New York City The National Hockey League (NHL) became the strongest league in North America and in 1926 took permanent possession of the Stanley Cup, a trophy representing world supremacy in ice hockey. Headquarters are in New York City.

The inaugural World Cup of Hockey was played in 1996, and the next installment did not occur until 2004 during the NHL lockout. The concept was revived in 2016 and was scheduled to be played again four years later in 2020, but the expiration of the NHL collective bargaining agreement caused its cancellation.

At its inception, the NHL had four teams, all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name. The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the Boston Bruins joined, and has since consisted of both American and Canadian teams.

The World Cup of Hockey was held irregularly, with the first being won by the United States in 1996 and the second being won by Canada in 2004. The event was expected to be hosted biennially from 2016, though the next event has been delayed until possibly 2025.

In the regular season, which generally runs from early October through early April, teams play 82 games which determine their standings. The three highest-placed teams in each division and two wild card teams per conference enter the playoff elimination tournament to determine the Stanley Cup champion.

Canada is home to 31 hockey teams, with seven professional teams in the NHL and several others across various leagues such as the CHL. Hockey is deeply ingrained in Canadian culture, and the success of teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs has further solidified the nation's passion for the sport.

Canadian National Men's Hockey Team2016 World Cup of Hockey / ChampionThe Canada men's national ice hockey team is the ice hockey team representing Canada internationally. The team is overseen by Hockey Canada, a member of the International Ice Hockey Federation. From 1920 until 1963, Canada's international representation was by senior amateur club teams. Wikipedia

Men's FIH Hockey World Cup

Canada seems to be the place where hockey started, and this is thanks to the First Nations people. The indigenous people of Canada played a sport similar to modern-day ice hockey, and many regard it as the forerunner of ice hockey.

11 players There are 11 players on a team made up of a goalkeeper, defenders, midfielders and forwards. The only player on the field who is allowed to use their feet and hands as well as their stick is the goalkeeper.

The main group features 16 teams. The 16 teams are split into two groups based on their world ranking. The ranking is based on the standings of the last Winter Olympics and the last four World Championships.

82 Since the 1995–96 season, each team in the NHL plays 82 regular season games, 41 each of home and road. In all, 1,312 games are scheduled (512 of them inter-conference). For the 2021–22 season the NHL regular season formula was adjusted to account for the addition of the Seattle Kraken.