Hockey Facts
Hockey is any of a family of sports in which two teams compete by trying to maneuver a ball, or a hard round disc called a puck, into the opponent's net or goal, using a stick. The dominant version of hockey in a particular region tends to be known simply as hockey, other forms being more fully qualified.
The top level of professional is played in the National Hockey League (NHL).
Modern field hockey sticks are J-shaped and constructed of a composite of wood, glass fiber and/or carbon fiber and have a curved hook at the playing end, a flat surface on the playing side and curved surface on the rear side.
Field hockey is played with a ball on gravel, grass or sand-based or water-based artificial turfs.
Ice Hockey is played on ice with a small, 7- to 9-ounce rubber disc called a puck. The game is played all over North America, and Northern Europe, especially Scandinavia.
Ice hockey sticks have a long L-shaped blade that can lie flat on the playing surface when the stick is held upright and can be curved either way as to help a left- or right-handed player gain an advantage.
The National Hockey League was founded in 1917 in Montreal, Quebec with five teams, and through a series of expansions, reductions and relocations is now composed of 30 teams, 24 of which are based in the United States and six in Canada.
The best known NHL players have historically included Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Maurice Richard, Newsy Lalonde, Jacques Plante, Eddie Shore and Bobby Hull. In recent years, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Steve Yzerman, Ray Bourque, Mark Messier, and Patrick Roy were among the most celebrated and honored players.
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