The origin of hockey is not written in any history books. However, it is said that many games among tribal peoples throughout many continents were played with tree branches and round stones or fruit. We also know of Canadian Indians in the early 1700's playing with a carved wooden ball and carved sticks. It is also said that "hockey" was forbidden in England as early as 1527 because of the violence among players. Can you imagine that? They would have not been big fans of the Broad Street Bullies of the '70's.

It was around 1740 that explorers along the St. Lawrence River Valley in Canada discovered Indians playing "air hockey" which we now call Lacrosse. The Indians called the game "Baggataway" and each time a player was clobbered, he would yell "Ho ee!" which is where some think the name Hockey originated. In the summer, "baggataway" was played in the dry dusty plains while in the winter it was played on frozen lakes and ponds.

There are various records of games being played in Canada. Starting in 1870, the game of hockey was organized in Halifax, Nova Scotia, by the then Royal Canadian Rifles. It is known that the game underwent many changes through the early 1900's. The ball the Indians used became flat and the stick was lengthened and the blade was flattened. The Mik'mac peoples were carving wooden sticks with an angled blade to better hit the ball. Rubber balls were used and then cut in half to reduce bouncing. In Canada, they were running around hitting each other in the shins, hence the game of "Shinny". It is believed the game of shinny is the direct descendant of hockey, as we know it. The number of players was reduced as well as the size of the rink. As the game gained popularity, it was played on rinks not ponds and was eventually moved indoors.

One the first "official" hockey sticks used in Nova Scotia is now in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.