| The history of hockey is similar to that of golf as it | | | | the same time. |
| basically is rooted from any game that involved a | | | | The game continued to grow in popularity and |
| stick and a ball or rock which have all been played for | | | | became so popular that Montreal offered the first |
| thousands of years. Very rough and crude forms of | | | | World Championship of Ice Hockey in 1883. European |
| these games have been taking place for thousands | | | | hockey continued to grow at the college level while a |
| of years throughout Europe, Egypt and South | | | | number of universities formed fierce rivalries. |
| America that have formed hockey history. | | | | Some dramatic rule changes were applied that helped |
| Hockey began to form clearer roots throughout | | | | progress the game to a field of eleven players while |
| England in the sixteen and seventeen hundreds. | | | | hockey equipment began to evolve as well. The use |
| These were treacherous games that often combined | | | | of safety equipment to include pads, helmets, mouth |
| the entire village versus another village and teams | | | | pieces and protective eye shields have dramatically |
| could often have up to a hundred players and the | | | | improved from the early days of hockey history. It |
| players often played through major injuries and | | | | was not uncommon to not even wear head gear until |
| endured several days of these games. | | | | the last few decades. |
| The sport that we are more familiar with today | | | | The international appeal of hockey grew |
| began to form at Eton University in England when | | | | tremendously due to the Olympic Games. It was first |
| they actually began to formulate rules around 1860. | | | | played at the Games in 1924 and only allowed male |
| Then the first Hockey Assoc. in the history of | | | | teams. Canada was a safe bet to win the gold medal |
| hockey was formed in 1875 which clarified more rules. | | | | as they won the first six out of seven golds. From |
| Further growth of the sport was spawning in North | | | | the mid fifties to the eighties the Soviet Union |
| America as new settlers came to the continent. | | | | dominated. Although the US won its first gold medal |
| Montreal was credited with the first organized game | | | | in hockey history in1960 it was the 1980 "Miracle on |
| in the history of hockey that was played in 1875 by | | | | Ice" where our college amateur team went on to |
| college students. The students then formed more | | | | beat the heavily favored Russians that spurred a |
| associations and leagues and created new rules at | | | | growth in Americas appetite for hockey. |