History Of Ice Hockey In America

Hockey s origins in usa are almost as old as they are in canada.

History of ice hockey in america. The first professional league in the usa was organised in the early 1900 s. Instead of a ball or bung the game featured a flat circular piece of wood. Ice hockey boasts the oldest sports trophy in north america. Hockey in the u s.

In the united states ice polo played with a ball rather than a puck was popular during this period. Today the organization is based in colorado springs colorado. Belgium bohemia france great britain and switzerland formed the international ice hockey federation in 1908 and germany joined in 1909. The organization was known as the amateur hockey association of the united states ahaus and changed to its present name in june 1991.

The sport spread to american universities beginning with yale in 1893. When the europeans made their way across the atlantic to north america they discovered native americans had their own games the forerunners of lacrosse and some native americans in south dakota essentially played lacrosse on ice. However by 1893 yale university and johns hopkins university held their first ice hockey matches. The starr hockey skate which was introduced in 1866.

American financier malcolm greene chace is credited with being the father of hockey in the united states. It had become so widespread in canada that a perpetual trophy was presented by the governor general of canada to be awarded to the top hockey team. In 1920 the united states amateur hockey association was founded and it became a member of the international ice hockey federation. However since the 1990s ice hockey has become increasingly popular in the sun belt due in large part to the expansion of the national hockey league to the southeast and.

As we discussed in the history of hockey skates part i the 1800s saw a boom in ice skating as a form of recreation which drove advances in skate technology the rise of ice hockey as a sport kick started a period of innovation that began with the very first skate designed specifically for hockey. Began in 1894 when the first artificial ice rink was built in baltimore maryland. Hockey was first played in europe in vienna in 1885. It was around 1893 that ice hockey debuted in the united states.

Usa hockey was founded on oct. In 1875 the first game of ice hockey with creighton s rules was played in montreal canada. 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. Rising interest in the game created problems however for there were few artificial ice rinks.

Ice hockey usually referred to in the u s. With cold winter climates such as the northeast and the upper midwest. Now hockey is most popular in regions of the u s. The national hockey association nha the forerunner of the national hockey league nhl was organized in 1910 and became the strongest hockey association in north america.

Simply as hockey is a popular sport in the united states.