European Hockey/Bandy Origins

[WhiteTiger]

Country	First Bandy Game	First Hockey Game
Austria	1899	1909 (1922)*
Belarus	~1932	~1932
Belgium	—	1900
Bohemia	1895	1909
Bulgaria	—	1927
Croatia	1917	1924
Denmark	1895	1929
England	1813/14	1879
Estonia	1913	1934
Finland	1899	1927
France	1891	1894
Germany	1897	1908
Hungary	1899	1924
Iceland	—	1937
Italy	—	1908
Latvia	1911	1909 (1930)**
Lithuania	—	1923
Netherlands	1891	1929
Norway	1903	1933
Poland	1901	1912
Romania	—	1925
Russia	1898	1932 (1946)***
Scotland	1895	1909
Serbia	—	1936
Slovakia	1902	1921
Slovenia	—	1932
Spain	—	1922
Sweden	1901	1920
Switzerland	1894	1902
Ukraine	1905	1925

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Note: The dates on this list denote when the first formal game was played in each respective country. Informal activities, practices, and club formations that predated any games are not included. The list only includes countries where hockey/bandy was introduced prior to World War II.

* One ice hockey game was played in Austria in 1909, but hockey was not played there regularly until 1922.
** One ice hockey game was played in Latvia in 1909, but the sport was not played there regularly until 1930.
*** A German team visited Moscow and played three games against local teams in 1932. Hockey was not formally introduced in Russia until 1946.

By examining the chart, it can be seen that hockey with a puck had become the preferred style of play throughout western Europe by around 1910. Bandy remained at the forefront in the Baltics, Nordics, Austria, Hungary, and Russia until the 1920s and, in some cases, beyond. Russia was the last country to embrace ice hockey, only picking up the sport they soon came to dominate in 1946.

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[Killion]

^Very interesting.... I wonder why Scotland was so late in picking up
Bandy given that it had been popularized in Britain so much earlier...

 

[WhiteTiger]

^Very interesting.... I wonder why Scotland was so late in picking up
Bandy given that it had been popularized in Britain so much earlier...

There were lots of informal bandy activities in Scotland well before 1895 (dating back to the early 1800s). Just no formally organized games.

 

[Theokritos]

There were lots of informal bandy activities in Scotland well before 1895 (dating back to the early 1800s). Just no formally organized games.

A little addition: the earliest established (contemporary & written down) mention of something like shinny being played on ice I've seen comes from Scotland. That was during one of the Great Frosts in the 17th (!) century.

 

[Killion]

A little addition: the earliest established (contemporary & written down) mention of something like shinny being played on ice I've seen comes from Scotland. That was during one of the Great Frosts in the 17th (!) century.

Yes I seem to recall coming across mentions of it being played in Scotland earlier so I was curious about that approximated date of 1895. Seemed off by at least a century. I assume these dates are based on the first recorded games & or creation & enshrinement of the games Rules in some cases? Its origins debated, hotly contested between Russia (where it was also referred to as Russian Hockey), the Netherlands & England, where the Rules were first published in 1882 according to my sources. The first ever international game played in 1891 at Londons Crystal Palace in 1891 between England & Holland... that too actually referred to as "hockey" though a misnomer as it was clearly "bandy".... Ive never seen it played live & in-person nor on television, on-line.... looks like a fabulous game actually.... lots of room when being played outdoors, massive ice surface.

 

[Theokritos]

I assume these dates are based on the first recorded games & or creation & enshrinement of the games Rules in some cases?

The dates in the OP are not referring to just any hockey-like game on ice (like e.g. shinny on ice in Scotland in the 17th century), they're referring to the specific variety first recorded in the early 19th century in the Fenlands in eastern England usually called "bandy". It is that variety that has had a historic impact suffiently documented, as it was picked up in other parts of England as well (also referred to as "hockey" in the London area) with, indeed, rules and instructions being printed. Then, at the turn of the 19th century, the game spread from England to Continental Europe (starting in the Netherlands, then Central Europe and Scandinavia and Imperial Russia).

that too actually referred to as "hockey" though a misnomer as it was clearly "bandy"

In hindsight it might look like a misnomer, but back then it really wasn't. There was no trade mark on the term "hockey" and bandy was already called hockey in various parts of Europe before Canadian hockey became known there. When the Canadians introduced their game, the Europeans used qualifiers to distinguish it: this was "Canadian hockey" or "hockey with the puck" as opposed to the game of (ice) hockey already known in Europe. You'll find this phenomenon from Vienna 1900 (Scheibenspiel = "game with the disc") to Moscow 1950 (Russian hockey/hockey with the ball vs Canadian hockey/hockey with the disc).

Ive never seen it played live & in-person nor on television, on-line.... looks like a fabulous game actually.... lots of room when being played outdoors, massive ice surface.

The 2018 World Championship SF between Russia and Finland, played early last month:

 

[Killion]

^^^ Thanks for the clarifications, edification Theo. I'll be watching that game a little later.

 

[WhiteTiger]

A little addition: the earliest established (contemporary & written down) mention of something like shinny being played on ice I've seen comes from Scotland. That was during one of the Great Frosts in the 17th (!) century.

Ah yes, I have looked into that myself. Earliest reference I have found to shinty being played on the ice in Scotland is from 1606.

Yes I seem to recall coming across mentions of it being played in Scotland earlier so I was curious about that approximated date of 1895. Seemed off by at least a century. I assume these dates are based on the first recorded games & or creation & enshrinement of the games Rules in some cases? Its origins debated, hotly contested between Russia (where it was also referred to as Russian Hockey), the Netherlands & England, where the Rules were first published in 1882 according to my sources. The first ever international game played in 1891 at Londons Crystal Palace in 1891 between England & Holland... that too actually referred to as "hockey" though a misnomer as it was clearly "bandy".... Ive never seen it played live & in-person nor on television, on-line.... looks like a fabulous game actually.... lots of room when being played outdoors, massive ice surface.

Exactly, the dates are from the first recorded games played in each country, not the earliest informal activities. Bandy was supposedly played in the Fens of England dating back to the mid-1700s. In Scotland, records of shinty/bandy being played on the ice go back even further, but the first officially recorded game wasn't until 1895, based on the research I have done.

In Russia, it is said that early forms of bandy/hockey were played during the reign of Peter the Great. Such activities continued for well over a century. As in England, the sport was popular among Russian royalty. Formal rules only appeared in 1897, and the first official games were played a year later.

As far as written rules in England, the Boys' Own Book (which was basically an encyclopedia describing various different sports) listed six rules for playing hockey both on land and on the ice in 1868. Later, the rules of the Bury Fen Bandy Club were published in the Handbook of Fen Skating in 1882. In November 1883, the National Skating Association codified official rules for bandy, publishing two sets — one for the Fens, and another for the Metropolitan District (London).

Skating of course has an incredibly rich history in Holland, and there was a sport called IJscolf (think golf on ice) that was played for centuries, but bandy wasn't introduced until a visit by the English in 1891. The international games between England & Holland that you mentioned were played in Haarlem and Amsterdam, not at the Crystal Palace.

It is important to remember that bandy and ice hockey were not clearly defined until the early 1900s. The terms were synonymous and often interchangeable throughout the 19th century. Most games were played using a ball, although a leather bung (puck) was used in the London area in the 1870s. But it was only due to Canadian influences during the late 18 and early 1900s that "modern" ice hockey was propagated in Europe on a widespread level.

 

[Killion]

...The international games between England & Holland that you mentioned were played in Haarlem and Amsterdam, not at the Crystal Palace.

Very interesting... I checked a couple of sources again with respect to location.... and again Crystal Palace identified... though cursory searches... wiki for example & that not always reliable.... I like your version better.... Haarlem & Amsterdam so defer to your research, knowledge on the subject..... Also.... read that Bandy games were much more "events" than just games whereby towns or communities would gather for a wide range of winter sports activities, a market setup & so on, home baked goods, cheeses, preserves & so on sold, sort of a "winter carnival"... the libations flowing freely to keep the body warm... the drinking aspect carried over to modern days at least amongst the spectators.... Seems very civilized, like a fun time to me be you a player or a spectator.

 

[Canadiens1958]

Very interesting... I checked a couple of sources again with respect to location.... and again Crystal Palace identified... though cursory searches... wiki for example & that not always reliable.... I like your version better.... Haarlem & Amsterdam so defer to your research, knowledge on the subject..... Also.... read that Bandy games were much more "events" than just games whereby towns or communities would gather for a wide range of winter sports activities, a market setup & so on, home baked goods, cheeses, preserves & so on sold, sort of a "winter carnival"... the libations flowing freely to keep the body warm... the drinking aspect carried over to modern days at least amongst the spectators.... Seems very civilized, like a fun time to me be you a player or a spectator.

This tradition was reflected in the province of Quebec well into the 1960s at the parish level, especially in Catholic communities. Usually in February.

Range of athletic activities from hockey to barrel jumping. A gala dance St.Valentine's, activities for all age groups and both genders.

 

[Killion]

The 2018 World Championship SF between Russia and Finland, played early last month:

Great game... basically hockey meets soccer on ice... no real contact but for accidental, no sticks for the goalies & the soccer sized nets... no boards or at least boards that are not used in the traditional sense in hockey... a game of pure skill, agility, skating & stick handling prowess, a lot of very fancy & long bomb passing, shooting... some seriously skilled & talented players out there.... and the thought kept crossing my mind as I watched.... that should the NHL find itself getting taken out by the concussion suits, the game deemed unsafe entirely top to bottom, is this what future generations might be playing & watching? Or perhaps some hybrid form thereof?... HOH Board I know, but one cant help but think of that & about the future in studying what is an even older game than ice hockey... and honestly, a beautiful one at that. Size doesnt matter. Speed, skill, smarts, creativity, stamina... thats what matters in Bandy.

 

[WhiteTiger]

Great game... basically hockey meets soccer on ice... no real contact but for accidental, no sticks for the goalies & the soccer sized nets... no boards or at least boards that are not used in the traditional sense in hockey... a game of pure skill, agility, skating & stick handling prowess, a lot of very fancy & long bomb passing, shooting... some seriously skilled & talented players out there.... and the thought kept crossing my mind as I watched.... that should the NHL find itself getting taken out by the concussion suits, the game deemed unsafe entirely top to bottom, is this what future generations might be playing & watching? Or perhaps some hybrid form thereof?... HOH Board I know, but one cant help but think of that & about the future in studying what is an even older game than ice hockey... and honestly, a beautiful one at that. Size doesnt matter. Speed, skill, smarts, creativity, stamina... thats what matters in Bandy.

Interesting anecdote: Bandy goalkeepers used to play with sticks, until the 1950s I believe (goalies can be seen with sticks in all the old photos I have). However, there has always been a distinct lack of physicality in the sport. Many old bandy players disliked the rougher nature of "Canadian" ice hockey as it began to become popular in Europe.

 

[WhiteTiger]

I should also note that bandy rules weren't codified internationally until 1955, when the International Bandy Federation was formed. Prior to then, there were different rules used in Russia and Scandinavia (and, earlier, in other parts of Europe as well).

 

[Canadiens1958]

Interesting anecdote: Bandy goalkeepers used to play with sticks, until the 1950s I believe (goalies can be seen with sticks in all the old photos I have). However, there has always been a distinct lack of physicality in the sport. Many old bandy players disliked the rougher nature of "Canadian" ice hockey as it began to become popular in Europe.

Sticks would be necessary to generate the balance for explosive moves that goalies need to make saves.

 

[Killion]

Sticks would be necessary to generate the balance for explosive moves that goalies need to make saves.

.... how do you figure that?.... they play it like a soccer goalie, 2 handed, a stick would be an encumbrance.

.... of course, without a stick they "bowl" the ball, to play it to a teammate.... but with all the net to cover... I can understand why they felt it superfluous, unnecessary, more a hindrance than any help.... Now, if were talking a hybrid ice hockey/bandy game, smaller nets & moved out so theres an end zone, goalie expected to play the puck as well as using his stick as a tool to stop the puck, for balance, protection etc then sure. But based on that video above, 2 of the worlds top teams & the state of play, the conditions, rules etc, I think they made the right call in negating the use of sticks for goaltenders.

 

[Canadiens1958]

.... how do you figure that?.... they play it like a soccer goalie, 2 handed, a stick would be an encumbrance.

.... of course, without a stick they "bowl" the ball, to play it to a teammate.... but with all the net to cover... I can understand why they felt it superfluous, unnecessary, more a hindrance than any help.... Now, if were talking a hybrid ice hockey/bandy game, smaller nets & moved out so theres an end zone, goalie expected to play the puck as well as using his stick as a tool to stop the puck, for balance, protection etc then sure. But based on that video above, 2 of the worlds top teams & the state of play, the conditions, rules etc, I think they made the right call in negating the use of sticks for goaltenders.

Soccer goalies may use soccer cleats which provide the necessary explosiveness.

Also Bandy seems to be a LHS game.

 

[Killion]

Interesting anecdote: Bandy goalkeepers used to play with sticks, until the 1950s I believe (goalies can be seen with sticks in all the old photos I have). However, there has always been a distinct lack of physicality in the sport. Many old bandy players disliked the rougher nature of "Canadian" ice hockey as it began to become popular in Europe.

Yes, I can well imagine that being the case, the game certainly a lot "cleaner", far more emphasis on speed, stickhandling, passing... and of course with a much larger ice surface a lot more room to move. The players in that game between Russia & Finland, in excellent condition, smaller than your average NHL'r for sure, built for speed, endurance.... some serious blind passing, fancy dangling, positional play... interesting looking shots going on out there. Literally golf club swings on the slappers. Holding the stick with the hands close together, top of or just below the top of the shaft. Get some serious mustard on that ball.

 

[Killion]

Soccer goalies may use soccer cleats which provide the necessary explosiveness.

Also Bandy seems to be a LHS game.

I dont know anything about the finer points of playing goal in Bandy... bit it could be that unlike in ice hockey whereby you want your blades dull if your a goalie in Bandy, maybe they want them sharp so they can dig in & launch themselves airborne ala soccer goalies.... so the sharper blades like the cleats acting as your spring board so to speak. Theyve got all that net to cover & do it in pretty much the same style as you see on the pitch with soccer/football.....

Dominated by LHS you say? Or totally? Ice hockey is populated by predominantly Left shooting players, didnt really check that out in the video, something most just take for granted. Did you note an absence of Righties, and that with all the Lefties the game thus stilted in some manner that escaped my attention? Ive only seen clips in the past, this video above first time Ive watched more than a few minutes.... Must say, I'm impressed with the skill level of the players.