Historians say that the first organized all-women's hockey game took place in Barrie, Ontario, in 1892 — more than two decades before the National Hockey League was founded. But there is evidence that the sport was actually played by female athletes before that: A newspaper account of a game between two unnamed women's teams appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on February 11, 1891.

A player from the opposing team has just received a penalty for tripping, and for the next two minutes, your squad has a man advantage. Congratulations, you're about to go on a power play! Few things are as important to the success of a hockey team on any level as its ability to score goals during a power play.

Hockey teams may dress no more than 18 players, excluding goalies, for each game. A list of all eligible players must be given to the referee or official scorer beforehand, and after that no roster changes can be made. Teams may use any number of goalies that they wish. Generally, a club has two goalies ready to go each game, one of whom starts while the other sits on the bench.

The best way to pick up any sport, and to get better, is to listen to the professionals and learn what they do. Here's what two of the best have to say on the subjects of passing and face-offs. Wayne Gretzky on passing "There are two primary kinds of passes," the Great One explains. "One is solid and hard, and the other is known as the feather.

An ice hockey team is made up of six players, each with a specific position and job. The job of offense is to score goals, and the defense is there to protect the goal. The following list describes each of the hockey positions: Goalie: Perhaps the toughest position in all of sports, the goalie is the one player who can control a team’s confidence.

Effective drills are a very important part of any hockey practice session. They can help beginner players develop their skating, puck-control, and passing and receiving skills. To aim for conducting excellent drills, start by having your rink diagram board available in a highly visible location. Be consistent with the location so that players know exactly where to go for their pre-practice or on-ice instruction.

As coach, you can and should minimize the chances of your players getting injured in the first place. Taking certain preventative measures ahead of time will also help you deal with potential injuries so that they don’t become any more serious than necessary. Establishing a safe base You can take a few steps at the very beginning of the season to limit some potential for injury from arising: Know the health history of your players.

This is the moment you’ve been waiting for as a coach — your chance to shine as a great hockey strategist. The game is about to begin. Your beginners are stepping onto the ice. Some lose their balance and fall. What strategies do you need to employ to have a successful game? Read on to find out! Getting your priorities straight First, forget trying to win the game.

When you get caught up in day-to-day coaching and the hectic pace of things going on, you may find it a challenge to keep a broader picture in perspective, such as where does playing minor hockey fit in the broad scheme of things for your players?You owe it to yourself and your players to keep hockey and life in perspective, because your brief encounter is but one of thousands along the road of life — both theirs and yours.