Ice hockey in Scotland
Ice hockey in Scotland is a minor sport, but one with a fairly established presence in each of the population centres. The term "hockey" is usually reserved for field hockey in Scotland, and "ice hockey" is normally referred to be its full form.
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. Ice hockey is thus played on artificial rinks in Scotland, with the possible exception of street hockey, which is played at an informal level within the country.
Governing body
The national governing body is Scottish Ice Hockey.
History
Shinty and the possible Scottish origins of ice hockey
Despite the official introduction of ice hockey into Scotland in the twentieth century, its roots in Scotland go far deeper. 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."[1]
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."[2]
References
See also
External links
Bibliography
- 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)
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