Where Was Hockey Invented?

Hockey is synonymous with Canadian culture. It’s a pastime steeped in tradition and rich history. 

Whether it’s a bunch of kids playing a pick-up game on their local frozen lake or pond, or a family sitting in front of the television watching Hockey Night in Canada, hockey is omnipresent in Canadian homes nationwide. 

But was hockey invented in Canada, and is it the national sport? 

Where Was Hockey Invented?

Contrary to popular belief, hockey was invented overseas, most likely in England. The first record of the word hockey is found in a 1773 book published in England entitled “Juvenile Sports and Pastimes.”

However, the sport itself predates that reference. It’s thought the first form of the game dates back to the 1500s.

Phil Pritchard, a curator at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, said a painting in the 1500s depicts people playing a game on ice resembling hockey.

In the 1700s, field hockey and ice hockey developed and blossomed in tandem, with the latter gaining popularity by the mid-1800s when British newspapers more consistently referenced the word hockey in daily coverage. 

Was Hockey Invented in Canada or England?

While hockey was almost certainly invented in the United Kingdom, the first documented, organized, formalized hockey game took place on March 3, 1875, in Canada.

According to the International Ice Hockey Federation, two teams of nine players from Montreal’s Victoria Skating Club participated. 

It’s important to note it was the first documented game. Across the continent, other organized games were most likely played before that historic tilt. 

It took another 110 years before anyone could bet on hockey in Canada.

Canadians have only been able to utilize the BetMGM online sportsbook in Ontario since 2022. 

Where Was the Birthplace of Hockey?

There is evidence that embryonic forms of hockey, most closely resembling field hockey, were played in the Middle Ages in Greece and Egypt. However, aside from the aforementioned painting, there’s no evidence of ice hockey before the mid-1700s in the United Kingdom. 

While most evidence points to the United Kingdom as the birthplace of hockey, it was popularized in Canada, where the federal government designated it a national sport in 1994. 

Was Hockey Invented in Canada?

No, hockey wasn’t invented in Canada. However, It’s where the sport was formalized and popularized. 

The NHL, the world’s preeminent professional hockey league, was formed in Canada, with four teams — Toronto Arenas, Montreal Canadiens, Montreal Wanderers, and the Ottawa Senators — taking part in the inaugural 1917 season. 

If NHL betting lines were available back then, picking the winning team would have been exponentially easier. 

The Boston Bruins, in 1924, were the first American team to join.