Ice hockey was first introduced to the Olympics at 1920. The men’s tournament became a permanent fixture at the Olympic Winter Games in 1924, and women’s ice hockey made its debut at the 1998 Olympics in Nagano.
Unlike the NHL, where fights are frequent, the Olympic game tends to be more docile. Nevertheless, there are occasional incidents on the ice that result in jawing or even gloves being dropped. According to the New York Times, only eight fights have occurred in more than 500 Olympic ice hockey games since 1960.
The most dramatic moment in Olympic hockey was arguably the 1980 Lake Placid “Miracle on Ice.” The U.S. team trailed the Soviets 2-1 late in the third period, and it seemed as though a loss would dash their hopes for a medal. But the American players gathered themselves, and the rest is history.
From the time of its first appearance at the Olympic Winter Games in 1920, the sport has seen significant changes in everything from rules to arenas and rink dimensions. At the 2010 Games in Vancouver, ice hockey was played on NHL-sized rinks for the first time, a choice repeated at Beijing 2022 and scheduled again for Milano Cortina 2026. The ice size and the look of the game have both evolved as the sport has grown in popularity and global reach. However, the IIHF’s basic rules remain constant, including a requirement that only the attacking team – the one closest to their opponent’s goal – puts their stick on the ice for face-offs.