The Great Game of Hockey

When most people think of hockey, they often associate the game with Canada. But, surprisingly, hockey isn't the national sport of Canada, but the roots of hockey go back to Ireland. Before Canadians began their obsessive need for hockey, the game was played in Ireland under the unlikely name of Hurley. The game was brought over to Canada by Irish immigrants, and around the 1800s hockey began to gain popularity throughout Canada. The game quickly caught on, especially on the East coast, and became popular all over the world.

In 1917, a league was formed to guide the play among professional hockey teams. This league, the National Hockey League (NHL) originally consisted of five teams. But the numbers quickly grew and by the end of the century there would be 30 teams from all over Canada and the USA. For many fans, hockey is serious business.

During Stanley Cup, in recent years, the US teams have dominated the hockey playoffs. However, hockey still has a bigger following in Canada. Hockey Night in Canada is quite an event in many households and sports bars. Several teams like the Winnipeg Jets and the Quebec Nordiques have fallen by the wayside in Canada in the past several years. High player salaries are an unfortunate cause.

Compared to any professional sport Hockey stars are among the highest paid. Many of the top players head to teams in the US partly due to this reason. Thanks to high salary demands, Many Canadian teams have a hard time retaining their homegrown players. There has been no game so far this season due to this key issue of dispute in 2004.

Hockey is a very violent game, and spectators love to watch the opposing team get crushed against the boards. Many people wonder what this is teaching young fans and, unfortunately, violence is very common in the little leagues. Many leagues have adopted a no tolerance policy for aggressive play, and some have banned this type of contact all together. The NHL however, has yet to follow suit.

It's not just children that become too involved - in some instances, some of the parents have become a bit too passionate in recent years. Many little leagues are struggling with fights between parents and verbal and physical abuse against referees and coaches. As a result, many parents are turning from the sport or putting their children in after school hockey programs. It's a frustrating when the parents are more focused on winning than the kids.

Regardless of the changes, hockey will continue to be a popular game in North America. Europe is beginning to enjoy the same success in the hockey world as well. Recent world championships and Olympic games have highlighted little known countries such as Belarus. Anywhere you can find iced over ponds or lakes, you'll find the perfect place for a little ice hockey. Although a cold climate isn't always the prerequisite, look at the Los Angeles Kings!

In North America one of the best-loved games is Hockey. Many fans are hopeful that there will be at least a few games this 2004/2005 NHL season. Farm teams and minor leagues are still playing so at least fans can get to see some hockey. To feel the excitement in the air and understand what the fuss is all about then be sure to check out a game at your local area. This is why hockey is so popular.

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Urther Queen is the chief editor for UQ Hockey, the web's premier resource for information about hockey, For questions or comments about this article visit: www.uqhockey.com/articles
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