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How long has hockey been in the Olympics?


Men's ice hockey was first played at the 1924 games. Women's hockey made its debut in 1998.

How does Olympic hockey compare to NHL hockey?


• Olympic teams are two players larger


• Tougher rules against fighting: If you fight in an Olympic game, you'll be ejected. There are also stiffer penalties for checking the head and neck


• Different icing rules: The play is dead when the puck is shot across the goal live from the other side of center ice


• Settling a tie: If the game is still tied after 10 minutes of sudden-death overtime, it's decided by a shootout


• Players can't stand in the goalie crease


• The goalie can handle the puck anywhere behind the net


• If a player loses a helmet, play is stopped

What happens to the NHL during the Olympics?


The season is put on pause for two weeks during the Olympic Games. But the NHL 

 whether it will allow players to participate in future Olympics. This year, the NHL is sending 150 players to compete in the Olympics.

How about between men's and women's games?


The biggest difference is that there is no checking in women's hockey.


The brackets for the medal round are determined by a preliminary round. The twelve teams are broken into three groups of four. Each team will play the three other teams in their group. The top two teams in each group get a first-round bye in the medal tournament.

The rankings for the team are not simply determined by win-loss records. A team gets three points if they win in regulation play, two points if they win in overtime, one point if they lose in overtime and no points if they lose in regulation.

: Born in Minneapolis; played for Spring Lake Park High School and Minnesota State University-Mankato; currently captain for the St. Louis Blues

: Grew up in Illinois; played for the University of Minnesota

: Played professionally with the Minnesota Whitecaps

: Grew up in Wisconsin; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's High School in Faribault, Minn. 

: Born and raised in South St. Paul; played for University of Minnesota-Duluth; currently plays for the Carolina Hurricanes

: Plays for the Minnesota Wild; competing for Team Finland in the Olympics

: Played for the University of Minnesota; Competing for Finland in the Olympics

: From Madison, Wis.; attended Shattuck-St. Mary's; plays for the University of Minnesota

: From Madison, Wis.; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's and the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Toronto Maple Leafs

 (Feb. 7): Koivu withdrew today, saying he is not healthy enough to play at the level that he wants to.

: Played for Shattuck-St. Mary's in high school, played for the University of Minnesota before transferring to University of North Dakota

: Jocelyne's twin; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's and the University of Minnesota before transferring to University of North Dakota

: Born and raised in Elk River; played for the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Pittsburgh Penguins

: Born and raised in Warroad, Minn.; played for the University of Minnesota and professionally for Minnesota Whitecaps

: Born and raised in St. Paul; played for Cretin-Derham Hall; currently plays for the New York Rangers

: Plays for the Minnesota Wild; competing for Team Switzerland in the Olympics

: Played for Warroad, Minn., High School; currently plays for the St. Louis Blues

: Born in Minneapolis; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's; currently plays for the Wild and is captain of Team USA

: Played for the University of Minnesota; competing for Team Finland in the Olympics

: Born and raised in St. Cloud; played for the University of Minnesota

: Born and raised in Roseville; plays for the University of Minnesota

: Born in Hastings; played for Shattuck-St. Mary's in high school; currently plays for the New York Rangers

: Born in Wisconsin; plays for the Minnesota Wild

: Played for the University of Minnesota and spends summers in Stillwater; currently plays for the New York Islanders; competing for Team Austria

: Born in Plymouth, grew up in Robbinsdale; played for the University of Minnesota; currently plays for the Winnipeg Jets

Do you have any questions about biathlon -- or any other Olympic sport -- that you'd like to get answered? 

 We'll pick a number of them to answer and add to our Olympic sport guides.

Sports

Molly Bloom

Author

Minnesota is most well represented at the Sochi Olympics in -- no surprise -- hockey. But Olympic hockey is not the same as NHL or collegiate games. See how Olympic hockey works and which Minnesotans to watch for.

Olympic hockey: The essential guide

Go Deeper.

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