European International Ice Hockey Tournaments
When looking at international hockey, though Canada was the birthplace of hockey, the sport has since crossed over into the United States and Europe. There are many differences in the three regions attitudes, however; the international men’s ice hockey world championships are looked forward to in Europe and less so in America because it coincides with the Stanley cup playoffs. Truthfully, many countries have a severe lack of top players, because those who are the best go off to join the NHL and try to win the Stanley cup.
For many years professionals were barred from playing at the international level, and now that many Europeans are playing for the NHL, the world championships no longer represent the world’s top players. The Olympic games began recognizing hockey in 1924; the gold medal went to Canada six out of seven times. The United States won the gold medal in 1960, Russia won all, but 2 gold medals between 1956 and 1988, but it was professional Americans, Swedish, Finnish, and Canadians that were banned from Olympic competition. A bunch of non-pro college kids in Lake Placid, New York beat the Russians in 1980 for the gold medal.
Most Americans weren’t paying much attention to the sport at the time, but this began to change. Thanks to the 1972 and 1974 Summit series, it was well established that Canada and Russia were hockey rivals. The best players benefited from this, as it gave rise to the Canadian Cup, which only deals with the world’s best players. Eventually the name was changed from the Canadian Cup to the World Cup of Hockey and the United States won in 1996 and Canada in 2004. Since 1998 NHL professionals have played in the Olympics giving the top players more opportunity to compete and face off with other professional players from different countries. Beginning in 1998, the women’s game became a prime feature of the Olympics; this would later go on to spawn nine women’s competitions.
Women have been able to make a noticeable amount of noise in this sport, as they play their games with the same fierceness of women. On the other hand, there is still a lot that must be accomplished in order for women to truly be on par with men at the domestic or international level. Historically, men have been the players in the game, and women will have a tough fight ahead of them if they want to be considered serious contenders. The millions of people in Canada and the United States who love this sport break attendance records frequently. This sport is seen as the kind of family tradition, an past time that many Americans view the sports of baseball, football, or basketball.
The world of hockey is a world unto itself, and that is true whether it is being played by professionals or amateurs. People get as wrapped up in this sport as some do soap operas, and truly treat it like the air they breathe. Many people will spend hours, late into the night, practicing the game.