Ice hockey tournaments have been staged at the Olympic Games since 1920. The men's event was introduced at the 1920 Summer Olympics and was transferred permanently to the Winter Olympic Games programme in 1924. In July 1992, the IOC approved women's hockey as an Olympic event; it was first held at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano. The Olympic Games were originally intended for amateur athletes, and until 1998, the players of the National Hockey League and other men's professional leagues were not allowed to compete. In the men's tournament, Canada was the most successful team of the first three decades, winning six of seven gold medals. The Soviet Union first participated in 1956 and overtook Canada as the dominant international team, winning seven of the nine tournaments in which they participated. The United States won gold in 1960 and again in 1980, which included the "Miracle on Ice" upset of the Soviet Union. Other nations to win gold in the men's event include Great Britain in 1936, Sweden in 1994 and 2006 and the Czech Republic in 1998. Finland, Germany, Russia and Switzerland have also won medals in the sport. In the women's event, Canadian and American teams have both dominated the event. (more...)

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