Hockey has been a part of the Olympic program since its inaugural 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. The sport is governed by the International Ice Hockey Federation, which was founded on 15 May 1908.
The semifinal match-up would be seen by the largest TV audience in history to date. Team USA, coached by Herb Brooks and led by Buzz Schneider and Bill Christian, fell behind in the first period. But the Americans came back strong, and by the end of the second period, they held a 2-1 lead.
After a scoreless third period, the game went to a shoot out. Each team sent five players out to face the opposing goalie. It took a while, but eventually, the U.S.’s Paul Kariya scored the game-winning shot. The victory was a huge upset and is now known as “The Miracle on Ice.”
Unlike the NHL, where face-offs are determined by who puts their stick to the ice first, the Olympics play by a different rule. According to IIHF rules, a player is considered offside when his or her skates are completely over the attacking team’s blue line during a face-off.
The 1988 Games were a watershed event in the history of men’s Olympic ice hockey. It marked the first time that professional players were allowed to compete at the Games, and Czech goalie Dominik Ha
