Ice hockey in Canada

"Hockey in Canada" redirects here. For the sport of field hockey in Canada, see Field hockey in Canada.

Ice hockey in Canada
Skaters playing a game of ice hockey at Esplanade Park in Quebec City
CountryCanada
Governing bodyHockey Canada
National team(s)
First played1862
National competitions
International competitions

Ice hockey, simply referred to as "hockey" in both English and French in Canada, dates back to the 19th century. The sport is very popular and played year-round and at every level in the country.[1] Born of various influences from stick-and-ball games brought from the United Kingdom and indigenous games, the contemporary sport of ice hockey originated in Montreal. It is the official national winter sport of Canada.[2] Hockey is widely considered Canada's national pastime, with high levels of participation by children, men, and women at various levels of competition.[3][4]

  1. ^ Aaron N. Wise; Bruce S. Meyer (May 23, 1997). International Sports Law and Business. Kluwer Law International B.V. p. 1983. ISBN 9789041106025. Retrieved September 26, 2016.
  2. ^ "National Sports of Canada Act". canlii.org. Retrieved January 10, 2019.
  3. ^ Weinberg, Stuart (November 30, 2010). "How Much Do Canadians Love Hockey?". Wsj.com. Retrieved September 23, 2016 – via Wall Street Journal.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference cbc2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).