The game of hockey was contested for the first time in Olympic competition at the 1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium. It has since been played in every Winter Olympics except one, and is the most popular men’s event. Canada has won more gold medals than any other country, with 23 total. Its teams were a formidable force for decades, dominating the sport in the 1950s and 1960s. Their victory at the 1980 Olympics is known as the Miracle on Ice.

The Soviet Union won the next four Olympics, and won every gold in the tournament until the 1972 Sapporo Games, when the U.S. team shocked the world by beating the Soviets in the final game. Two nights later, on Valentine’s Day, the Americans blasted Czechoslovakia 7-3. The Americans were trailing 4-3 in the second period when a Soviet captain came into the bench and told them to take a deep breath. It didn’t work, but the Americans did score six unanswered goals in the third period to win the game.

At the 1992 Albertville Olympics, the Red Army’s era of Olympic ice hockey ended, at least in terms of medals. The former Soviet states competed under the Unified Team banner, and won their last gold medal in the competition.

In 1998, NHL players were allowed to compete at the Olympics, a change that led to a golden era for many countries, including Canada, which won five straight golds from 2002 to 2006. Russia (as OAR) won the men’s Olympic title in 2018 and 2022.