Ice hockey is one of the most popular sports in the world and it has been part of the Olympic program since 1920. It was a summer sport until 1924 when it became a winter game and teams were allowed to have seven players on the ice.
Originally, Olympic teams were made up of amateurs but the International Ice Hockey Federation changed that requirement in 1994 to allow for professional athletes. At that time, the NHL wasn’t open to having its players compete and it took a while for them to agree to the idea.
The Olympics are held every two years and there is a men’s and women’s tournament. There are 12 teams for both events, and each team must qualify through various regional and international competitions.
This year in PyeongChang, Canada dominated the men’s tournament and won its second straight gold medal with goals from Jonathan Toews and Sidney Crosby. But it was Germany that stole the hearts of many fans watching the Games as they used a roster mostly comprised of professional athletes to win the silver medal.
In 1952 Oslo, a huge crowd filled Blyth Arena to watch the Americans play the Soviet team. It was the first time an American team had ever beaten a Soviet side and the crowd was loud and cheering until midway through the second period. Bill Cleary took a pass from his brother Bob and darted down the right side, putting the puck past Soviet goalie Nikolai Puchkov to tie the game at 2-2.