This spectacular and dynamic sport is thought to have been invented by the Canadians in the Halifax region. Originally, there was another similar sport in existence called Bandy, also played on ice, but without the present hard rubber disks and with rounded sticks. Ice hockey then gained the United States and Europe. It became an Olympic sport at the 1920 games in Antwerp. Olympic tournaments were dominated by Canada and the ex-Soviet Union since then. There were some well known confrontations in the finals of the Winter Olympics in 1984 and 1988 where the Canadians played opposite the Big Red Team. And the latter won, twice. Two countries are catching up on the giants, Sweden and the Czech Republic.