Ice hockey has been a permanent fixture at the Winter Olympics since 1924. The men’s tournament has been held every year, and women’s ice hockey made its debut at the 1998 Games in Nagano. In those years, the sport has seen its share of dramatic moments. But there are a few things that set Olympic ice hockey apart from the NHL-sized rinks and high stakes of professional hockey:
First and foremost, fights are not allowed in the Olympics. A player who willingly participates in a fight can be penalized and even ejected from the game.
Despite this rule, there have been several on-ice fights at the Olympics in recent years. In one instance, Canada’s Sidney Crosby took exception to a hit from Finland’s Saku Koivu and fought back. The referees decided to penalize both players and separate them.
On the other hand, there have also been numerous off-ice fights, including the infamous incident in the 1972 Sapporo Olympics when American Dave Cleary shoved a Russian player into his own goal in front of 10,000 screaming fans.
When it comes to medals, Canada is the Olympic juggernaut of ice hockey. The nation has won 23 men’s and women’s medals, 14 of them gold. The United States is second on the list with 18 medals, all of which were won in a recent resurgence that began with 2002, 2010 and 2014. The Soviet Union’s dominance ended when it dissolved in 1991. The former Soviet players competed under the name “Unified Team” at the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, and won the gold medal — the last time a team of ex-Soviets won a men’s hockey gold.