Formed in 1908, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) governs the sport of ice hockey worldwide. The Olympics have hosted ice hockey since 1920, with teams from Canada winning the most medals overall, including fourteen gold.

Olympic competition is unique in several ways, most notably the rules that apply and the way games are officiated. Unlike professional leagues around the world, which generally call their own games with a single referee, Olympic games are officiated by a team of three referees, working in tandem to ensure consistent and fair officiating.

One example of this is how the game is played — NHL rules forbid goalies from catching or fielding loose pucks on the boards, but the IIHF allows Olympic goalies to do so. And while the NHL uses a trapezoid behind the net to limit how goalies can play the puck, the Olympic game allows them total freedom of movement in that area.

Aside from this, the game is largely played under standard IIHF rules. Fights are not allowed, and players who willingly participate in them will be penalized and possibly ejected from the game.

While Canada has historically dominated the men’s tournament, new stories have opened with the rise of Sweden following its 1994 gold in a shootout classic and the Czech Republic (now the Czech Republic) using Dominik Hasek’s imperious goaltending to win gold in 1998. As the NHL has returned to the Games in recent years, and women’s ice hockey became a permanent fixture at the Olympics in 2018, the sport is now more varied than ever.