Ice hockey began in Canada, where variations of the modern-day hockey game were first played in frigid circumstances in the 19th century. Since then, the sport has grown to be one of the most popular globally, with the majority of players being from North America. The NHL (National Hockey League) is the world’s most lucrative league, with annual revenues in the millions of dollars.
The Goal of the Game
The game’s purpose is to hit a little puck across the rink with a hockey stick before crashing it into a goal. Each time the puck goes into the plan, that team receives one point. The players can pass the puck around the rink, and it is the opposition’s goal to keep the other team from scoring. At the end of the game, the side with the most goals is named the winner. If the game ends in a draw, it will be decided in overtime, with the first side to score being declared the winner.
Players and their gear
The game is played on an ice rink around 61 meters long and 30 meters wide. There are three primary portions to the rink. The neutral zone, which contains a central circle where the games begin, is in the center area. There are attacking and defensive zones on either side of the neutral zone, which are decided by which team has the puck at the moment. There are two end zone faceoff circles and locations in each attacking and defensive area. The goal is surrounded by a goal crease, which is a half-circle. The boards are located behind the goal.
Each player will have their hockey stick and ice skates and a variety of protective gear, such as a face mask, helmet, padded shorts, shoulder pads, arm guards, and gloves. Because they are in the firing line of the puck much more often, each goaltender will have the same, but on a much denser scale.
A maximum of 20 players can be assigned to each squad. Only six of the 20 players are allowed to be on the rink at any given moment. The rest will be utilized as replacements and will come and leave from the game as needed. A goalkeeper and five outfield players are among the six starts. While each player will be assigned to a position, they will be allowed to travel about the rink as they see fit. This does not apply to the goaltender, who must stay within their half and not cross the center red line.
A ‘puck’ is a puck that the players strike. The puck is a large, solid rubber item that weighs around 6 ounces. The puck can be hit with a player’s stick or foot, but it can never be touched by anybody other than the goaltender.
Three 20-minute minutes make up each game. Every time the game is paused, the game clock is stopped, and when the time in each period runs out, the game is over.
Scoring
To score a goal, a player must hit the puck across the goal line. They may do so with any part of their body or stick, but not with their hand. To be considered a goal, the entire puck must cross the line. The goal line in professional leagues such as the NHL has a sensor that detects when the puck has fully crossed the line. The umpires’ decisions are taken into account in amateur leagues.