Hockey is one of those sports that has achieved a global status, watched and enjoyed by fans all over the world. However, the two key regions of hockey popularity are undoubtedly the USA and Europe. Although both sides of the Atlantic play the same game, with almost identical rules, and regularly exchange players, there are significant differences between the US and European games.
Rink sizes may varyÂ
The most significant difference between the two styles of hockey is the size of the rink. The ice rink that is used in the American game is smaller than the European version, by around five yards. Interestingly, that difference in size is mainly associated with the width of the rink. For example, the rinks in the top German league, the DEL, are 61 yards long, compared to 60.96 yards for an NHL rink. However, rinks in the DEL are also 30 yards wide, whereas NHL rinks are 25.91 yards wide.
Style of play
You might ask what difference this makes? After all, it’s the same game with the same rules, so what’s the big deal about five yards? In fact, this variance in rink size has led to some fundamental differences in the way that the game is played on either side of the Atlantic.
Hockey in the US is played on a shorter, narrower rink, which means that the players have less room to operate. The players are closer together, so speed and physicality are more important in the NHL. This also leads to a more confrontational, action-packed style of play that NHL fans love. Bettors who are weighing up a game using their favorite prop bet app will focus more on physicality.
In European hockey, there is more space, and more time for players with the puck. The game is generally slower with a lower degree of physicality than that typically seen in the NHL. Tactics and technical play are significantly more important in European hockey than in the NHL, where coaches often default to a dump and chase strategy, and where skating ability and stick handling are less significant skills.
The result is that European hockey players are often regarded as more skillful, though less able to cope with the frenetic pace and physicality of the NHL. While this is something of a generalization — there are many highly skilled NHL players and many Europeans who thrive in the NHL — overall, European hockey is slower, less physical and more tactical than its NHL equivalent.
Physical confrontation
These different styles have led to some significant variations in hockey culture. In Europe, when any player picks a fight, they are thrown out of the game, and their opponents earn a five-minute power play. Physical confrontations in European hockey are rarer and frowned upon as a result, which is reflected in the way such issues are dealt with in the rules.
The NHL attitude towards fighting could not be more different. Although physical confrontations are more likely because of the smaller rink size, fights are played up by the media. In fact, particularly spectacular fights are likely to end up on the news, which has resulted in a very different attitude towards fighting.
There is also statistical evidence to back this up. In a report by Scott Grossman and Terence Hines on the 1995-96 season, it was found that North American NHL players served a total of 38,622 penalty minutes, compared with just 6,037 penalty minutes for
On Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at the Giant Center, the Hershey Bears vs the Syracuse Crunch. The Crunch beat the Bears in overtime by a score of 3-2.
European NHL players.
Other differences
European hockey also differs significantly from the NHL in the quality of the infrastructure available. The lucrative NHL model has resulted in the building of modern, high-quality ice rink facilities, with plenty of amenities, whereas European ice rinks lag behind in terms of the facilities available for fans.
There is also a major difference in the balance between domestic and international competition. In Europe, international hockey is regarded as the ultimate challenge, but on the other side of the Atlantic, the NHL is seen as the pinnacle. While international hockey gets a fair amount of attention, it cannot match the NHL for the enthusiasm of its fans.
Conclusion
The differences between Europe and North America hockey even extend to the names. In Europe, the sport is usually referred to as ice hockey, whereas for NHL fans, it is simply, hockey.
Yet we shouldn’t exaggerate these differences. Hockey fans in these two areas of the world share a passion for the great game and there is a huge amount of cross-cultural interchange, which makes for a richer and more diverse sport.
PHOTO CREDITS
Jack SMart
Michael Johnson
Steve Rusyn
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