| Ice hockey in the United Kingdom | |
|---|---|
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Governing body | Ice Hockey UK English Ice Hockey Association Scottish Ice Hockey |
| National team(s) | Men's national team; Women's national team |
| First played | 1893 |
National competitions | |
National Ice Hockey League National Division, Division 1 North & South, Division 2 North & South Scottish National League Women's Elite League | |
International competitions | |
Ice hockey has been played in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the twentieth century, and it was a game between English Army veterans played in Canada that is the first recorded use of a sawed-off ball, which led to the use of the puck in hockey.[2] The Great Britain men's national ice hockey team enjoyed worldwide success through the 1920s and 1930s, achieving bronze at the 1924 Olympics, and gold twelve years later.[3] They also won medals at the World Championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938, though never won the tournament. The national team has struggled since the Second World War, and has not finished better than twelfth in the World Championships since 1962. Ice hockey is played professionally in the United Kingdom in the Elite Ice Hockey League, a ten team league which was founded in 2003.[4]
- ^ Crawford, Garry; Gosling, Victoria K. (1 July 2004). "The Myth of the 'Puck Bunny' Female Fans and Men's Ice Hockey". Sociology. 38 (3): 477–493. doi:10.1177/0038038504043214. S2CID 143222536. Retrieved 28 November 2016 – via soc.sagepub.com.
- ^ Gittings, Paul (2013-02-13). "Ice hockey's David faces Goliathan challenge - CNN.com". Edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2016-09-26.
- ^ Steve Pinder. "Ice Hockey: Britain complete 58-year circle: Today the British ice hockey team face Russia in their first appearance in a world championship since the 1936 Olympics. Steve Pinder reports". The Independent. Retrieved 2016-10-28.
- ^ Nauright, John; Parrish, Charles (2012). Sports Around the World: History, Culture, and Practice. p. 123. ISBN 9781598843002. Retrieved 2016-10-28.