ICE HOCKEY

There are varying versions of the start of the sport of ice hockey.

The town of Windsor of Nova Scotia in Canada claims to have played a version of the sport called Hurley on ice as early as 1800.

And in the 19th century wealthy British holidaymakers in the Alps played a version of the game to pass the time.

Canada dominated the early Olympic tournaments winning six of the first seven golds the only blemish being defeat to Great Britain in 1936.

But it is the Soviet Union that has dominated the sport in recent years.

Between 1956 and 1994 the Soviet Union won all but three Olympic hockey tournaments.

Two of those medals went to America, with perhaps their most famous victory being in 1980.

Then, with a squad of 20 students they overcame the mighty Soviets in the semi-finals (just 13 days before the two had met the Soviets winning 10-3) before going on to beat Finland in the final.

There have also been rows over professionalism in the sport with both Sweden and Canada boycotting the 1972 and 1976 games.

In 1984 the IOC began the road to make the sport more open, a process completed in 1987.

This years tournament could well be one of the most exciting yet with many team rosters including NHL players such as Wayne Gretzky of Canada; Brett Hull and Brian Leetch of the United States; and Peter Forsberg and Mats Sundin of Sweden

There are 14 teams in the men's event to be held in Nagano City itself of which six; Sweden, the United States, Canada, Russia, Finland, and the Czech Republic, will go automatically into the championship round.

The other eight will play in a qualifying round and will be divided into two groups to play in a round-robin tournament. The winners of each group will progress into the next round.

The final round will again see the teams divided into two groups, who will play in round-robin tournament.

When these have been completed the winner of group A (A1) will play the fourth placed team in group B (B4) as well as B1 vs. A4, A2 vs. B3, and B2 vs. A3.

Then the winner of A1 vs. B4 will play the winner of B2 vs. A3, and the winner of B1 vs. A4 will play the winner of A2 vs. B3.

The winners of those two games meeting in the final and the losers in the third & fourth place play-off.

© PA Sporting Life