In today’s hockey game, about roughly thirty percent of the games players are not North American. Under International Ice Hockey Federation rules, each team may carry a maximum of 20 players and two goaltenders on their roster. During normal play, the hockey rink consists of six players per side on the ice at any given time. The five players other than the goaltender are typically divided into three forwards and two defence man.

Hockey players control the puck using a long stick with a blade that is commonly curved at one end, also known as a “hockey stick.” These “hockey sticks” are used to pass, stick handle and shoot the puck, and to propel their sledges. Players are also well padded with hockey equipment. These mainly consist of: knee, hip, shin, shoulder and elbow pads, thick gauntlet type gloves, long stockings that fit over the knee pads, padded shorts that lace up at the front, and sweaters in team colours over everything.

Posted on July 11th, 2008 by Lewis
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Twenty two players-eleven on each side-struggling with one ball to keep it under their control in which game can you discover this situation? Well, I know 99% answers will be football. Sorry, I meant Hockey. This is also a game that in most part follows the same rules as football, only here the ball is played with the stick and not the feet of the players. The rest is almost same you find 11 players in each team that includes a Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Attackers. In hockey, the goalkeeper is the only player on the field who is allowed to use the feet and hands as well as the stick.

Today, hockey is played all over the world. But there are not too many countries in the world where hockey is hugely popular. England is among those few countries where hockey is played with great enthusiasm. This is only natural as the British Empire is the birth place of modern hockey. Though the genesis of hockey may be traced back in a few ancient civilizations of the world, it was not until mid 1800’s that this game was revived and added with modern features in England. At first hockey kicked off as an alternative to football to keep the cricketers busy during the season of winter. Still in England, the hockey season continues from September to May.

Posted on June 9th, 2008 by Morgan
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The Canadians conceptualized and first played ice hockey as a sport. Ice hockey was then played mainly to exhibit the ideas of leadership and to flourish the Canadian tradition. Ice hockey was played during the early years of the 19th century. Today, ice hockey is played in around 20 countries such as the United States, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Russian and Slovakia, among others, which mostly hold serious events dedicated to the sport. Ice hockey is also regarded as the most famous “ice sport” worldwide and hence, takes a slot in the seasonal World Olympics. Being an “ice sport”, ice hockey is mostly played in winter-seasoned countries for natural, therefore more reliable, ice cover. However, there has been a tremendous increase in indoor and artificial ice rinks all over the world. Because of this, ice hockey has become a year-round, amateur hobby in key areas in the metropolis. For one, there are host cities for the National Hockey League and other league pros that make use of synthetic ice playing fields. Ice hockey is played on rectangular rinks with arched corners. These rinks’ lengths vary from roughly between 184 and 200 feet. Its width is around 85 to 98 feet. The rink is made up of three periods that are equal in length. For most levels, each of the periods typically runs for up to 20 minutes; youth classification games are often played in 12 to 15 minutes. A hockey’s “ball” is called a puck, which is a rounded small item made from vulcanized rubber. The puck is controlled with the use of hockey stick, a lengthy stick with a curved blade at the lower end. The hockey stick is used for stick handling, passing and shooting the puck and propelling sledges. Hockey players make sure that they are always well padded with the variety of protective hockey equipment, namely, hip, knee, shoulder, shin and elbow pads; lengthy stockings that fit knee pads, thick gloves of the gauntlet type; and team-colored sweaters over some padded shorts in the front part of their bodies.

Posted on May 8th, 2008 by Alex Smith
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For quicker and speedier movements and for stamina to sustain the hard skating in hockey, there is a need to condition the cardiovascular system of the body. Muscles should be conditioned to assist in the building up of power, endurance and strength. Focusing on power and strength in training routines is as important as paying attention to flexibility. Particularly, the step-up routine is an excellent training because it targets glut-hamstring groups of muscles that are essential for development of a hockey player’s speed. Additionally, the stick handling routine can improve speed greatly, just as it develops eye-and-stick coordination, timing, puck control, precision, and consistency.

Perhaps to most people, the training routine for hockey and all other types of sports can be tedious. This is where creativity should come in to make the sessions fun. For starters, having other hockey enthusiasts join and involve in the actual routines will be a good idea. Also, a trainee should make sure that his or her goal is fixed to develop the body for hockey or any sport for that matter.

Posted on April 17th, 2008 by Rechard Dunne
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Fun as it is, hockey is one of the most physical sports that create intense contact between and among players. It is natural for a hockey player to get several body checks right and left courtesy of the opposing team throughout the game. Hence, the right gears that hockey athletes wear play a significant role protecting them from injuries. Players should invest in the best hockey equipment that will help them optimize their skills in the game.

Among the existing types of hockey sticks, the conventional one-piece hockey stick is said to be of the best value. As compared with the traditional, the modern hockey stick boasts of better durability, being made from carbon fiber and Kevlar. As most are aware of, the Kevlar material is used to make vests that are bulletproof, while the carbon fiber is what the most advanced Formula One cars for racing are made of. Besides, among the three types, the modern one-piece hockey sticks are the lightest in weight. Hockey equipment reviews also attest that the one-piece sticks are more affordable than two-piece shafts and blades. To date, a regular two-piece hockey stick sells between $100 and $170, while the price of typical one-piece type is pegged at $130.

Posted on February 25th, 2008 by Filippo Gian
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