Childrens Illustrated Encyclopedia

EquipmEnt

players move and

strike the puck with a

hockey stick that has a thick

blade at the end. the puck is

a tough, black rubber disk that can

shoot across the ice at speeds of

up to 110 mph (177 km/h). pucks

are frozen before being used to

make them less bouncy. Skates

are padded to protect the ankle,

toe, and instep, and a helmet

protects the head.

HockEy rink

A rectangle of ice with rounded corners, the

hockey rink is enclosed with wooden and

glass walls. the goals are at opposite ends

of the rink. the rink is marked with a

red center line, two blue zone lines,

and five face-off spots. these are

used to start or restart the game,

by dropping the puck between

two opposing players.

tHE gAmE of icE HockEy is one of the fastest of all team sports. its players

swarm across the rink on ice skates, swinging their sticks to knock a hard

rubber puck into the other team’s goal. A goalkeeper, who is protected with

heavy padding, defends the goal. if the puck completely crosses the goal

line, a point is scored. Hockey players are constantly on the move—the

game does not stop even when players are substituted. the speed of play

results in plenty of rough-and-tumble action, with players slamming into

walls, the ice, and sometimes each other. three officials enforce penalties

when the action gets too rough, and make sure the rules are followed. A

hockey game is divided into three periods, each lasting 20 minutes, with

an overtime period if the game is tied.

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goAlkEEpEr

the goalkeeper, or goalie, defends

the goal in a rectangle called the

crease. the goalie must block

incoming shots, either by using the

stick, stopping a shot with the body,

or catching the puck in a glove.

HiStory of HockEy

As early as the 1830s, freezing

winters inspired canadians to

develop a simple game similar to

field hockey, but played on ice.

By the 1880s, the first professional

teams had been formed in canada.

canada, history of

olympic games

Sports

Find out more

plAyErS

Each team has six players

on the ice during a hockey

game, with substitutes for

all positions waiting on the

benches. the goalkeeper

defends the goal area. two

defenders play on either side

of the goalkeeper, to assist

with blocking shots and

tackling opposing attackers.

three forwards, called the

left, center, and right wings,

try to move the puck up the

ice and score in the opposing

team’s goal. ice hockey

players wear padding on the

chest, shoulders, arms, and

shins, as well as thick leather

gauntlets, to protect them

from being hurt by either

the ice or the puck.

Goal posts

Face-off circle

A puck is 3 in (7.5 cm)

in diameter and 1 in

(2.5 cm) thick.

Goalie’s hockey stick

is slightly thicker

Hockey

helmet

StAnlEy cup

the national Hockey league’s

(nHl) greatest prize is the Stanley

cup. the original cup was donated

by lord Stanley of preston, the

governor general of canada, in

1893. As a result of past mishaps, the
      original cup is kept safely in a bank
      vault and a new trophy is awarded
      to the champion team each year.

Hockey

skates

HOCKEY

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