| Ice hockey evolved and developed from the concept | | | | long-drawn-out. Until the Zamboni machine cut that |
| of field hockey that was played in Europe for many | | | | time down drastically by being in a position to drive the |
| years. A McGill University student named J.G.A | | | | length of a rink and have it smoothed out in virtually |
| Creighton, as most of us know took the modern day | | | | 15-20 minutes before and after use. The University of |
| version of ice hockey from its roots in Canada. He | | | | Minnesota was the recipient of the 8,000th Zamboni |
| was the dubbed the 'grandfather' of ice hockey | | | | machine in 2005. |
| regulations since his rules were used in the first game | | | | It wasn't until 1867 when a factory foreman called John |
| of ice hockey played in Montreal in 1875. Around the | | | | Forbes developed the first steel bladed skate at the |
| 18th century the first rink or playing area for ice | | | | Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based factory Starr |
| hockey was used in a game common right at that | | | | Manufacturing Company and the prototype was a clip |
| moment in Scotland called 'curling'. The original team line | | | | on design, but 13 years earlier James A. Whelpley had |
| up consisted of 30 people on each side and their reply | | | | came out with the first "official" ice skate that was |
| to a goal was frozen stones on both ends of this line | | | | designed for long distance skating called the "Long |
| of business which is known to us as goal lines. | | | | Reach Skate". |
| The rules of ice hockey were drafted at McGill | | | | This skate got its name after a region along the St. |
| University in Montreal in 1879 and by 1893 the sport of | | | | John River in New Brunswick where James Whelpley |
| hockey had made its technique to the US and by the | | | | and his family owned a factory that manufactured the |
| turn of the century in the 1900s hockey had slowly | | | | skates. The skate beside Forbes' later modification of |
| made its method to various parts of Europe and | | | | the skate had steel blades on them with the exception |
| England. This also brought the birth of the first ice rink | | | | of Forbes' design that was changed to make the |
| (mechanically-refrigerated) was inbuilt 1876 called the | | | | blade shorter for rink skating. Over the years more |
| Glaciarium, this place was built about 30 years before | | | | changes followed to what we've as the modern skate |
| hockey had really implemented itself as a fashionable | | | | currently that's manufactured by firms like CCM |
| sport in England. | | | | (Canadian Cycle and Motor Company-established in |
| Ice hockey in its infancy needed maintenance because | | | | 1889 out of Weston, Ontario, Canada)- the primary |
| the ice would be rough and hard to skate on and they | | | | supplier of hockey gear for numerous college, |
| didn't have a zamboni machine, which was later | | | | university, semi and pro hockey teams for their skates, |
| invented in 1939 by Eureka, Utah native Frank Zamboni | | | | and other Canadian-U.S. based businesses like Bauer |
| and later brought out, for commercial use in 1942 and | | | | Sports to make the skates that are bought by hockey |
| since then more than 8,000 Zamboni resurfacing | | | | enthusiasts everywhere the world right now. Many |
| machines are utilized by professional, college, university, | | | | hockey buffs are usually very selective in their skates |
| and recreational ice facilities to have their rinks | | | | because they want the best and top of the line skates |
| maintained. This was quite some distance from the | | | | since an essential hockey player will paid good money |
| birth of the automatic refrigerated rink, which required | | | | for skates. |
| people to hand scrape the rink, which was | | | | |