Ice hockey in Scotland

Overview of ice hockey practiced in Scotland

Ice hockey in Scotland

The Edinburgh Eagles celebrate their victory in 2009

Country| Scotland
Governing body| Scottish Ice Hockey
National team(s)| Men's national team;
Women's national team

National competitions

Elite Ice Hockey League

Ice hockey is the most popular indoor sport in Scotland, with a fairly established presence in each of the population centres and a spectator attendance lower only than football and rugby union.[1][2][3] The term "hockey" is usually reserved for field hockey in Scotland, and "ice hockey" is normally referred to by its full form.[4]

As with curling (a sport of Scottish origin), the game tends to be more commonly played indoors these days, due to milder winters in the past few decades.[5] Ice hockey is thus played on indoor rinks in Scotland, with the possible exception of street hockey, which is played at an informal level within the country.[6][7]

## Governing body[edit]

The national governing body is Scottish Ice Hockey.[8]

## History[edit]

### Shinty and the possible Scottish origins of ice hockey[edit]

Despite the official introduction of ice hockey into Scotland in the twentieth century, its roots in Scotland go far deeper.[9] To this day, ice hockey is often referred to as "shinny" and "hurtling" in Canada, suggesting a tie up with shinty and Ireland's hurling. Shinty is the national stick game of Scotland, and Phil Dracket who favours an English origin for the game, in the Fens of Cambridgeshire admits:

"in the formative years of the game the dividing line between hockey, bandy and shinty was always a fine one."[10]

In fact, Charles Goodman Tebbutt, who wrote down the first English bandy rules, claimed the words were interchangeable:

"THE game of bandy, otherwise known as hockey or shinney, or shinty, is doubtless one of the earliest pastimes of the kind ever known."[11]

However, the similarities between the two sports, post-codification are still notable:

"[in shinty] as in ice hockey, both sides of the hook [of the stick] are used to strike the ball, but there is no restriction on the height to which the stick may be raised."[12]

### 20th century[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2013)

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## Domestic structure[edit]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (July 2013)

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## See also[edit]

* Celtic League Cup

## References[edit]

1. ^ Anderson, Craig. "The rise of Scottish hockey: Meet the four Scots teams who are helping the public fall in love with a new sport - Scotland Now". Scotlandnow.dailyrecord.co.uk. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
2. ^ "Scots skate on thin ice with hockey claim". The Scotsman. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
3. ^ "BBC Sport - SPL, Sport XV: Ice hockey on the rise in Scotland". Bbc.co.uk. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
4. ^ Lewis MacDonald (6 November 2015). "Ice Hockey: With Scottish teams on the up now might be the time to enjoy this spectacle | Sport | The National". Thenational.scot. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
5. ^ Matthew Hays. "Ice hockey not invented in Canada? That's cold, man | Matthew Hays | Opinion". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
6. ^ "Scots skate on thin ice with hockey claim". The Scotsman. 31 January 2009. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
7. ^ "Aberdeen's puckish spirits pursue Lynx effect in Scottish ice hockey". Stv.tv. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
8. ^ Kevin Ferrie (25 February 2014). "Receiving a helping Hand to grow (From Herald Scotland)". Heraldscotland.com. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
9. ^ Victoria Williams Ph.D. (28 April 2015). Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing ... Abc-Clio. p. 274\. ISBN 9781610696401. Retrieved 3 October 2016.
10. ^ Dracket, pp. 25/6
11. ^ BANDY - BY C. G. TEBBUTT
12. ^ "Shinty" in Collins Encyclopedia of Scotland, HarperCollins , 2000, ISBN 978-0007103539, p.868

## Bibliography[edit]

* Drackett, Phil Flashing Blades, the Story of British Ice Hockey, The Crowood Press Ltd; (12 October 1987, ISBN 1852230614)
* Hutchinson, Roger Camanachd!: The Story of Shinty, Birlinn Ltd (16 November 2004, ISBN 184158326X)
* MacLennan, Hugh Dan, Not an orchid, Kessock Communications (1995, Scotland, ISBN 0952619504)

## External links[edit]

* A-Z of Ice Hockey

* v
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Ice hockey in Europe

Sovereign states|

* Albania
* Andorra
* Armenia
* Austria
* Azerbaijan
* Belarus
* Belgium
* Bosnia and Herzegovina
* Bulgaria
* Croatia
* Cyprus
* Czech Republic
* Denmark
* Estonia
* Finland
* France
* Georgia
* Germany
* Greece
* Hungary
* Iceland
* Ireland
*   * Italy
* Kazakhstan
* Latvia
* Liechtenstein
* Lithuania
* Luxembourg
* Malta
* Moldova
* Monaco
* Montenegro
* Netherlands
* North Macedonia
* Norway
* Poland
* Portugal
* Romania
* Russia
* San Marino
* Serbia
* Slovakia
* Slovenia
* Spain
* Sweden
* Switzerland
* Turkey
* Ukraine
* United Kingdom

States with limited
recognition|

* Abkhazia
* Kosovo
* Northern Cyprus
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria

Dependencies and
other entities|

* Åland
* Faroe Islands
* Gibraltar
* Guernsey
* Isle of Man
* Jersey
* Svalbard

* v
* t
* e

Sport in Scotland

By sport|

* Association football
* Australian rules football
* Cricket
* Curling
* Historical fencing
* Futsal
* Gaelic Games
* Golf
* Highland Games
* Horse racing
* Ice hockey
* Lacrosse
* Netball
* Rugby union
* Rugby league
* Shinty
* Tennis

International
competitions|

* Commonwealth Games
* FIFA World Cup
* UEFA European Championship
* Olympics
* Campaign for a Scottish Olympic Team
* Scottish Olympic medallists
* Rugby World Cup
* Cricket World Cup
* Island Games

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