Ice hockey is a hugely popular team sport which is played entirely on ice. The aim of the game is to use a stick to direct the 'puck' into the goal of the opposing team. Unlike some goal-based games, ice hockey is a full contact sport - meaning it is fast paced and often very violent, with bodychecks fully acceptable. As a result of this, injuries are very common - so be aware of how quickly a game can turn if you place a bet on a team with a star player, only to see him slammed heavily into the wall of the rink! Ice hockey often has surprising winners - with the 'underdogs' sometimes coming up on top in the first few games of any league. Of course, in the larger and more prominent matches there is little chance of this - the biggest and most popular teams have a definite edge, with huge players and incredibly fast action.

You will find ice hockey played recreationally in cold countries, as reliable seasonal ice cover is required for all games not played in an indoor rink. This gives these countries an edge when competing, so keep an eye on Canada, Finland, Sweden, the northern United States, the Czech Republic, Russia, the Baltic States and Slovakia when placing your bet. Ice hockey is immensely popular in Canada particularly, where it is the official national winter sport.

The game of ice hockey has been played at the Winter Olympics ever since 1924 (even at the summer games in 1920) and since 1998 all the top players from the enormously popular NHL have been able to compete. This has made the Winter Olympics the biggest international tournament for fans of the sport and very popular for betting.