ice hockey

American  

noun

1. a game played on ice between two teams of six skaters each, the object being to score goals by shooting a puck into the opponents' cage using a stick with a wooden blade set at an obtuse angle to the shaft.

---

ice hockey British  

noun

1. a game played on ice by two opposing teams of six players each, who wear skates and try to propel a flat puck into their opponents' goal with long sticks having an offset flat blade at the end

---

Etymology

Origin of ice hockey

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

ice hockey

Aerin Frankel—the goaltender for the U.S. women’s national ice hockey team—has eaten more of the dish than she can reliably count and formally reviewed dozens on Instagram.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026

The latter company would also include the Hartford Wolf Pack, a minor league ice hockey team, and MSG Training Center in Westchester County.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

While football - or soccer - is Canada's most-played sport, its commercial success is overshadowed by the nation's love affair with ice hockey and the popularity of major-league baseball and basketball franchises.

From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026

Dubbed "The World's Most Famous Arena," the 20,000-seat venue is the home of the New York Knicks, the most recent NBA champions, as well as the New York Rangers ice hockey team.

From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026

I slogged up the plowed driveway from the gym, past the snow-dusted baseball field and the ice hockey rink to get to the schoolhouse.

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan