History

• McGill University's James G. Creighton came up with rules for ice hockey in 1875. McGill organized the first team in 1877, and other teams popped up to compete with it. One was the Montreal Victorias; the two teams formed the first rivalry in the history of the game. Later, the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada launched, leading to the formation of the National Hockey League. The governor general of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, became a fan of the game when his children fell in love with it. He donated the trophy given to the champions. The Stanley Cup is still in use today.
  
  

Significance

• The NHL began with teams in Montreal, Toronto, Boston, Chicago, New York and Detroit. The league doubled in size in the 1967-68 season, adding teams in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Oakland, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. The league continued to expand throughout the century--there are now 32 teams in the NHL. The game is also played throughout Europe.
  
  

Features

• Perhaps no one has dominated the game like Bobby Orr did with the Boston Bruins during the 1960s and 1970s. Orr is credited with reinventing the game because of his speed, creativity and the offensive skills he showed from his position as a defenseman. Before Orr came along, defensemen were expected to prevent the other team from scoring, with the occasional shot from the point as their only offensive contribution. Orr was a brilliant stickhandler and passer and regularly joined the offensive play without sacrificing any of his defensive talent. Wayne Gretzky was also a sensational playmaker who holds all of the sport's significant scoring records. Gretzky understood how to create plays, get his teammates involved in the offensive flow and put the puck in the net.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Television ratings for ice hockey are signficantly lower than those of football, baseball and basketball. Hockey also allows fighting at the professional level, with a 5-minute penalty serving as the only punishment. For these reasons, some people criticize the game.
  
  

Geography

• Hockey is largely viewed as a game that is popular in cold-weather cities like Boston, Chicago and Detroit. However, the growth of the game has given young people from many warm-weather cities the opportunity to learn how to skate, play and pursue the game.