Hockey Tickets – A Brief History Of The NHL

Eastern Conference Atlanta Thrashers Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Carolina Hurricanes Florida Panthers Montreal Canadiens New Jersey Devils New York Islanders New York Rangers Ottawa Senators Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Tampa Bay Lightning Toronto Maple Leafs Washington Capitals

Western Conference Calgary Flames Chicago Blackhawks Colorado Avalanche Columbus Blue Jackets Dallas Stars Detroit Red Wings Edmonton Oilers Los Angeles Kings Mighty Ducks of Anaheim Minnesota Wild Nashville Predators Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks St. Louis Blues Vancouver Canucks

The game and sport, as we know today that sells out hockey tickets, probably evolved from field version, which was quite a popular summer sport more than 500 years ago in Northern Europe, specifically in Great Britain and France. In those early days, hockey sticks were made from willow branches bent at one end. It is believed that the word ‘hockey’ came from the French word – hoquet – which means “shepherd's crook” or “bent stick.”

With the lakes and ponds frozen in the winter, enthusiasts probably played a version of it on ice. 17th century Holland had a popular ice game, known as ‘kolven,’ and a basic version of the game was played in the 1820s in Bury Fen, England.

The game came to the United States through Canada, where the British soldiers in Halifax, Nova Scotia organized games on the frozen ponds around the city. Students from McGill University, Montreal, started playing the game in a downtown ice rink, around the 1870s. A Canadian, J G A Creighton, devised the rules of the modern game, and in 1875, the first game with Creighton’s rules was played in Montreal, Canada.

It is believed that the first league – with four teams - was launched in Kingston, Ontario, in 1885. The game became very popular, and soon regular games were being played between clubs from Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal. Impressed by the game, the then English Governor General of Canada – Lord Stanley – instituted a trophy in 1892, to be given to the best amateur team in Canada. This trophy, today, is known as the Stanley Cup, and is given to the winner of the NHL playoffs.

Strictly amateur until 1904, the professional sport came into being with the creation of the first professional league – the International Pro Hockey League – in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. This league was followed by the National Hockey Association (NHA), and later by the Pacific Coast League (PCL). A transcontinental Championship Series was arranged between the two leagues, in 1914, with the winner getting the Stanley Cup.

Post World War I, a new league surfaced - the National Hockey League (NHL), which at its inception had five franchises - the Montreal Canadiens, the Montreal Wanderers, the Ottawa Senators, the Quebec Bulldogs, and the Toronto Arenas. All the other leagues eventually folded and by 1926, the NHL – with 10 teams, divided into two divisions – took charge of the Stanley Cup.

Today, the Stanley Cup is the most coveted of the trophies in the sport.

The fans of the NHL are quite passionate about their teams, and the hockey tickets are difficult to come by when their teams are playing. One of the best and the easiest ways to lay your hands on the elusive hockey tickets is through the help of licensed ticket brokers.

The legitimate ticket brokers, handle all requests for hockey tickets courteously and professionally. We ensure that the tickets of your choice are procured and delivered to your doorstep.