Hockey has been around for quite a long time. Although not one of the most popular sports in the United States it is extremely popular in Canada and in other countries where long, cold winters are the norm. That's not to say that hockey doesn't have its fair share of fanatics in the US. Because it does. And there are plenty of legends and stories from the game as well as well-known superstars who have emerged from it.
While the pinnacles of hockey is the Stanley Cup and it's also one of the most well-known trophies in all of sports. If you're a fan of the game you can most likely come up with many significant games during hockey's history no matter what country you're from or what team is your favorite.
Unlike, say basketball, football or baseball, hockey's origins are not exactly well-known. Your average Calgary hockey fan will tell you that it was invented in their fine country in the mid-1800s but there are some that will tell you about how the French and even the Irish were playing hockey in the 1700s. Of course if you live and die with the Oilers you might have something to say about the matter as well.
Specific history aside, there are certainly lines drawn in the ice when it comes to team affiliations. For example, if you live in Detroit and you're a hockey aficionado you are definitely going to be a Detroit Red Wings fan. There are also, just like in any other sport, many heated team rivalries that have emerged over the years. If you live in Boston, you definitely do not want to be a Montreal Canadiens supporter. That's for sure. Unless you're looking for trouble.
Just like with any other major team sport the team that you support will most likely be the team that represents the city or area of the country where you grew up and formed your team allegiances. The rivalry in the National Hockey League (NHL) that exists not only between teams but between the two countries of Canada and the United States can make for some very heated and exciting games indeed, especially between the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks.
One could argue that the true home of hockey is the country of Canada and indeed that is where the hockey Hall of Fame is located in Toronto, Ontario. On the other hand, some of the oldest and most well-known hockey records are held by Americans including Phil Esposito of the Boston Bruins. In 1969 He was the very first NHL player to score more than 100 points in a single season. Wayne Gretzky is probably the most famous of all hockey players in the world and holds by far the most records in the hockey world, 61 NHL records. His career, interestingly enough, began in Canada that ended in the United States.
The Stanley Cup trophy has had some interesting adventures as well and, besides being accidentally lost on a 2010 flight from New Jersey, USA to Vancouver, Ontario it was also once used as a cereal bowl and even left at the side of the road as well.
If you would like to find out more about the National Hockey League, you can do that on their official team website www.nhl.com. Remember to come back to cheapticketsasap.com for cheap nhl hockey tickets, hockey updates, nhl game schedule and playoff schedules.