Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scotland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy, hurling, and shinty. The North American sport of

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While the general characteristics of the game stay the same wherever it is played, the exact rules depend on the particular code of playbeing

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Ice hockey is a full-contact sport and carries a high risk of injury. Players are moving at speeds around approximately 20–30 mph (30–50 km/h) and much of the game revolves around the physical contact between the players. Skate blades, hockey sticks, shoulder contact,

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Checking
An important defensive tactic is checking—attempting to take the puck from an opponent or to remove the opponent from play. Stick

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The chief difference between women's and men's ice hockey today is that body checkingis prohibited in women's hockey, though this difference did not begin to become the case until the

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The following is a list of professional ice hockey leagues by attendance:
Club competition
North America

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Ice hockey is most popular in Canada, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northern Europe, and the United States. Ice hockey is the official

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