The North American countries of Canada and the United States share a national pastime in the form of ice hockey. Furthermore, it is Canada’s national winter sport. When people think of this sport, they usually think of the NHL.
There are 32 teams in the league, 7 from Canada and 25 from the United States. You may view the complete rosters of all National Hockey League teams from Canada right here.
Other than Ice Hockey, Lacrosse is also a national sport of Canada for summer.
Basic Rules of Ice Hockey
Ice hockey is a highly physical and fast-paced team sport. A total of six players, including a goaltender, are allowed on the rink at any given time. Goals are scored by directing a hard rubber puck into the back of the net of the opposing team.
- A victory is awarded to the team that scores the most goals. Some of the foundational principles of ice hockey are as follows:
- An offside violation occurs when a player enters the offensive zone before the puck. Offside is called when a player moves into the offensive zone before the puck.
- A player commits “icing” if he shoots the puck from his own end of the ice across the goal line without it being touched by an opposing player.
- Minor penalties, such as tripping or hooking an opponent, can result in a two-minute stint in the penalty box. Getting into a brawl or hitting an opponent from behind will result in game misconduct and a five-minute punishment.
- If a member of the opposing side is given a penalty and sent to the penalty box, the team with an additional player will have a “power play” and a distinct advantage.
- There are nine designated areas on the ice where a face-off will take place at the beginning of each session and after each goal. The game officially starts when the referee drops the puck between two teams.
These are some of the most fundamental guidelines for playing ice hockey. Don’t be shy about asking for clarification on anything related to the regulations. If you want to watch ice hockey games in Canada, you should look into getting a Canadian visa online.
Here is how to get your Canada visa for France citizens to enjoy this game in Canada. German citizens can also visit Canada to enjoy the matches of the National Hockey League (NHL) if they have a valid Canada visa for Germany citizens.
When an Ice Hockey Game Ends in a Draw
One point is given to each side in the standings if an ice hockey game ends in a tie. When a club loses in overtime or a shootout, they may receive an extra point in some leagues.
If the score is tied after regulation time, most leagues play an overtime period with sudden death. When overtime is required, the first team to score wins and receives an additional point.
If the game is tied after extra time, a shootout will be used to determine the winner. In a shootout, players from both teams have a chance to go one-on-one with the goaltender of the other team.
For purposes of a shootout, the victor is determined by which team scores the most goals.
Countries with Ice Hockey Teams
The sport of ice hockey is widely popular around the globe. Canada, the United States, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Belarus, Latvia, Kazakhstan, and China all have top-tier ice hockey leagues.
Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the UK, Australia, South Korea, Japan, and New Zealand all have ice hockey teams.
These nations field ice hockey teams at major international competitions like the Olympics and the IIHF World Championships.
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Aon Ali has graduated from the Institute of Engineering and Technology, Multan in 2012 and then he started his career in a local News agency as an IT manager. Later on, he started creating news reports for the sports category. Since he is fond of cricket, so most of his work is in the coverage of news related to local cricket events.
