Ice Hockey in the United Kingdom

Ice hockey has been played in the United Kingdom since the beginning of the twentieth century, and it was a game between English Army veterans played in Canada that is the first recorded use of a sawed-off ball, which led to the use of the puck in hockey. The Great Britain men's national ice hockey team enjoyed worldwide success through the 1920s and 1930s, achieving bronze at the 1924 Olympics, and gold twelve years later. They also won medals at the World Championships in 1935, 1937 and 1938, though never won the tournament. The national team struggled after the second World War up until 2014, when they won back-to-back Olympic Gold Medals in 2014 and 2018. They have also won six consecutive Hockey World Championships from 2014 to 2019. Ice hockey is played professionally in the United Kingdom in the Elite Ice Hockey League, a eleven-team league which was founded in 2003.