Ice hockey is one of the most exciting sports in the Winter Olympics. Players wear helmets with face masks, and games are played on a 200-foot rink. Each team consists of six skaters and a goalie. Teams compete under the rules of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which differ slightly from those used in the National Hockey League. The IIHF also follows the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) rules on performance enhancing drugs. Several players have tested positive for banned substances at the Olympics.
The first Olympic ice hockey tournament was held in 1920. Until 1992, the tournament was played under Canadian rules: seven players per side and no forward passes. In 1992, playoffs were introduced and the deciding factor for medal winners was decided by a shootout. The game became more exciting with the introduction of NHL-caliber players at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan.
In 1972, the Soviet Union dominated ice hockey at the Olympics. The Soviets won all but one of their games, and the U.S. finished second, missing the gold medal by a point. In the 1980 Lake Placid Games, a star-studded American team led by Mike Eruzione and Gordie Howe shocked the world by defeating the Soviets in what is known as the “Miracle on Ice.”
Since then, the United States has won two more gold medals, and Canada has added five. The most recent event, in 2018 in PyeongChang, was a dramatic finish: Canada beat Sweden to win gold, and Teemu Selanne — at age 43 — became the oldest Olympic goal scorer and medal winner.