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Expression of the Day
Puzzle #392 · June 28, 2026

ice hockey

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Every day one two-word expression or compound word used in American English.

Ice hockey is Canada's game, and the first organized indoor match happened on March 3, 1875, in Montreal. 

The name “hockey” probably came from French ‘hoquet’ (a shepherd's stick), but the exact origin is murky.

The game itself has corollaries in many countries from Egypt to North America. “The Mi'kmaq people of Nova Scotia and eastern Canada played oochamkunutk—literally ”games with sticks“—on ice using hand-carved wooden hurleys ...” This Mi'kmaq game is increasingly recognized by historians as a precursor to modern hockey.

“The first organized indoor ice hockey game in Canada took place on March 3, 1875, at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal, Quebec, marking the sport's shift from informal outdoor variants to structured indoor play.” See Grokipedia for more.

The most famous hockey movie of all time is Slap Shot, starring Paul Newman.
Puzzle Appearances

The expression ice hockey has appeared in 1 puzzle:

  • Puzzle #392 on June 28, 2026
Rate of Appearance in English Language Print

Google's Ngram project shows how often a pair of words has appeared in print every year since the 1800's.

Data from Google Books Ngram Viewer. Licensed under CC BY 3.0.

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