Ice hockey first appeared at the Olympic Games in 1920. Both men’s and women’s competition has been held at every Olympics since then. The game is regulated by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), which has 59 full member nations and 22 associate members.
The tournament begins with each team divided into three groups of four teams who play a round-robin schedule. The top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals, where they will be joined by the highest ranked team from the remaining groups. The winners of each of the quarterfinal matches then move on to the semifinals to compete for the gold medal. The runners-up will vie for the bronze medal.
One of the most memorable Olympic hockey moments occurred in 1992 in Albertville, when a late third period goal by Germany sent the game into overtime. No team scored during the 10-minute OT period and so the game had to be decided by penalty shots. Canada’s Eric Lindros nailed the first shot, but German Peter Draisaitl slowed down his shooter just enough that it wobbled past the goal line before coming to rest in the net. Canada prevailed, and has won all but one women’s hockey gold since.
The 1980 “Miracle on Ice” took place in Lake Placid, where the U.S. defeated the Soviet Union in a semifinal match. The Soviets had swept all five of their division games and were considered favorites to win the gold medal in a game that was televised live in 36 million American homes. The US victory, which came at the end of a dramatic three-week run of upsets and comebacks in which the American players surpassed all expectations, has become known as the greatest moment in the history of Olympic ice hockey.