Hockey Birthplace

As we have stated at the page ancestor of the hockey, we can find hockey-like games even in the Ancient Egypt. Nevertheless, ice hockey was not developed from this game, i.e., there is no direct connection. There are only common characteristics – two teams with several players are trying to score a goal by a stick.

Let’s have a look at the definition of the ice hockey given by the Oxford Dictionaries: “a fast contact sport played on an ice rink between two teams of six skaters, who attempt to drive a small rubber disc or puck into the opposing goal with hooked or angled sticks. It developed from field hockey in Canada in the second half of the 19th century.”

As we will show further, this may not be correct – this is based on the research made by Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR). In fact, we are not able to say with certainty where the roots of the ice hockey are but we will show you main theories.

Oxford Dictionaries Definition of Hockey

As we have stated before, according to the Oxford Dictionaries the ice hockey developed from the field hockey in Canada in the second half of the 19th century. This definition is probably incorrect but you have to remember this is only our opinion based on the evidence presented later.

British Soldiers Adopted Game from Mi’kmaq Indians

Similarly as the previous theory, this theory claims that ice hockey was invented in Canada in the latter 18th century.

Important source for this theory is Correspondence from Thomas Raddall to Douglas M. Fisher (January 25th, 1954). Thomas Raddall writes: “the first white settlers found the Micmac Indians playing a form of hurley on the ice, and that officers of the British garrison later adopted it”. (For more information about Mi’kmaq Indians, formerly used spelling Micmac, see Mi’kmaq people).

According to the letter written by Thomas Raddall the Mi’kmaq Indians played ball game called tooadijik and game called wolchamaadijik (alternative spelling alchamadijik) which was played with hurleys. Thomas Raddall also explains that there were few open spaces in the forest where the ground was hard enough for such a game. When winter froze the lakes and rivers the obvious place for it was on the ice.

We have to emphasize that there is no mention about skates but this theory is most believed out of theories presented here.

Icelandic Immigrants Adapted Game Knattleikr

According to this theory ice hockey was introduced by Icelandic immigrants to Canada in mid-1800’s (more information about immigrants and about game Knattleikr).

There is also strong connection between some known facts. Very important connection is that immigrants from Iceland helped Canada to win first ever Olympic medal in the ice hockey (so, they had to know how to play ice hockey) but this was much later, in 1920.

Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada

Windsor (Nova Scotia, Canada) claims that it is the birthplace of the ice hockey. This is citation from their site: There is near-irrefutable evidence that it was in Windsor that the game the world knows as ice hockey had its humble origins as early as the year 1800, on Long Pond. It is in the writings of Thomas Chandler Haliburton that the first known reference to a form of ice hockey can be found: the boys of Windsor’s King’s College School adapted their British game of hurley to the ice. And hurley-on-ice developed over time into the internationally popular game of ice hockey, still considered by most Canadians as their national sport.

In fact, this theory is strongly connected with the theory that ice hockey is a game adopted from Mi’kmaq Indians. The main difference is that Mi’kmaq Indians are not explicitly mentioned in this theory (but the place is still the same, Nova Scotia, Canada).

Claim of Windsor was examined by the Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR) and SIHR concluded that Windsor has no credible evidence that it is the birthplace of ice hockey.

SIHR pointing out that they found evidence (paintings) of stick-and-ball games played on ice on skates in Europe in the sixteenth through eighteenth centuries.

Ice Hockey Was Invented in Europe

According to SIHR we are able to conclude that ice hockey developed in Europe. This theory can be supported by the engraving from December of 1796.

Ice hockey (or something very similar) was played in London in mid-1700s and from there it spread over the rest of the British Empire (including Canada).

Our Resume about Hockey Birthplace

As we have seen, there are several theories about ice hockey. We would like to point out some common characteristics of these theories:

• Ice hockey developed from the stick-and-ball games.
• Ice hockey (in form similar to the modern ice hockey) was “born” between mid-1700s and mid-1800s.
• Connection between modern form of ice hockey and its ancestor is (with no doubt) Canada. We are able to say this while the first rules have been published in Nova Scotia, Canada.

One omitted fact behind first two of these points can be Little Ice Age, i.e., people in many parts of the world (England, Canada, Iceland, France, etc.) had to adapt themselves on icy conditions to be able to play popular stick-and-ball games. Obviously, a great place to play these games was frozen lake (flat surface) and the skates were a great way how to move on the ice.

What we know for sure is that rules of modern ice hockey were written in Canada and first games of modern ice hockey were played in Canada in the mid-1800s. This is recognized even by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF).