Women have played hockey for over a century, despite its reputation as a male-dominated sport. In 1892, Barrie, Ontario, Canada, hosted the first all-female game, and the first global championship was held in 1990. The International Olympic Committee included women’s ice hockey in its 1998 calendar at Nagano, where the sport made its maiden Winter Games appearance to recognize the sport’s rising popularity.
The game’s action
NHL hockey is usually played on a standard-size rink 200 feet (61 meters) long and 85 feet (26 meters) wide and is fashioned like a round-cornered rectangle. International rinks are normally 184–200 feet long by 85–98 feet wide, whereas collegiate rinks in the United States are typically 200 feet long by 100 feet wide. The goal cage measures 4 feet (1.2 meters) in height and 6 feet (1.8 meters) in width. A goal is defined as a shot that completely clears the goal line, a 2-inch (5-cm) broad stripe on the ice that runs across the front of the cage. The crease is a semicircular region in front of the goal that corresponds to a 6-foot radius circle and is marked by a red line. No attacking player may approach the crease unless the puck is also there; however, if the goaltender is not in the crease, anybody may enter. The blue lines that split the ice into three zones are painted across the width of the rink, 60 feet (18 meters) out from the goal line. The neutral zone is between the blue lines, and the red center line cuts this zone in half.
Almost all equipment is the same, whether it’s for kids, amateurs, or experts. The puck is 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick, 3 inches (7.6 cm) in diameter, weighs 5.5 to 6 ounces, and is made of vulcanized rubber (156 to 170 grams). Hockey sticks are currently fashioned of a variety of materials other than wood. Rules limit the size of the bar and the curve of its blade. Goaltenders have flatter blades than forwards and defenders because they need greater balance and stay motionless for long periods. The toes of goaltenders’ skates are protected with rubber. Under their clothes, players use padding to protect their legs, shoulders, and arms. Since 1979–80, all players joining the NHL have been required to wear helmets; helmets and face masks are also necessary for NCAA and IIHF competition. A uniquely made cover is used by the goalkeeper (often molded to the contours of his face).
I am playing rules and principles.
The NHL has had a significant impact on the contemporary game—amateur, collegiate, international, and professional.
Checking or making physical contact with an opponent to take them out of play is allowed everywhere. Most leagues, including the NHL, prohibit players from making or receiving passes that cross both blue lines; if this occurs, the play is declared offside. The infraction is followed by a face-off, in which an official drops the puck between opposing players. At the time of the crime, a face-off is held. Players who enter the attacking zone before the puck is released are also declared offside, and a face-off is conducted at the attacking blue line. Each period also begins with a face-off, which is also utilized after a goal and any other stoppage of play.