Ice hockey may have been born on frozen lakes across the northern hemisphere, but it made its Olympic debut in 1920 at the Antwerp Summer Games and found its home at Chamonix 1924 when the men’s tournament was added to the program, followed by the women’s event in 1998. From those early days of outdoor rinks and amateur players, the sport has evolved into a global spectacle that fills state-of-the-art arenas and attracts millions of fans worldwide.
The rules of the game have changed over time as well. The games were originally played on a larger international-sized rink, but at Squaw Valley 1960 and Lake Placid 1980 the organisers switched to NHL dimensions, a choice that was repeated in Vancouver 2010 and scheduled for Milano Cortina 2026. The switch allowed NHL players to compete at the Olympics, and the resulting competition has become every bit as passionate as the men’s game.
There have been some notable upsets over the years, but in recent decades the men’s and women’s gold medals have been dominated by Canada. The Americans are serial silver medallists, but they do have one of the most famous victories in Olympic history – their 1980 triumph at Lake Placid is known as the Miracle on Ice.
Ties are rare at the Olympics, but if no winner can be determined after a full period of play in the preliminary rounds and quarter- and semi-finals, games continue with 20-minute periods of five-on-five play until someone scores. In the final, a shootout decides the winner.