations|publisher=[[International Ice Hockey Federation|IIHF]]|access-date=February 10, 2024|archive-date=December 25, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201225211346/https://www.iihf.com/en/associations|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Countries in the world by population (2024)|url=https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/|publisher=[[Worldometer]]|access-date=February 10, 2024|archive-date=November 15, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221115131411/https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/|url-status=live}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Country
!Players
!% of population
|-
|{{Flagu|Canada}}||587,680||1.479%
|-
|{{Flagu|United States}}||566,477||0.164%
|-
|{{Flagu|Russia}}||90,160||0.062%
|-
|{{Flagu|Sweden}}||76,841||0.724%
|-
|{{Flagu|Finland}}||66,078||1.176%
|-
|{{Flagu|Switzerland}}||31,273||0.351%
|-
|{{Flagu|Czechia}}||27,141||0.253%
|-
|{{Flagu|Germany}}||26,517||0.031%
|-
|{{Flagu|France}}||23,560||0.035%
|-
|{{Flagu|Japan}}||13,842||0.011%
|-
|{{Flagu|Norway}}||12,415||0.223%
|-
|{{Flagu|Great Britain}}||12,236||0.018%
|-
|{{Flagu|Slovakia}}||11,728||0.213%
|-
|{{Flagu|China}}||10,786||0.001%
|-
|{{Flagu|Belarus}}||10,335||0.114%
|-
|{{Flagu|Hungary}}||8,569||0.089%
|-
|{{Flagu|Latvia}}||7,864||0.420%
|-
|{{Flagu|Austria}}||7,576||0.083%
|-
|{{Flagu|Denmark}}||6,110||0.102%
|-
|{{Flagu|Ukraine}}||5,341||0.014%
|-
|{{Flagu|Australia}}||5,270||0.020%
|-
|{{Flagu|Kazakhstan}}||4,931||0.024%
|-
|{{Flagu|Italy}}||4,901||0.008%
|-
|{{Flagu|Poland}}||4,003||0.010%
|-
|{{Flagu|South Korea}}||3,587||0.007%
|-
|{{Flagu|Netherlands}}||3,088||0.017%
|-
|{{Flagu|Belgium}}||2,947||0.025%
|-
|{{Flagu|India}}||2,554||0.000%
|-
|{{Flagu|New Zealand}}||2,446||0.047%
|-
|{{Flagu|Kyrgyzstan}}||2,134||0.030%
|-
|{{Flagu|Romania}}||1,719||0.009%
|-
|{{Flagu|Turkey}}||1,642||0.002%
|-
|{{Flagu|Lithuania}}||1,576||0.055%
|-
|{{Flagu|North Korea}}||1,510||0.006%
|-
|{{Flagu|Mexico}}||1,391||0.001%
|-
|{{Flagu|Slovenia}}||1,243||0.059%
|-
|{{Flagu|Argentina}}||1,137||0.002%
|-
|{{Flagu|Bulgaria}}||1,054||0.016%
|-
|{{Flagu|Estonia}}||1,024||0.075%
|}

==Variants==
===Pond hockey===
{{Main|Pond hockey}}

[[File:Pond hockey-LacBeauport2010-b.JPG|thumb|A game of [[pond hockey]] being played in [[Lac-Beauport, Quebec]].]]

Pond hockey is a form of ice hockey played generally as pick-up hockey on lakes, ponds and artificial outdoor rinks during the winter. Pond hockey is commonly referred to in hockey circles as shinny. Its rules differ from traditional hockey because there is no hitting and very little shooting, placing a greater emphasis on skating, stickhandling and passing abilities. Since 2002, the [[World Pond Hockey Championship]] has been played on Roulston Lake in [[Tobique Valley]], New Brunswick, Canada.<ref>{{cite web|title=History of the World Pond Hockey Championship|url=http://worldpondhockey.ca/en/home/history|website=worldpondhockey.ca|access-date=December 4, 2017|archive-date=December 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204222851/http://worldpondhockey.ca/en/home/history|url-status=live}}</ref> Since 2006, the [[US Pond Hockey Championships]] have been played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the [[Canadian National Pond Hockey Championships]] have been played in Huntsville, Ontario.

===Sledge hockey===
{{Main|Sledge hockey}}

Sledge hockey is an adaption of ice hockey designed for players who have a physical disability. Players are seated in [[sled]]s and use a specialized hockey stick that also helps the player navigate on the ice. The sport was created in Sweden in the early 1960s and is played under similar rules to ice hockey.

==In popular culture==
{{Main|Ice hockey in popular culture}}

Ice hockey is the [[Sports in Canada#National sports|official winter sport of Canada]]. Ice hockey, partially because of its popularity as a major professional sport, has been a source of inspiration for numerous films, television episodes and songs in Canadian and American popular culture.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Muir|first=Allan|date=September 14, 2013|title=The 10 unlikeliest hockey references in pop culture history|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|url=https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/09/14/the-10-unlikeliest-hockey-references-in-pop-culture-history|access-date=September 25, 2017|archive-date=September 26, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926143114/https://www.si.com/nhl/home-ice/2013/09/14/the-10-unlikeliest-hockey-references-in-pop-culture-history|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Nicks|first=Joan|date=March 1, 2002|title=Slippery Pastimes: Reading the Popular in Canadian Culture|page=321|location=Waterloo, Ontario|publisher=[[Wilfrid Laurier University Press]]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=skTVwTzT27cC&pg=PA321|isbn=0-889-20388-1|access-date=September 24, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123144118/https://books.google.com/books?id=skTVwTzT27cC&pg=PA321|url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Ice hockey}}
* [[Analytics (ice hockey)]]
* [[College ice hockey]]
* [[Glossary of ice hockey]]
* [[Ice hockey by country]]
* [[List of films about ice hockey]]
* [[Minor ice hockey]]

==References==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Works cited ===
* {{Cite book|last=Dryden|first=Ken|author-link=Ken Dryden|title=The Game: 20th Anniversary Edition|year=2005|isbn=978-0-470-83584-5|publisher=Wiley Canada|location=Toronto|url=https://archive.org/details/game00kend }}
* {{Cite book|last=Farrell|first=Arthur|year=1899|author-link=Arthur Farrell|title=Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game|publisher=[[Library and Archives Canada]]|url=http://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/200/300/corneil_cr/hockey/hockey_canadas_royal_winter_game.pdf}}
* {{cite book |last=Finnigan |first=Joan |title=Old Scores, New Goals: The Story of the Ottawa Senators |year=1992 |publisher=Quarry Press |location=Kingston, Ontario |isbn=1-55082-041-9}}
* {{cite book |author=National Hockey League |title=National Hockey League Official Rules 2024-25 |year=2024 |url=https://media.nhl.com/site/asset/public/ext/2024-25/2024-25Rules.pdf}}
* {{cite book |last1=Podnieks |first1=Andrew |last2=Szemberg |first2=Szymon |title=World of hockey: celebrating a century of the IIHF |year= 2007 |publisher=Fenn Publishing |isbn=978-1-55168-307-2  }}
* {{Cite book|last=Selke|first=Frank|author-link=Frank J. Selke|year=1962|title=Behind the Cheering|publisher=McClelland and Stewart Ltd|location=Toronto, Ontario }}{{ISBN needed}}
* {{Cite book|last=Vaughan|first=Garth|title=The Puck Starts Here: The Origin of Canada's Great Winter Game, Ice Hockey|location=Fredericton, NB, Canada|publisher=Goose Lane Editions|year=1996|isbn=0-86492-212-4}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite book|last=Harari|first=P. J|author2=Dave Ominsky|year=1997|title=Ice Hockey Made Simple: A Spectator's Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XrhMDHrpAa4C&q=Ice%20hockey&pg=PP1|publisher=First Base Sports In|isbn=3-8334-4189-5|access-date=November 12, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123144147/https://books.google.com/books?id=XrhMDHrpAa4C&q=Ice%20hockey&pg=PP1|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book|last=McFarlane|first=Brian|title=Brian McFarlane's History of Hockey|year=1997|location=Champaign, Illinois|publisher=Sports Publishing Inc|isbn=1-57167-145-5 }}
* {{Cite book|last=McKinley|first=Michael|year=2006|title=Hockey: A People's History|publisher=McClelland & Stewart|isbn=0-7710-5769-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fCAL2ysKFWoC|access-date=October 11, 2015|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123144119/https://books.google.com/books?id=fCAL2ysKFWoC|url-status=live}}
* {{Cite book|last=Müller|first=Stephan|year=2005|title=International Ice Hockey Encyclopaedia: 1904–2005|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=huA3Y4pU9noC&q=Ice%20hockey&pg=PP1|publisher=Books on Demand|isbn=978-3-8334-4189-9|access-date=November 12, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123144120/https://books.google.com/books?id=huA3Y4pU9noC&q=Ice%20hockey&pg=PP1|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book|last1=Pearsall|first1=David|last2=Ashare|first2=Alan|title=Safety in Ice Hockey|location=Philadelphia|publisher=Astm International|year=2003 }}
* {{Cite book|last=Weekes|first=Don|year=2005|title=The Big Book of Hockey Trivia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=31znPJH56zAC&pg=PP1|publisher=Greystone Books|isbn=1-55365-119-7|access-date=November 12, 2020|archive-date=January 23, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230123144508/https://books.google.com/books?id=31znPJH56zAC&pg=PP1|url-status=live}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Wikinews category|Ice hockey}}
{{Wikisource|National Sports of Canada Act}}
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Ice hockey in North America}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20130201014131/http://canadiantirehockeyschool.ca/video/mandatory-equipment Mandatory Equipment]{{snd}}Canadian Tire Hockey School
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20140325232535/http://www.sihrhockey.org/origins_main.cfm The Origins of Hockey] and [https://sihrhockey.org/2020/origins/ Hockey Origins Reference Database]{{snd}}Society for International Hockey Research
* [http://hockey-history.com History of ice hockey]
* [http://www.hockeymap.com/ Map of College & Pro Ice Hockey Teams in Canada and US]

{{Ice hockey navbox}}
{{IIHF}}
{{Team Sport}}
{{Ice Hockey Leagues}}
{{Winter Olympic sports}}
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