Is one of the oldest sports in the world based on its earliest format when it was played way back in the Middle Ages particularly in the Low Countries of Europe and is considered to be one of the four major sports in the United States along with Basketball, Baseball and American Football for betting purposes and as a spectator sport.

Since then of course it has developed into one of the most popular winter sports in the world being an integral part of the Winter Olympics and in the NHL having one of the highest grossing professional leagues in the world of sport featuring some all-time great athletes which has in turn spawned a big turnover sport in the world of betting both in Europe and in North America.

Professional ice hockey has indeed been on the radar since the beginning of the 20th century starting with the Western Pennsylvania League in first starting in 1902. The current NHL (National Hockey League) came into being in Canada in 1917 and then expanded into the United States in 1924.

In Europe the first pro league was founded in Switzerland in 1916 and now most European countries have their own leagues including the famous Czech Extraliga. But for the big bucks, the best professional players tend to migrate to the United States and Canada to the NHL.

The famous team, the Montreal Canadians, lead the way in the roll of honours with 24 Stanley Cups followed by their great rivals the Toronto Maple Leafs with 13, with the first United States based team in third place, the Detroit Red Wings with 11 championships.

Canada currently supplies over 50% of the players for the league with the United States on 21.5% followed by Sweden 5.4% and Czech Republic 5.3% and Russia 5%.

Nicknamed 'The Great One', Wayne Gretzky took the game to new heights when he was playing between 1978 and 1999.

On his retirement he held 40 regular season records, 15 play-off records and six all-star records and is the only man in the history of the NHL to record over 200 points in one season.

Over the last 10 years no one team has managed to stamp its authority on the Stanley Cup:-

Winners/Runner-up

2000 New Jersey Devils/ Dallas Stars
2001 Colorado Avalanche/ New Jersey Devils
2002 Detroit Red Wings/ Carolina Hurricanes
2003 New Jersey Devils/ Mighty Ducks of Anaheim
2004 Tampa Bay Lightning/ Calgary Flames
2005 Season cancelled
2006 Caroline Hurricanes/ Edmonton Oilers
2007 Anaheim Ducks/ Ottawa Senators
2008 Detroit Red Wings/ Pittsburgh Penguins
2009 Pittsburgh Penguins/ Detroit Red Wings
2010 Chicago Blackhawks/ Philadelphia Flyers