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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 16:27:00 GMT -5
Obviously, we need a thread on the history of hockey. That old faithful issue that create such strong emotions year after year on IHWC.net. So sit down, relax, get a Girlie Beer and open your ears and eyes. I now invite Swedish hockey history expert, Leif Boork who has written this piece to an educational IIHF seminar. It is highly entertaining and informative reading.
THE HISTORY OF HOCKEY[/size][/b]
Canada is usually gathered as the origin of ice hockey, but the history of modern ice hockey is long. Canada with its native indians, French colonies (1600-1763), British colony (1763-1867) and British dominion (1867-1931) was influenced in many ways. Fights between settlers and different interests were common. It is then logical that many sports became also violent. The indians have a sport called Baggataway (common with Iroquois warriors/ known from 17th century) which was named Lacrosse by the French, Shinty(Shinn(e)y) from Scotland and Hurling from Ireland are often named as predecessors of todays ice hockey. After the exchange (particularly military and trade) grew between Canada and the colonialists homelands, it was natural that this also applied to sports.
Ice hockey moved through Great Britain (mainly England) in to the continental Europe mostly with students ( in universities), businessmen and tourists. Bigger cities like Paris, Berlin and Brussels were affected by holiday resorts like Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Davos, Chamonix, Les Avants, Lausanne, Leysin and many others. The first time that Canadian ice hockey was played in Europe was in Paris (Pôle Nord) in 1894. The first organized games started in London in 1903 and the first international match was between Belgium and France (3-0) on the 4th of March 1905. The first official rules for ice hockey were formed in the MacGill University in Montreal (Robertson and Smith). In the 1880’s and -90’s the first hockey associations were founded, for example the noteworthy Ontario Hockey Association (1890). The governor-general of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston and his closest advisor, Lord Kilcoursie donated the now world-renowned Stanley Cup trophy on the 18th of March 1892. The best amateur hockey leagues from the east and the west competed for it. In 1910 there were two professional leagues. They were Canadian Hockey Association and National Hockey Association. A new trophy for the amateurs was set up by Sir Montague Allan. The winners of this Allan Cup represented Canada in World Tournaments in Europe for a long period of time.
On 22nd of November 1917 NHL was born. The first NHL hockey game was played on the 19th of December in the same year nad Frank Calder was elected its president. When NHL and professional hockey began, American and Canadian hockey were soon developing in their own environments under partly different policies and rules.
(cont...)
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 16:34:24 GMT -5
The game of bandy has its origins among other places in Britain (land hockey). Bandy came to Scandinavia before ice hockey. It was a big sport in Russia too, but rules and equipment were somewhat different. In Scandinavia bandy was sometimes called hockey. That is why later came the term Canadian hockey to distinguish it from hockey (which meant bandy). In Sweden ice hockey and bandy were separated in 1920 as well as in the Antwerpen Olympic Games. Sweden competed in both games there, but used mostly bandy players in both sports with a few hockey players who had learned the game in the European continent. Swedish Ice Hockey Association was formed in 1922, Finnish Ice Hockey Association (Suomen Jäähockey Liitto) in 1929 and Norwegian Ice Hockey Association in 1934.
The International Ice Hockey Association was formed already in 1908. Its members were European countries such as Bohemia, France, Great Britain, Swizerland and Belgium. So there were two branches in ice hockey. The big professional one of North America and Canada and the smaller, more amateur-based European one.
The next big country in ice hockey was to be Russia. Bandy was already a favoured sport there, with its own rules and some of the equipment (the bandy sticks were different in Scandinavia). The Canadian ice hockey surfaces in Russia for the first time in March 1932 when German workers introduced it. Though the Russian team won at that time, the Russian press treated ice hockey coldly, though one paper(“Spartak” in Leningrad) noted that because of less space and fewer players were needed compared to bandy, there are much more places ice hockey could be played in. In those times ploughing snow and lighting were problems that helped ice hockey to gain popularity. In 1933 there was an attempt to organize a Russian Championship League, but there weren’t enough ice hockey clubs yet. In 1935 K. Kvashin suggested that rules and principles of ice hockey should be represented to sports clubs around the country. That failed because of ack of material to distribute. In 1938 a hockey ring was built to the eastern section of Dynamo stadium in Moscow. The players of Moscow Dynamo were coached there in the 1940’s by M. Tovarovsky. Ice hockey was introduced in the Institute of Physical Culture in 1939. In the same year a seminar was held at the Lesgaft Institute in Leningrad. Top Russian ice hockey players at that time (V. Vonog, Vladimir Lapin, K. Kopchionov and I. Talanov) gave lectures in the basics of ice hockey. Events like display games were organized in Moscow by players from the Baltic countries. Latvia (since 1931), Estonia (since1937) and Lituania (since 1938) were members of the International Ice Hockey Association until 1946.
But it was only after the second World War that interest in ice hockey started growing. Officially Canadian ice hockey began in Russia in 1946, whe n the first real Russian Championship was played for. Already in February 1948 a russian All-star team from Moscow won all three matches it played against then Olympic silver medal team from Czechoslovakia.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 16:38:13 GMT -5
I’d like to mention a third influential factor in shaping ice hockey in addition to North America/Canada and Russia. Czechoslovakia (today the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic and in history also Bohemia and parts of the old Austria/Hungary) is the only area (country) in central Europe that has through the years been always among the leading countries in ice hockey.
Sociologists believe that ice hockey relates to human societies psycholigic levels and their way of thinking. It gives possibilities to creative thinking. Czechoslovakia has for a long time been leading the way in the studies of ice hockey theory and methodics. Their coaches have always been on the top level of the world. For example, in the 1967 World Championship Tournament Gustav Bubnik coached Finland, his brother, Vlastimir Bubnik coached Yugoslavia, Rotislav Jancuska coached Swizerland and Jiri Hanzl Austria. Both bandy (in Bohemia) and Canadian ice hockey came to Czechoslovakia in the early years. A Canadian man called Mr. Anderson demonstrated ice hockey in Prague. Then Mr. Josef Rossler-Orofsky brought equipment from Paris. Rules for ice hockey were brought from London by Mr. Max Svagrovsky. It is interesting that he also installed a system for counting points for goals and passes, that resembles very much the system we are now using. Professor Josef Gruss (1884-1968) from the Karlsuniversitet in Prag also had a lot to do with ice hockey’s popularity.
In 1908 Czechoslovakia entered its first international tournament in Chamonix in France. They sent 7 bandy players (who still had stars from Slavia Prag on their clothes) to the tournament, where they saw for the first time a flat stick and puck, and an ice hockey ring with high walls. Since that, Czechoslovakia has been playing ice hockey on the international level even trough hard times. The weather there is among the unfriendliest to ice hockey in Central Europe.
1911 Bohemia plays in the Berlin EC hockey games. 1947 Czechoslovakia won the World Championship despite extreme conditions due to Second World War. In November 1948 many of its best players were killed in a plane crash between Paris and London. Despite this they still won the 1949 World Championship in Stockholm. Add to this events in Prague in spring 1968 and the 1993 split to two nations. They are both now top ice hockey nations. Before the split, no other land had played in so many European and World Championship Tournaments.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 16:50:55 GMT -5
I will make a simple summary of the three ice hockey philosophies. Canada = Physically almost brutal, individualistic and business oriented philosophy. Russia = An artistic philosophy with its roots in bandy. Czechoslovakia/Czech Republic and Slovak Republic = An educated and scientific tradition that has achieved a symbiosis between the philosophies of bandy and Canadian ice hockey.
Canada Canada and North America started professionalism in ice hockey with NHL in 1917. Canada was the leading country up until the Second World War. Canada held its ground well when Czechoslovakia and the Soviet union started to rise in 1947 and 1954. The turning point was 1972 when NHL started the challenge matches against The Soviet Union. They could do it with amateur players, often Allan Cup winners.The fact that the best players were in the NHL and the “spare” players could still keep the rest of the world at bay assured the North America that they were still at the top. That was strenghtened by the myth that was building around NHL and the respect North American players and coaches got in Europe.
Playing philosophy: The businesslike environment in NHL built individual stars. The amount of matches created simple principles for playing. They can be partly illustrated by the lecture of Fred Shero in a seminar in Göteborg 1976. (a short version) 1) Avoid offsides in 3-2 and 2-1 situations. 2) Never play the puck backwards exept in power play. 3) Never pass the puck diagonally in your own zone. 4) Distract the goalkeeper, catch the rebounds. 5) If you take the puck past the middle line and can’t pass or go further, hit it forwards. 6) A forward should never turn his back to the buck. 7) Backchecking – count the players. 8) In defence play, man to man between the blue lines.
Fred Shero wrote a book “The man behind the system” which dealt with the above things. What he thought about physical contact soon became clear when he coached Philadelphia Flyers in the 70’s, with players that had bad reputation like Dave Schultz and team captain Bobby Clarke. This is what he had to say about Ed van Impe and his crosschecking of Valeri Charlamov. – He was not crosschecked, he was shouldertackled. But in all sports and life in general scare tactics are a way to survive. Intimidation means getting a psychologic advantage by scare tactics.
Forechecking was also common against a player in the first phase of defence. Forwards backchecking and defending happened also.
The players made alot of shots because individualism was big, the ice hockey rings were small and a bonus system was established. These countries had a tradition of games with hitting (baseball, lacrosse) which provided background to training hard shooting players. This development brought attention to the goalkeepers who also became individual stars. Statistics were brought here too.
This is the plain ground for North American ice hockey philosophy until 1972.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 16:57:12 GMT -5
Soviet Union and Russia Russia also developed isolated. Ice hockey came there much later than elsewhere (1931) and started to grow only after WWII. The beginning was different too. Bandy was the foundation. The “Iron Curtain” slowed things also. When the country and especially it’s leaders realized what potential ice hockey had for PR work for their political and social systems, the state gave lots of resources to ice hockey. Ice hockey’s elite was centralized in Moscow and the national team led the development.
The myth of Soviet ice hockey came half a century later than the transatlantic one, first with Anatoli Tarasov and later Viktor Tichonov. The international breaktrough came in 1952 with World Championship. After this ice hockey was developed further up until in the sixties they won most of the World Championships. The Russian ice hockey nation felt now that they were ready to confront the NHL Anatoli Tarasov made several attempts to provocate a meeting of continents. Challenge matches began in 1972.
Playing philosophy: Built more on athletism. Forechecking players earlier and more often was new. Passing became more developed. In the sixties came the famous “running belt” training demanding more durable strength and speed and better coordination. Great coaches on international level were Anatoli Tarasov and Arkadi Tsernysov.
Czechoslovakia (The Czech and Slovak Republics) This nation came early to international ice hockey. With many contacts and interests they succeded early to mix different approaches to ice hockey to their own tradition. The Karlsuniversitet (oldest in Central Europe 1348) was essential. Almost from the beginning information was handled scientifically. Many leading ice hockey personalities used Karlsuniversitet or worked there. Just like in the Soviet Union, the state gave great resources to develope ice hockey.
It grew quickly in the 30’s and got it’s final momentum when Czechoslovakia won theWorld Championship in 1947. Selection processes have been applied to players as well as early scientific monitoring. Elite players are picked for scientific and theoretic schooling at a young age. Expert coaches are available for very young players. Regardless of what trends ice hockey has gone trough, Czechoslovakia has always been a top ice hockey country.
In the more recent years NHL professionals were allowed to play again in the 70’s, the nation was divided in two in the 90’s and both do well in international ice hockey. Both nations have survived their top players flow to NHL. That seems to be reversing lately. Leading persons that are internationally known are Horsky, Fryzek, Kotska, Pitner, Gut, Starsi, Bubnik and Bukac.
Playing philosophy: A blend of different influences. A good defence (blended defence) with very fast countercharges combining good technical and collective playing. Freedom and good tactics like in no other country. The physical play is a combination of toughness and softness. Their passing is probably best in the world. Their coaches and players have been active troughout the world, but few international coaches and players have been active in The Czech or Slovak Repulics.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 17:03:53 GMT -5
The 1972 Turning Point The turning point in modern ice hockey was 1972. With the challenge matches between Russia and NHL and those to come in the following decade, the world and especially the NHL realized that there were equally matched opponents with different philosophies. It was a shock to most people, but not for all, not even in North America. wo of these were Lloyd Percival and Howie Meeker.
This is what Percival wrote in Sports and Fitness Instructor about the upcoming matches: “The coming hockey confrontation between Canada and Russia has all the ingredients to make it a classic in the history of sport. What will happen to Canadian hockey if we lose? We will lose further ”face” by trying to alibi that the series should not have been played in September? Or will we, once and for all, recognize that our development attitude and methods must be upgraded?” Howie Meeker wrote after the matches: “The hockey establishment in Canada has long been sublimely scornful of constructive critisism and hints that “our way” is no longer sufficient to meet the challenge. We barely escaped with our pride intact against the Russians; yet consider the prevailing attitudes before that series.”
Interestingly, Anatoli Tarasov and Lloyd Percival had contacted many times during that year. It is said that Tarasov used Percivals “Hockey Handbook” (1950) in training and to prepare to the matches against Canada.
In Sweden the attitudes were also clear. In the only Swedish ice hockey trade magazine at the time, “Svenskt Magasin Ishockey” was a long article by a Swedish ice hockey specialist stationed in Canada. It was published in the 8/1971 edition . The headline was: “The Soviets’ chance to beat a NHL national team are considered non-existent”. In the 1970’s there were speculations in Canada about ice hockey’s future. Where will it go? What model should we adopt? Should the game be violent? Is it art or sport? In 1976 in a symposium in Göteborg George Kingston, a Canadian, said the following: “It is like this; Canada is an island in the sea of reality and has lost its track in the evolution of the game happening in Europe especially”.
Kingston together with Dave King are in my opinion the two leading persons in Canadian ice hockey that early understood and respected what was happening in Europe and the Soviet Union. No coincidence then, that they got the earliest good results from Canadian pro players in World Championship Tournaments after 1972. 1989 and 1991 Dave King got the second place in Sweden and Finland. 1994 George King got gold in Italy, the first World Championship in 33 years.
Despite the fact that many Canadian ice hockey persons have known European ice hockey and its philosophy, they have had very little influence in the North American professional ice hockey. Irrespective of the fact that the Europeans and the Russians have invaded the NHL in last 10-15 years. I’m thinking about persons like Tom Renney, Wayne Fleming, Dave King and George Kingston.
A similar comparison can be made in Sweden. No Swedish coach has performed in the NHL and hardly any in the Transatlantic ice hockey on the whole. Again irrespective of the fact that so many Swedish players have been captains of NHL teams, like Mattias Nordström, Kenny Jönsson, Daniel Alfredsson, Mats Sundin, Markus Näslund, etc.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 17:14:39 GMT -5
1980s: The Rescue of the NHL
An important year and perhaps the rescue of NHL at the time was 1979. A man named Wayne Gretsky came to NHL. He dominated the NHL for almost two decades (quit1999). His style was European in a Canadian package.
His status as a star legitimized a different style and attitude to icehockey. A successor has been sought hard. Mario Lemieux is probably the nearest you can get. Eric Lindroos was one attempt as a successor with a more Transatlantic playing style but this went wrong in the end.
The 1990 Turning Point Next important time was the beginning of the 1990’s. The Iron Curtain fell and the Cold War was over. The borders were opened and travel was free. Suddenly the Russians and the Czechs could play in the NHL and Transatlantic players began playing in the Europe. At the same time the political competition that had influenced ice hockey and other sports so greatly disappeared. In the past, the free world (Canada/USA) could not play with the communist (Soviet/ Czechoslovakia) nations. The myths and secrets disappeared with the classic matches after the WWII and especially after 1972.
World Cup 1996 - Another Milestone
1996 came another milestone. The USA won the World Cup in a very impressive way at the final match against Canada. A symbolic victory for a country that more and more has taken over the professional ice hockey in North America. Business is better there than in Canada. As a conclusion one could say, a bit boldly perhaps, that when Canada got competition on different levels (different style and attitude from the Soviet Union and Europe, different ways of doing business from USA) it has not been able to respond. What is going to happen to Canadian ice hockey in the future? The home of ice hockey? If it was the home?
The countries that have developed most in the recent 10-15 years and have shaped their own traditions are Swizerland and Finland. Swizerland has trough its own education programs, international exchange and active swiss ice hockey people shaped firm ground to build on. These days also in national team level. We should also keep in mind that ice hockey has a long history in Switzerland. It was one of the 5 countries that formed the International Ice Hockey Association in 1908. It is also a rich country that has for a long time had strong national ice hockey scene.
Finland has had strong influence from both East and West. Many high level coaches from the Soviet union have worked there. Largest influence probably came from Canada. Canadian Carl Brewer was influential in Finland in the 60’s. Transatlantic tough style ice hockey has gone well with the manly authoritarian culture of the Finns. Under the last 20 years Finland has established itself among the great ice hockey countries. Finland won its first well-deserved World Championship in Stockholm 1995. Ice hockey suits Finnish character well and is very popula r there. Many leaders and players are increasingly taking part in international ice hockey. Jari Kurri, Teemu Selänne, Saku Koivu, Göran Stubb, Kalervo Kummola and Hjallis Harkimo to name a few. Much work has been done in many sports education centers around the country and in the physiological field they are leading countries in the world. They have also managed to keep up the continuity in their education by being amazingly patient and consistent.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 17:21:26 GMT -5
DanCan's post-script: Well, you may not agree with the article's final verdict of Canadian hockey. I don't though I agree that the NHL rules in certain ways need to be adjusted to international rules (first and foremost, removal of the two line offside rule).
But on the general level, this interesting historical account epitomizes a core philosophy of International Hockey Gang:
.Hockey is an international game. It has been so - not from the beginning but for almost a century, and at least for the past 50 years.
btw: "The Miracle on Ice" movie opens nationwide in North America tomorrow, Friday.
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Post by DanCan on Feb 5, 2004 18:28:21 GMT -5
History of Modern Hockey - Timeline[/b]
1877: The ball becomes a puck, and the first known rules are publish by the Montreal Gazette.
1880: The stick gets its modern form (Canada only)
1894: The first artificial ice rink opens in Baltimore
1900: A net in the goal is used for the first time (Canada only)
1908: Creation of International Ice Hockey Association (Central European countries only)
1911: The 60 minutes game is divided into 3 periods of 20 minutes (Canada only - the rules is introduced in Europe in 1931)
1912: The players get numbers on their shirts. The numbers of players allowed on the ice is reduced from 7 to 6 players per team.
1917: NHL
1920: An ice hockey tournament is played at the Summer olympics in Antwerpen, Belgium.
1923: Spengler Cup, the first international tournament is played (the first Spengler cup was won by Oxford University)
1924: Hockey debuts at the winter olympics.
1929: The offside rule is introduced. The goalkeepers mask is invented by Clint Benedict, Montreal.
1930: First regular world championships take place
1937: The first rule to deal with icing is introduced
1945: The first time helmets are used (cycle helmets)
1946: Referees begin using hand signals to indicate penalties and other rulings
1949: The center red line appears for the first time on the ice
1955: NHL officials wear stroped sweaters for the first time, and the Zamboni makes its NHL debut.
1956: The Soviet Union makes it debut in the Olympics and win the gold medal
1961: The Hockey Hall of Fame opens in Toronto
1963: The first NHL amateur draft takes place with 21 players selected
1965: Ulf Sterner becomes the first Swedish born player to play in the NHL
1969: Tackling is allowed in all parts of the hockey ring by the IIHA
1971: The stick curves are regulated in the NHL
1972: The legendary summit series
1976: Canada Cup starts
1980: Miracle on Ice
1989: Sergei Priakin plays for the Calgary Flames, becoming the first Soviet player permitted to join an NHL club. A new era begins.
1990: First women world championships
1991: NHL introduces video review
1994: Canada wins the world championships for the first time in 33 years
1995: Jaromir Jagr becomes the first European to lead the NHL in scoring
1996: First World Cup
1998: Nagano Olympics. The professional NHL players allowed to play, changing the status of the tournament
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Post by Wide Asleep on Feb 6, 2004 18:41:10 GMT -5
A new trend is the movement of Czech players and coaches to the Russian Superleague, something that would have been virtually unthinkable as recently as four years ago. The Russian league has lots of money to provide players, second only to the NHL, though the system often gets players to reconsider coming or getting them to leave mid-season (week-long training sessions away from family, unfulfilled promises, etc).
Czech players are doing well in the scoring races, a Czech coach has won the league for the last two years, not bad at all. Of course Czech hockey players are spread out all over the world, old and new.
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Post by RayCanuck on Feb 9, 2004 23:39:28 GMT -5
As you already guessed the conclusion I'd disagree with. Canada has become one of the most adaptable nations. A hard lesson but learned well!
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Post by sammy on Feb 10, 2004 0:23:09 GMT -5
I have to agree with Ray on that one. Canada is adapting to the styles of other nations and integrating it into the Canadian style of hockey. Rather then the crash and bang style of the 70's, they are concentrating more on the playmaking aspect of the European hockey. Our junior leagues are slowly getting rid of the center line and they seem to test it for a few years in the minors before it is tried in the NHL. Give them about 3 more years and the center line will be a thing of the past in Canadian hackey. There is talking going on here about making visors mandatory in the NHL just as helmets now are. I think this is a good idea, but to go along with this, they have to come down a lot harder on the players who use their sticks as a weapn.
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Post by Wide Asleep on Feb 10, 2004 14:12:15 GMT -5
I think all of the talk of less goals is more a result of the factthathockey now has to be sold in a lot more markets and people want to see goals, goals, and more goals. Sure there are less goals now then there were not so long ago, but this tends to move in cycles. I am too young to remember, but was the talk about less goals also going on in the mid-seventies when the broadway bullies were at the top of their game and NHL hockey was even more defensive-based than it is today?
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Post by sammy on Feb 10, 2004 22:53:59 GMT -5
In the mid 80's, when the Oilers were in their hayday, there were complaints that too many goals were being scored. When a coincedental minor was callled, both players went off the ice and 4 on 4 was played for 2 minutes. They changed that rule because of Edmontons ability to score a bunch of goals in those 2 minutes. If they brought that rule back, we'd see a lot more 4 on 4 hockey and a lot more goals scored.
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Post by Jazz on Jun 13, 2004 20:20:23 GMT -5
*bump*
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