The ice hockey game at the Olympics is more than just a sporting event; it’s a cultural event that brings together nations with similar values and interests. The Olympic hockey tournament is an annual highlight for sports fans, and a major source of pride for athletes, coaches and managers.

The sport of ice hockey was first played at the 1920 Olympics in Lake Placid. It was added to the Olympic program just three months before the Games began. Initially, teams from Canada and Sweden dominated the men’s competition. But after the Soviet Union entered the Games in 1956, it became clear that the U.S.S.R. had a serious hockey edge. The Soviets won nine straight gold medals until they dissolved in 1991, and a Unified Team of former Soviet states won the 1992 and 1988 games.

In ice hockey, players compete on six-man teams that are composed of five skaters and a goalie. Teams are permitted to play with “borrowed” players, but only those who play on a legal team are eligible to compete in the playoffs. A helmet with a face mask is required for play.

Before the NHL began sending its players to the Olympics in 1995, ice hockey was a predominantly amateur sport. The tournament featured young athletes who were either on the verge of making it as professional players or those who had been playing for a while and hadn’t yet made it to the big leagues.