The game of Olympic ice hockey has a long and colorful history. From 1920 to 1952, teams from Canada dominated the competition. Then came the emergence of the Soviet Union, which won nine consecutive gold medals between 1960 and 1980. After the Soviet Union dissolved, Team USA won three straight titles in the late 1990s. More recently, Sweden and the Czech Republic have joined the gold-medal club.
The men’s tournament at the Olympics has had some controversy over whether to allow professional players. The IIHF initially agreed but later changed its mind after the NHL didn’t want to stop its regular season to participate. So for the last few Olympics, teams were made up of mostly amateurs. But in 2018 PyeongChang, the NHL allowed its players to play and won a silver medal.
There are many rules differences between NHL and Olympic hockey, but the rink remains the same size. Also, just like in the NHL, coaches can challenge calls and video review is used. However, fighting is not allowed and any player who participates in a fight will be penalized by the referee and possibly ejected from the game.
Overtime rules in Olympic ice hockey are complicated and differ depending on the stage of the tournament. For example, in the bronze or gold medal games, if the score is tied after the end of regulation, there will be a 20-minute period of 3-on-3 hockey. If no winner is determined, there will be a shootout.