The game of Hockey has been around from the time of early civilization. Historical records show that a crude form of hockey was played in Egypt 4,000 years ago.
Later in the mid-18th century, modern hockey evolved in England. In the 1908 Games held the first Olympic hockey competition for men. In 1909, hockey had made its first steps toward an International Federation when the Hockey Association in England and the Belgium Hockey Association agreed to mutually recognize each other to regulate international hockey relations.Soon after the French Association followed but it was not considered sufficient. In 1924, hockey took its most important step forward when the International Hockey Federation was founded in Paris under the initiative of Frenchman, Paul Leautey.
Soon in 1927, the International Federation of Woman’s Hockey Associations was formed and the women’s game quickly developed in many countries. By 1964, there were already 50 countries affiliated with the FIH.Today, the work of the International Hockey Federation is accomplished through the efforts of the FIH President and Honorary Secretary General, working together with an Executive Board, eight Committees, three Advisory Panels and the professional staff in its Lausanne headquarters. In many ways, the FIH serves as the 'guardian' of the sport. It works in co-operation with both the national and continental organizations to ensure consistency and unity in hockey around the world. The FIH not only regulates the sport, but is also responsible for its development and promotion so as to guarantee a secure future for hockey.
Famous Hockey Team: San Jose Sharks The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). They play their home games at the HP Pavilion at San Jose, known locally as the Shark Tank. The Oakland Coliseum Arena was home to the California Golden Seals of the NHL from 1967 to 1976.
Gordon and George Gunds III became minority owners of the Seals in 1974, and were instrumental in their move to Cleveland in 1976 and a 1978 merger with the Minnesota North Stars, which they purchased that year.They had long wanted to bring hockey back to the Bay Area, and asked the NHL for permission to move the North Stars there in the late 1980s, but the league vetoed the proposed move. Meanwhile, a group led by former Hartford Whalers owner Howard Baldwin was pushing the NHL to bring a team to San Jose, where a new arena was being built.Eventually the league struck a compromise: the Gunds would sell their share of the North Stars to Baldwin's group, with the Gunds receiving an expansion team in the Bay Area to begin play in the 1991–1992 seasons and being allowed to take a certain number of players from the North Stars to their new club. In return, the North Stars would be allowed to participate as an equal partner in an expansion draft with the new Bay Area team. On May 5, 1990, the Gunds officially sold their share of the North Stars to Baldwin and were awarded a new team for the Bay Area, based in San Jose.
Over 5,000 potential names were submitted by mail for the new team. While the first-place finisher was "Blades," the Gunds were concerned about the name's potentially negative association with weapons, and went with the runner-up, "Sharks. " The name was said to have been inspired by the large number of sharks living in the Pacific Ocean.
