Many written sources mention the activity, although the majority refer to the game as “ricket.” Some of them are detailed enough to leave no doubt that these games were very similar to ice hockey. of wood, thus preventing all danger of its leaving the surface of the ice. curved sticks to move a ball toward a target. In his introduction to the tenth-anniversary edition of Hero of the Play, poet Richard Harrison discusses the origins of hockey. with diarist Samuel Pepys remarking in 1662 that he watched “people sliding with their skeates” on the canal in St. James’s Park, “which is a very pretty art.” Around the same time, Dutch drainage workers likely introduced metal-bladed skates to the Next. In 1825, Sir John Franklin wrote that "The game of hockey pla… In 1880, for example, the number of players was reduced from nine to seven. The offside rule was gradually made more permissive and, similarly, bodychecking went from being tolerated to being encouraged. Photo dated March 1902 in Ottawa, Ontario. This title granted them the right to represent Canada at the 1920 Olympics games in Antwerp, Belgium. Every town and city had their own hockey team, who would play against each other. Another The Grey Cup, today a trophy for Canadian professional football supremacy, was originally not a pro award and actually was not intended for football at all! On that date, the Montreal Gazette made the following announcement: VICTORIA RINK—A game of Hockey will be played at the Victoria Skating Rink this evening, between two nines chosen from among the members. Years later, in 1994, bill C-212, making ice hockey the official winter sport of Canada, was made law by Canada’s parliament. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! in 2008). [18] Although decidedly a middle-class game to begin with, it was not long before hockey was played by those outside the Anglo-Protestant hegemony. However, Sir H. Montagu Allan stepped in and offered a trophy, the Allan Cup, for hockey competition. The HA oversaw the practice of field hockey, but its rules were also used in More recently, there appears to be strong evidencethat hockey was played even earlier by sailors stranded in the Arctic as part of Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to discover the fabled Northwest Passage. However, hockey developed from stick-and-ball games played in the British Isles, particularly hurling (Ireland), shinty (Scotland) and bandy (England). It is also known that the players were not wearing uniforms. Toronto Maple Leafs. skates, since iron skates were not introduced to the British Isles until around 1660. diary. New techniques and styles of play also arose organically as the game grew and organized leagues proliferated. Teams were located in Montreal, Ottawa and Quebec City. Before long, bandy was adapted for playing with ice skates. It is unlikely, therefore, that this was the first game of ice hockey. “I used to be very fond of playing at Hocky on the ice in skates.”, Hockey was also popular amongst the royal family. The chapter details the game in over 800 words, using the term “hockey” to designate not the stick, but rather the object with which it is played: a “cork-bung,” The game’s sticks were obtained from Halifax, as were the rules. Creighton also instituted an early off-sides rule, mandating that there be no forward passing ahead of the player with the puck. Many also consider ice hockey’s first rules to have In 1908, the Ligue Internationale de Hockey sur Glace (LIHG) was founded in Paris by four nations: Belgium, France, Great Britain and Switzerland. This has led some to argue that Deline, in the Northwest Territories, After the German invasion of Poland, the USSR, wanting to protect Leningrad more than ever from encroachment by the West—even its dubious ...read more. “Hockey is a capital winter game, and is sometimes played on the ice, and even by skaters.” (However, the authors then proceeded to advise against playing the game on ice, for safety reasons, “as falls upon the ice are uncommonly hard, especially when In the fall of 1886, the rules were revised once again. This first organized indoor game was played at Victoria Skating Rink between two nine-player teams, including James Creighton and several other McGill University students. Then, on 3 February 1857, teams from Swavesey and Over met on Mare Fen for a game of bandy (as well as some skating races). were based on those adopted by England’s Hockey Association (HA), which was established in 1875. England’s climate, with its relatively mild winters, would not have permitted the organization of regularly scheduled games of would be held four years later. an anonymous letter to the editor, published in the Windsor Mail in 1876, describes the author’s years (1816–18) at the same school, including a reference to “hurley” as well as skating. The claim has been made that Windsor, Nova Scotia, was the birthplace of ice hockey. Two days later, Hayes was again inaugurated in a public ceremony. In the early 1870's an engineer named James Creighton taught his friends at McGill University on how to play this new game of hockey he learned while living in Nova Scotia. The activity was very popular in some areas, ice hockey/bandy, let alone a league. been published by the Montreal Gazette in 1877. The last reference Viewed 32210 times. field hockey rules had been directly adapted from English football (soccer) rules. More games were reported in local newspapers, particularly in the early 1870s, with several reports mentioning the names of the players, the score or outcome (win/draw), the goal scorers, and the duration of the game or of the intermission. Lord Stanley of Preston's daughter, Lady Isobel Stanley, was a pioneer in the women's game and was one of the first females to be photographed using puck and stick (around 1890) on the natural ice rink at Rideau Hall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. and ice versions) contributed to the growing popularity of the term “hockey” over “bandy.”. An engraving printed by Joseph Le Petit in London in 1797 shows such a bung being used for ice hockey. Iain Fyffe, On His Own Side of the Puck: The Early The greater game of war. In 2008, the IIHF officially recognized this as the first game of organized ice hockey. This marked Congress’ first use of the Constitutional provision allowing Congressional veto overrides and represented Congress’ ...read more, Congress establishes the United States Geological Survey, an organization that played a pivotal role in the exploration and development of the West. For example, the Speculum Maius, a 13th century encyclopedia compiled by Dominican friar Vincent of Beauvais (France), includes an illustration of four men playing choule [or soule] à la crosse, a game in which players used was the birthplace of hockey in Canada. on the Game of Hockey,” which suggests that the name had been in use for some years already. The players on the prince’s team were “distinguished by a white riband The use of a “flat circular piece of wood” to avoid injury to the spectators is often considered the “invention” of the puck (the term itself was first used in Canada in 1876). “Concurrently with skating races, bandy matches have long been held Cropped from original image.Previous “Hockey” is one of several “stick-and-ball games,” the origins of which may go as far back as the beginning of recorded history. Sir Arthur Freeling, then a first lieutenant stationed in Kingston, organized games for his men and wrote about them in his Vancouver Canucks. Martel, J., Origins of Ice Hockey (2020). According to the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), the first organized ice hockey game was played on 3 March 1875 in Montreal. The date is important for the simple fact that as late as October 1815 the region was not home to a large White settlement but was instead the site of a small Black enclave. on an eight-word passage from the book The Attaché, or, Sam Slick in England (second volume, 1844), which refers to playing “hurley on the long pond on the ice.” Although a work of fiction, some people argue that the author, Mario Lemieux. Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. The fact that the word “hockey” appeared shortly It lasted twelve seasons, and its 1893 champion, the Montreal Hockey Club (the hockey after this switch, and that it was originally used to designate the bung, not the stick, has led hockey historians Carl Gidén, Patrick Houda and Jean-Patrice Martel to suggest that the term may have come from “hock ale.” This was a beer brewed for the The origins of ice hockey have long been debated. Did this new term, “hockey,” refer to a new game? In Harrison’s eyes, though, “[w]hat’s important isn’… The game also featured a number of those students. On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” after witnessing the massive overnight British ...read more, After months of bitter debate, Congress passes the Missouri Compromise, a bill that temporarily resolves the first serious political clash between slavery and antislavery interests in U.S. history. For the 1875 Montreal game, the ball was replaced with a wooden disc, now known as a puck. In the background, figures skate and play There is clear evidence that the game was being played in Canada in the 19th century, even prior to the famous game played in Montreal on 3 March 1875. a name and its format of direct elimination meant that there were no standings, only a champion and a finalist. Early organization. While the discussion of who invented hockey often includes Windsor, Nova Scotia — the first recorded indoor hockey game leads us to Montreal, Québec, … In this form, the game spread north to Europe and then west to the Americas, and is still popular in the Southern Hemisphere as well as in North America, where it is called field hockey. While it may not be the “birthplace” of the sport, Canada has been the single biggest contributor to ice hockey’s This appears to contradict the most widely accepted etymology for hockey — that it came from the French word “hoquet” (shepherd’s staff) because of the shape of the stick. There is also clear evidence that stick-and-ball games were played in medieval Europe. The term “bandy” There is evidence that such games may have been played in ancient Egypt and Greece and that stick-and-ball games were played Some historical accounts claim that Hayes’ first swearing-in ceremony had occurred ...read more, On March 3, 1845, Congress reins in President John Tyler’s zealous use of the presidential veto, overriding it with the necessary two-thirds vote. The contemporary sport of ice hockey was developed in Canada, most notably in Montreal, where the first indoor hockey game was played on March 3, 1875. Bandy was also played on ice in other parts of England at the time. affords fine sport, but of course can only be played on a sheet of ice of great extent.” The Boy’s Handy Book of Sports, Pastimes, Games and Amusements, published in 1863 (in London), also contained instructions on how to play the game and remarked, Second World War At the same ceremony, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, on the recommendation of the IIHF, made James George Aylwin Creighton a “person of national with newspapers reporting the game results as early as 1831 — on Saturday, 5 February of that year, the Huntingdon Bedford and Peterborough Gazette reported a bandy game between Colne and Bluntisham, which the former team won. In 1853, naturalist Charles With Gretzky at the helm as the program's executive director, Canada's men's Olympic hockey team ended its 50-year drought and took home the gold medal at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002. Subscribers will be admitted on presentation of their tickets. By that time, at least two books had been published containing instructions for playing bandy or hockey — the two terms being considered interchangeable at the time — and indicating that it could be played on ice with skates. But what about hockey itself? Some people have mistaken the game depicted here as an early version of ice hockey. On March 22, 1894, the first championship series for Lord Stanley’s Cup is played in Montreal, Canada. of the rink. Ice hockey was initially thought too dangerous a game to play, as the ball was difficult to control on the ice. The prince’s skating and playing As the 19th century progressed, and the game of hockey became more popular in England, it also became increasingly organized. were likely written at Harrow in 1852). HISTORY reviews and updates its content regularly to ensure it is complete and accurate. by Indigenous peoples in the Americas prior to the arrival of European settlers. The first recorded public indoor ice hockey game, with rules largely borrowed from field hockey, took place in Montreal’s Victoria Skating Rink in 1875 between two teams of … "Origins of Ice Hockey". was in use at least by 1610–11, when William Strachey, the first secretary of the Colony of Virginia, described a similar game played by the Powhatan Indian tribe. and Earith) had not been defeated for a century may not be an idle boast. The first reported instance of a stick-and-ball game played on ice was a game of “chamiare” (shinty) played on the ice of the Firth of Forth in Scotland in 1608, during what was known as the “Great Winter.” It is doubtful, however, that the players used Carl Gidén, Patrick Houda and and jurisdictions following suit over approximately a decade. The first all-Black forward line to play Canadian university hockey consisted of Bob Dawson, Darrell Maxwell, and Percy Paris, all from Nova Scotia. Bandy continued to be played in several countries (still with a ball), but its popularity declined considerably, particularly in comparison to hockey. was the decision to produce it using hard rubber. In 1897, Canada’s Governor-General, Lord Stanley of Preston donated a trophy for the best hockey team in Canada. The Hunters in the Snow (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. garrison, who would have been using English hockey rules. Jean-Patrice Martel, On the Origin of The Montreal game does not therefore appear to have been the first organized game of ice hockey, although of course it depends on one’s definition of “organized.” However, the sport quickly developed in Montreal following the game on 3 March 1875. The disc was less likely to fly off the ice, and was less dangerous to both players and spectators. Still in 1886, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada (AHAC) was formed, becoming the first, or perhaps second organized league. These were clearly well-organized Lacrosse—which had been Canada’s national sport since 1859—remained the country’s official summer game. The event was reported in several newspapers, and an illustration was published in London’s Penny Illustrated Paper, showing in detail the ribands, skates and sticks. Other rules also came from football, including rules against carrying the ball and how to put the ball whether a game resembling ice hockey was played on the “long pond” at the time. Yet in most winters it was possible, at least for a few days, to play hockey or bandy on ice. to a game of “bandy” in a London newspaper was in 1749, and it referred to a game played on the ground. In 1943, Sutherland convinced the National Hockey League to adopt Kingston as the site for the Hockey Hall of Fame, based on this claim. Hockey (2014). This is hardly surprising, Creighton moved to Montreal from Dalhousie University in Halifax in 1872, taught the game to new friends from then until they played in public in 1875. In Scotland, people played a similar game called shinty (variations include shinny, Creighton never did play hockey for McGill, as Orlich, and others since him, would have us believe. Known as the Freedmen’s Bureau, this federal agency oversaw the difficult transition of African Americans from slavery to freedom. The very first game of ice hockey played in Canada was in 1875 at Victoria Skating Rink, in which the new rules were implemented. playing on an enclosed rink rather than an open field. Cherokee, Ojibwe and Mohawk tribes all had different names for what the French branded “lacrosse,” as did the Iroquois native to Quebec. (Wikimedia Commons), Detail from The Hunters in the Snow (1565) by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. in the Fens,” wrote Tebbutt in 1892. Queen Victoria’s husband, Albert, played ice hockey example, was exactly the same — and not inspired by rugby, as is often claimed. “It is certain that during the last [18th] century the game was played and even matches were held on Bury Fen, and the local tradition that the Bury Fenners (a team made up of players from the twin villages of Bluntisham The foreground of this painting shows a wintry scene in which three hunters are returning from an expedition accompanied by their dogs. per side. the Montreal Victorias and the Quebec Hockey Club played a three-game round-robin, with McGill declared the champion. Russia’s involvement in World War I alongside its allies, France and Britain, had resulted ...read more. He helped popularize This is considered by some to be the first hockey league, although it did not have the sport in Montreal and later in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada after he moved to Ottawa in 1882 where he served for 48 years as the Law Clerk to the Canadian Senate. However, research reveals that organized ice hockey/bandy games were first played on skates in England and that the earliest rules were also published in England. The identity of the teams was also more specific, with the Montreal Football Club (wearing its usual colours) facing a team from the Victoria Skating Club. But it was not until the great frost of 1813–14 that tradition gives place to certainty.” One of Tebbutt’s sources was William Leeland, the former captain of the Bury Fenners, back in play after it had gone out of bounds (the rule being different depending on whether it went off to the side or behind the goal line). The first set of rules were largely inspired by those used in Canadian hockey, and, significantly, mandated the use of a rubber puck, putting an end to the use of balls in hockey The most significant change affected goal size, with the dimensions set at six feet wide by four feet high (its current size). Winnipeg Jets. Canada’s now legendary national passion for ice hockey was ignited, and the new sport began to spread across the country. In contrast, in the 1840s. The chase began after King, who was intoxicated, was caught speeding on a freeway by a California Highway ...read more, President Herbert Hoover signs a congressional act making “The Star-Spangled Banner” the official national anthem of the United States. It is therefore clear that In the early days of the NHL, in fact through the first several decades of the leagues existence, many things were done to try and help franchises that were in trouble. In England, yet another similar game was called “bandy” or “bandie-ball.” The name is believed to have developed either from the verb “to bandy” (to strike back and forth) or from the bent stick used in the game. Its public debut in Montreal, Quebec Stanley ’ s now legendary national passion for skating back with.. 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