Olympic ice hockey is one of the most intense sports on ice. It is the only event in which players may fight, though it is very rare for them to do so. Those who do are penalized and could be ejected from the game.

The men’s tournament was introduced at the 1920 Olympics and has been a mainstay ever since, while the women’s event made its debut at the 1998 Games. In the early years, teams from Canada dominated the sport, with their greatest triumphs coming in 1994 after a classic shootout victory against the Soviet Union and in 1998 when Martin Brodeur and the United States won gold.

With the collapse of the Soviet Union following the onset of perestroika in 1991, the sport’s dynasty ended and the Czech Republic emerged as the new leader with Dominik Hasek’s imperious goaltending leading the way. The sport’s next chapter would begin in the late 2000s, when teams from Canada again dominated.

The 2022 Winter Olympics will see a twelve-team field, eight of which qualified by the IIHF World Ranking and three through qualifying tournaments. They will be placed into three groups of four and will play every team in their group twice. Ties are awarded one point in the first round, with all other games going to overtime and, if necessary, a shootout to determine the winner. Each team has five skaters and a goalie, and legal teams can only include nine players (one goalie and eight forwards). The top two finishers in each group advance to the semifinals.