WOMEN'S ICE HOCKEY

Introduction:

Women’s Ice Hockey is amongst the fastest growing sports for women in the world. In the last ten years, the number of players has increased by 400%. There are not many coordinated leagues for the women’s version of the game, as there are for the men’s version. Leagues such as the Western Women’s Hockey League, the National Women’s Hockey League, University teams, Olympics and National teams European Leagues and also the Recreational teams, form the women’s ice hockey game in its entirety. The women’s game boasts of nine IIHF World Women’s Championships. The major difference between the male and female versions of the game of ice hockey is, the non acceptance of body checking in the female game. Body checking was removed from women’s ice hockey after the world championships for women, in the year 1990. It is considered as a penalty in the current women’s competitions. The other difference between the two versions is that, the women players are not required to wear the protective masks on their faces, while playing.

History of Women’s Ice Hockey:

Lady Isobel Stanley, who was the daughter of Lord Stanley of Preston, was the initiator of the game of ice hockey for the women. She was the first woman who has been photographed using a stick and a puck around the year 1890, on a natural ice rink in Ottawa, Rideau Hall. In the early 1900s, most of the Canadian provinces had women’s teams with them. Women’s ice hockey was added to the Olympics in the year 1998 as a medal sport.