For more than a century, Olympic ice hockey has been played in outdoor rinks and amateurs, but it’s now a global spectacle with professionals from all over the world laced up in state-of-the-art arenas. The game made its Olympic debut at the Antwerp 1920 Summer Olympics and found its true home four years later at Chamonix 1924.
From there, the sport expanded to include women at Nagano 1998 and NHL players joined the Olympic scene at the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City — a tradition that continues at Milano Cortina 2026. In the meantime, new storylines have opened: Canada has been on top for two decades following a medal-round victory against the Soviet Union in Miracle on Ice and Czech Republic (now called the Czech Republic) rode goaltending legend Dominik Hasek to a gold-medal triumph in 1992 Albertville.
The rules of Olympic ice hockey are the same as those of the National Hockey League. The only difference is the size of the ice surface, and the fact that fighting is not allowed, unless a player willingly participates in it.
During the Olympic tournament, each team plays six games in a round-robin format and then qualifies for the medal round by finishing in one of the top three positions. The finals are then held to determine the winner of the event. The competition is overseen by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which collaborates with the NHL to share refereeing philosophies and interpretations in order to ensure consistent officiating at the highest level.