Hockey is a competitive sport that awards major championships at the professional and international level. The Stanley Cup is the top honor at the professional level and it is awarded to the National Hockey League's champion at the end of each season. The Olympic gold medal is awarded every four years to the top international team on the world stage.
Stanley Cup Champions
The Montreal Canadiens have won more Stanley Cup championships than any other team. The Canadiens have won 23 Stanley Cups, 10 more than the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Canadiens' most recent championship was won in 1993, while Toronto has not won a title since the 1966-67 season. The Detroit Red Wings are third with 11 titles while the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins have each won five titles.
High Scorer
Wayne Gretzky is the most prolific scorer in hockey history. During his career with the Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues and New York Rangers, Gretzky scored a record 2,857 points in 1,487 games. Gretzky had 894 goals and 1,963 assists. He also had 382 points in 208 playoff games. His postseason scoring is also a National Hockey League record.
Olympic Gold
The men's ice hockey gold medal is one of the most competitive awards in all of sports. The United States won gold medals in 1960 and 1980. Both gold medals were propelled by memorable wins over the Soviet Union in the semifinals that allowed the Americans to play for the gold in the following game. The 1980 victory is often viewed as the top upset in modern sports history. U.S. captain Mike Eruzione scored the goal that broke a third-period tie while goalie Jim Craig held off the Russians with a dynamic performance.
Hockey Penalties
Hockey is an unusual sport in that it punishes penalized teams by taking players off the ice after committing infractions. Two-minute penalties are called for roughing, high sticking, charging, hooking, interference and elbowing. Five-minute penalties are called for fighting and reckless play that leads to injury. Normally, teams play with five skaters and a goaltender. Shorthanded teams may skate with four players and a goalie or three players and a goalie.
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