When British soldiers began settling in early Canada, their sporting traditions blended with a Mi'kmaq game to create a new sport that evolved into hockey. A History of Hockey in Canada traces hockey "s roots from those first steps on the frozen ponds of eastern Canada to the modern game we know and love:- Games that were the precursors to modern hockey were oochamkunutk (Mi'kmaq), shinty (Scottish), hurling (Irish) and bandy (English)- From the ponds of Windsor, Nova Scotia, to Kingston, Ontario, and Montr al, Qu bec, a new game evolved, and in March 1875, the first organized game of hockey was played in Montr al - The Mi'kmaq of Nova Scotia were the first popular craftsmen of sticks; their MicMac brand was the stick of choice for professional hockey players until the early 20th century - The first goalposts were often set parallel to the length of the playing surface, to make it more difficult to score since there was no goalie - Referees first used cowbells to call plays, and only switched to whistles when people began bringing their own cowbells to games- The first organized game of women "s hockey took place in the late 1880s in Ottawa- Goalie Jacques Plante was the first to use a mask regularly after taking a puck to the face on November 1, 1959 - The NHL was formed in November 1917 with four hockey clubs--the Ottawa Senators, Montr al Canadiens, Montr al Wanderers and Toronto Arenas--and today the league has expanded to 30 NHL teams.A must for the hockey fan. Anyone fascinated by Canada "s sports history will want to have this book.