Gwg in hockey is an abbreviation for great whites against gray, a play on the white and black feathers on each hockey puck. The meaning behind this phrase is that the great whites are the offensive players, who take on the gray defensive players in a game of hockey.
While this play is somewhat outdated, it is still used. For example, the National Hockey League (NHL) now uses face-masks to protect the identity of their players. However, this did not exist when gwg in hockey was first used. The game of hockey has also changed a lot since the 1950s, so it is important to keep in mind the historical aspects of this game when reviewing its present state.
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The History Of Hockey
Hockey is a game that originated in Scotland in the 1800s. The purpose of the game was to pass a large ball through a series of posts set up at each end of the field. The posts caused the ball to bounce, which was then caught by the skaters. It was originally played using sticks and palmballs, but equipment such as ice skates and hockey sticks were later developed.
The first documented game of hockey was played on January 5, 1823, and the sport became very popular in the UK. The first indoor hockey game was played in London in 1884, which is now considered to be one of the greatest hockey games ever played.
The first international game of hockey was played in Scotland in 1873. Canada and the UK were the only two countries to take part in this early form of the game. In 1875, the first World Hockey Championship took place and was won by the Canada Amateur Hockey Team, who beat the UK for the first time. In 1876, the first Olympic gold medal was won by the Scotland national hockey team! The popularity of the game rose even more after these historic events and there was a surge in the number of people playing the game, both professionally and recreationally. Since then, the game has continued to grow steadily and is now played all over the world. It is especially popular in Europe, where there are over 150 member countries in the International Hockey Federation (FIH).[1]
The Present Day Of Hockey
The present day of hockey is still primarily played outdoors, although ice rinks have been constructed for the enjoyment of the players. In the 20th century, the game moved away from its traditional pond settings and is now commonly played on an artificial ice surface known as ‘Glades. This type of surface was developed for use with synthetic ice and the like and looks like a combination of both ice and sand. This allows for better puck control and a faster game pace, which makes it more attractive to the players.
The NHL is the premier professional hockey league in the world and was the first to implement rules and regulations governing face masks for players. These rules were put in place after a number of serious injuries to players. Some of the more notable incidents include Phil Hossa of the Atlanta Thrashers suffering a fractured skull in a pickup game and Derek McKenzie of the Vancouver Canucks being paralyzed after being run over by a truck while chasing a puck! As a result of these incidents and many others like them, face masks for players became mandatory in the NHL.
How Is The Physics Of Hockey?
The physics of hockey are interesting because the momentum of the puck is usually a key factor in determining the course of a game. If a player has the puck and is able to move quickly towards the opposing team’s goal, he may be able to score some easy goals. However, if the player is not careful and is slow to react, he may find himself in trouble as the momentum of the puck can cause it to bounce off objects and back at the player. This can lead to unfortunate injuries and even to scoring penalties if the puck hits a player or a goalie in the head.
The following experiment, conducted by the European Institute of Sport Science, provides further evidence about the momentum of a hockey puck:
The test subjects were asked to stop the puck from travelling a particular distance by hitting it with a hockey stick. In most cases, it is extremely difficult to prevent the puck from travelling more than 100 meters. In some cases, it is even possible to send the puck back in the direction it came from, depending on how hard the player hits the puck![2]
Rules Of The Game
While the game itself can be incredibly exciting to follow, knowing the rules can make it much more fun. The most obvious rule is that the puck has to be handled by the players. Even in adult hockey leagues that use enforcers, it is still the individual players’ responsibility to control the puck at all times. If an enforcer or a linesmen touches the puck, the player who had the puck prior to the contact can reclaim it by shouting “puck stole!” The following experiment explains how to tell if someone has ‘stole’ the puck:
The subjects of this study were asked to stop the puck and follow a number of different instructions, which were given in a random order. The instructions were to either pass the puck to another player (pass), shoot at a particular target (shoot), or keep the puck stationary for a number of seconds (stationary). Once the subjects had followed these instructions, they were asked to start the puck moving again and attempt to keep it in motion as long as possible. In most cases, it was not possible to stop the puck, even when shooting at a target or trying to pass it to another player. However, in some cases, it was possible to keep the puck in motion for several seconds – even if they did not follow all of the instructions![3]