Why is Hockey played on ice?

Summary

---

Who Smarted? — “Why is Hockey played on Ice?”

Episode Date: October 10, 2025
Host: Trusty Narrator with guests Guy (hockey player from Toronto) and Chet

---

Episode Overview

This fun, interactive episode takes young listeners on a journey through the frosty history of ice hockey, blending humor, kid-friendly trivia, and real-world facts. Set partly at the legendary Lake Placid, site of two Winter Olympics, the hosts and their guests explore why hockey is played on ice, the evolution of the game, and quirky traditions surrounding the NHL and the storied Stanley Cup.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Ice for Hockey?

• The show opens with the Trusty Narrator acting as a hockey goalie at an ice rink, guided by his Canadian friend, Guy.
• Listeners are quizzed: Why is hockey played on ice, and how did the sport begin?

2. Global Reach and Origins

• Hockey is immensely popular worldwide, played in roughly 80 countries.
  • Guy: “Oh, you Betcha. There's around 80 different countries that participate in international competitions.” (05:13)
• Contrary to popular belief, hockey did not originate in Canada.
  • Trusty Narrator: “True or false? Hockey originated in Canada. The answer is surprisingly false.” (05:33)
• Early forms:
  • Shinty in Scotland (1600s): using tree branches and a ball on frozen ponds
  • Bandy in England (mid-1700s): similar stick-and-ball game, played on ice
  • Royals played an early form at Windsor Castle in the 1800s.

3. Arrival and Organization in North America

• First organized Canadian game: 1875, Victoria Skating Club in Montreal, establishing basic rules and using a puck.
• Listener quiz: How many players per side?
  • Answer: 6 players (2 defensemen, 3 forwards, 1 goalie). (07:12)
  • Guy: “In today's modern game, those six players consist of two defensemen who mostly protect their goal, three forwards who try to score goals, and one goalie whose job it is to keep the puck out of the net.” (07:13)

4. Game Structure & Rules

• Professional game length: 60 minutes, but unlike other sports, these are split into three 20-minute periods. (08:07)
• Detailed explanation of ice markings:
  • Blue lines: mark defensive zones
  • Red line: center of the ice
  • Face-off dots: where play resumes after stoppages (08:54)
  • Offside rule highlighted for beginners.

5. The Puck: From Poop to Vulcanized Rubber

• Early hockey pucks:
  • Started as square wood blocks, then sliced rubber balls.
  • Fun fact (and gross-out moment): before that, frozen disks of cow poop were sometimes used outdoors!
  • Trusty Narrator: “Believe it or not, that's true.” (10:08)
  • Guy: “He poops, he scores.” — on using frozen cow patties as pucks (10:28)

6. Rise of Professional Hockey & the NHL

• Pro leagues emerged in early 1900s; the NHL’s iconic “Original Six” era started in 1942:
  • Montreal Canadiens
  • Toronto Maple Leafs
  • New York Rangers
  • Detroit Red Wings
  • Chicago Blackhawks
  • Boston Bruins
• The league expanded from 6 to 32 teams as of 2021.
  • Guy: “Today there's 32 teams in the league, eh? The newest, the Seattle Kraken, were just added in 2021.” (13:56)

7. Stanley Cup: Hockey’s Ultimate Prize

• Awarded each year for over a century, it’s the goal for every team.
• Named after Lord Stanley, Governor General of Canada.
  • Trusty Narrator: “But why Stanley? Who's Stanley?” (14:23)
  • Guy: “The trophy is named after Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada who donated the cup to the league.” (14:40)
• Unique traits:
  • It’s nearly 3 feet tall, weighs 35 pounds, and has the names of winning team members engraved on it.
  • Older engraved bands are “retired” and displayed in the Hockey Hall of Fame.
  • Winning players get to take the Cup home briefly—a tradition leading to memorable (and funny) adventures.
    • Commentator: “Lord Stanley's cup has been used as a flower pot, a candy dish, and a cereal bowl. One player had his daughter baptized in it, and both dogs and horses have eaten out of it.” (16:31)
  • Most championships: Montreal Canadiens with 23 wins.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Sorry, trustee. My bad, eh? Force of habit.” — Guy, after taking a slap shot at the Trusty Narrator (00:51)
• “Do you believe in miracles?” — Referencing the famous 1980 Olympic “Miracle on Ice” (01:51, 17:01)
• “I don't even know why the coach is leaving him in the net. They could probably just put a road cone or a pylon in front of the goal and have a better chance of stopping the puck.” — Commentator, poking fun at the Trusty Narrator’s goalie skills (02:33)
• “He poops, he scores.” — Commentator, on the use of frozen cow pies as early pucks (10:28)
• “Another cool tradition...every player, coach and staff member gets to take the Stanley cup home with them for a few days to share with friends and family.” — Guy (16:14)
• “Lord Stanley's cup has been used as a flower pot, a candy dish, and a cereal bowl. One player had his daughter baptized in it, and both dogs and horses have eaten out of it.” — Commentator (16:31)

---

Segment Timestamps

• 00:08: Kickoff on the ice; guessing game about hockey
• 01:04: Guy’s Canadian hockey upbringing; move to Lake Placid, Olympics history
• 05:13: Discussion on global popularity
• 05:33: Origin quiz: Hockey did not start in Canada
• 06:25: First organized hockey in Canada
• 07:12: How many players per team? Introduction of the 6-player rule
• 07:36: Game timing: 3 periods explained
• 08:35: Explanation of ice lines, zones, faceoff dots
• 09:32: The story of the puck
• 10:08: Cow-patty pucks, evolution of equipment
• 13:26: Birth of the NHL; the Original Six
• 14:23: The Stanley Cup—origin and significance
• 15:19: Cup’s physical description, name-engraving tradition
• 16:14: Cup customs: travel, funny uses, family connections

---

Summary Flow & Tone

• The episode is energetic, laced with upbeat banter, goofy sound effects, and interactive questions designed to keep kids listening and learning.
• The hosts steer naturally between history, rules, and trivia, mixing facts with jokes and clever asides.
• The conversational, inviting tone is consistent and accessible for elementary to middle school listeners.
• Humor and surprises (like the cow-poop puck) are used to make facts memorable.

---

Takeaways

• Hockey’s icy setting and rich heritage make it a unique, globally loved sport.
• Countless fascinating (and hilarious) traditions and stories—such as the origins of the Stanley Cup and quirky uses for it—show how sports can connect people across generations and cultures.
• The show transforms trivia into a story, equipping kids to both learn and laugh—and possibly dream of scoring on the ice themselves!

---

Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

And now it's time for who smarted?

[Guy]

Psst.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, smarty pants. See if you can guess where I am and what I'm doing. Did you say at an ice rink? Ice skating. Nice. But what specific thing am I doing? No, it's not who's smarted on ice, though that could be fun. No, it's not the smartscapades.

[Chet]

Here are some audio hints.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, smarty pants, did you get it? Now, if you said playing ice hockey, you're right. Unfortunately, I'm the goalie, and I just gave up a goal to my friend Gui. Of course. I thought we'd agreed, no slap shots.

[Guy]

Sorry, trustee. My bad, eh? Force of habit.

[Trusty Narrator]

You know, Guy is from Toronto, Canada, and he's been playing ice hockey since.

[Chet]

He was five years old.

[Trusty Narrator]

He started skating when he was only two.

[Guy]

Soon as I learned to walk, my parents put me on skates.

[Trusty Narrator]

Guy has invited me to check out a very cool place, both literally and figuratively, that's been the site of not one, but two major international winter events which take place every. Every four years in different countries. Any idea what I'm talking about, smarty pants? Did you say the Winter Olympics? That's right. And right now, I'm in a beautiful little village in upstate New York called Lake Placid, which was the host city for the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. It was during those 1980 Winter Games that the USA's men's hockey team pulled off what many consider the greatest upset in sports history when they defeated the team from what was then called the Soviet Union.

[Commentator]

You believe in miracles?

[Guy]

Yes.

[Trusty Narrator]

Team USA would go on to defeat Finland and win the gold medal. But it was their underdog victory over the unbeatable Soviets that remains one of hockey's most memorable moments.

[Guy]

Oh, sure, if you're American. But Canada has had plenty of memorable hockey moments, too. All right, trusty, try and stop this one, eh? No slap shot, I promise.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, let me get set. Alrighty, Gui, Go for it. I got this.

[Chet]

I got this.

[Trusty Narrator]

I got this.

[Commentator]

He shoots, he scores.

[Chet]

I don't got this.

[Commentator]

Oh, that's another bad goal given up by the trusty narrator. I don't even know why the coach is leaving him in the net. They could probably just put a road cone or a pylon in front of the goal and have a better chance of stopping the puck.

[Trusty Narrator]

Thanks, Chet. But it's not easy stopping a small, flat disc made of hard, vulcanized rubber flying at you at 100 miles per hour.

[Guy]

Oh, that was just a wrist shot. Eh, more like 85 miles per hour.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, thanks, Guy.

[Commentator]

Well, you won't see me in the net or on the ice. I'm good up here in the broadcast booth. So helmets off to you for trying, Trusty.

[Trusty Narrator]

Appreciated, Chet, but while I'm not very good at stopping pucks, I am good at asking and answering questions like how, where, and when did ice hockey originate? What are some basic rules? And is it true the first hockey pucks were made from cow poop?

[Guy]

Now that I did not know. Eh?

[Trusty Narrator]

Then get ready for another whiff of science and history.

[Commentator]

On who smarted. Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. On who's smarting.

[Trusty Narrator]

You know, when I was a kid.

[Chet]

The times I learned the most weren't in school. They were when I was building or making something new. I still remember the joy of creating something with my own two hands. That's exactly what Kiwico brings to kids today. With Kiwico, every crate is a chance for your child to tinker, create and innovate. They'll learn the fundamentals of of science, technology, engineering, art, and math while actually having fun. I love that these projects build skills over time. One month it's learning to design a working bow and arrow, and the next it's building a robot. And what makes Kiwico special is that these aren't one and done projects. They're built to last so kids can play, experiment, and keep discovering long after.

[Trusty Narrator]

The box is open.

[Chet]

Kiwico makes it easy to give your child the gift of curiosity and confidence delivered right to your door. Tinker, create, innovate. Get up to 50% off your first crate at kiwico.com with promo code smartid. That's K I W I C O.com promo code smarted.

[Trusty Narrator]

So, Guy, I'm noticing lots of flags from other countries hanging from the rafters here. Hockey must be a very popular sport worldwide.

[Guy]

Oh, you Betcha. There's around 80 different countries that participate in international competitions.

[Trusty Narrator]

That's pretty high considering it's primarily a winter sport.

[Guy]

Yeah, it definitely helps to have cold weather. My grandpa told me when his family migrated to Canada from Europe, all his kids would play hockey as soon as the ponds froze.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants. True or false? Hockey originated in Canada. The answer is surprisingly false.

[Parent/Survey Announcer]

Nope.

[Guy]

Hockey didn't come over to North America until the late 1800s, when British soldiers made their way to eastern Canada.

[Trusty Narrator]

So hockey started in Europe, supposedly During.

[Guy]

The the 1600s in Scotland, there was a game called shinty where folks used branches from trees to pass a ball around on frozen ponds.

[Commentator]

He shoots. He shinties.

[Guy]

Then, in the mid-1700s, a similar game called bandy was played in England. It wasn't until the mid-1800s when royalty began taking interest as they bandied about on a frozen lake at Windsor Castle.

[Trusty Narrator]

So when did things start to get organized on this side of the pond? On frozen ponds?

[Guy]

Oh, depends who you ask, eh? The first organized game in Canada was played in 1875 with nearly two dozen fellas from the Victoria Skating Club in Montreal. They'd go on to establish some basic rules of the game. And they played with a puck, not a ball.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, the puck. You mean the thing that flies past. Anywho, what new rules did they establish?

[Guy]

For starters, they used nets so goals could be scored and counted. They also established the number of players that should be on the ice for each team.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smartypants, how many players does each team line up with to start? Is it A, 6 players, B 8 players, or C 11 players? If you said B 6 players for each team, you're right.

[Guy]

In today's modern game, those six players consist of two defensemen who mostly protect their goal, three forwards who try to score goals, and one goalie whose job it is to keep the puck out of the net.

[Commentator]

Ooh, kick save and a puke.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yeah, that was the other team's goalie. How long does a hockey game last?

[Guy]

A hockey game is 60 minutes long. Eh? However, it's broken up in a way that's unique in sports. Unlike other timed games like soccer, AKA football, which is broken up into two halves, or American and Canadian football, or basketball, which is broken up into four quarters, hockey is broken up into.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wait, let's see if the smarty pants can guess. Smarty pants, how is a 60 minute hockey game broken up? Is it one hour long game, three 20 minute periods, or six 10 minute frames?

[Guy]

The answer is three 20 minute periods, eh? Good job, smarties.

[Trusty Narrator]

But the time doesn't just keep running.

[Guy]

Nope. There are many stoppages of play due to penalties or rule violations, or when the goalie has control of the puck. And of course, when a goal is scored. Eh?

[Trusty Narrator]

I see lots of lines drawn on the ice. Those all mean something, right?

[Guy]

Yep. The lines separate the ice into three zones. The blue lines mark each team's defensive zone and the red line is the center of the ice. There are very specific rules associated with each of those lines. For example, the puck has to cross the blue line before an offensive player. Otherwise the play is offsides. Eh?

[Trusty Narrator]

And the dots?

[Guy]

Those are face off dots. Whenever play is stop, like if the puck leaves the rink, the teams will line up and the referee will drop the puck on the dots between one player and from each team.

[Trusty Narrator]

And what about scoring?

[Guy]

Well, a goal is worth one point, eh? The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. In some ways, hockey is a lot like soccer. Ah, nice.

[Commentator]

Go.

[Trusty Narrator]

Besides playing three periods, another unique feature of hockey versus other sports is it doesn't use a ball. Smarty pants. We've mentioned the puck several times now, but what exactly is a puck?

[Guy]

Way back in the early days of the sport, they used a square piece of flat wood as a puck. After that, they took solid rubber balls, sliced them into thirds, and used the middle section. Today they use a disc made of vulcanized rubber or rubber that's been heated and hardened.

[Trusty Narrator]

I feel like you're leaving something out, smarty pants. True or false? Before vulcanized rubber or sliced rubber balls or wooden squares, did hockey players actually press cow poop into discs and let them freeze to be used as pucks for outside games? Believe it or not, that's true.

[Commentator]

He poops, he scores.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, now that we know a little.

[Chet]

Bit more about the origins of this.

[Trusty Narrator]

Sport, what can you tell us about the origins of the professional hockey league known as the NHL?

[Guy]

Oh, geez. A lot, actually.

[Trusty Narrator]

Great. I can't wait to hear it. Right after this quick break. Who Smarted?

[Chet]

Is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of who Smarted. But you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects.

[Parent/Survey Announcer]

Oops.

[Chet]

When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring who Smarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting.

[Trusty Narrator]

Off building that website.

[Chet]

Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project and boom, it generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building.

[Trusty Narrator]

You can use Squarespace to launch that.

[Chet]

Business site or any site that you've been dreaming about.

[Trusty Narrator]

But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore.

[Chet]

Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial.

[Trusty Narrator]

And when you're ready to launch, you.

[Chet]

Can use code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website.

[Trusty Narrator]

For free or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted autumn is.

[Chet]

In full swing and if your homeschool is anything like the ones I know, fall is a time to get back into routines while still juggling field trips, co ops and even prepping for the holidays. That's where IXL comes in. It keeps your lessons structured and steady.

[Trusty Narrator]

While giving you the flexibility that homeschool families need.

[Chet]

What I love most about IXL is how personalized it is. IXL adapts so kids can move forward when they're ready or revisit a topic until it really clicks. IXL is an award winning online learning platform with interactive practice across math, language arts, science and social studies for every grade from Pre K through 12. It gives kids the right challenge at the right time, keeps them motivated, and gives parents real time feedback and progress tracking. Over 315 million students already use IXL and more than 75 research studies prove that it really works. There's real peace of mind for homeschool parents.

[Trusty Narrator]

Make an impact on your child's learning.

[Chet]

And get IXL now. WhoSmarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off.

[Trusty Narrator]

IXL membership when you sign up today at IXL.com smarted that's 20% off at IXL.com smarted now back to who Smarted Smarty pants, I'm with my hockey player friend Guy who's about to tell us how the Professional Hockey League started.

[Guy]

Technically, the professional league started in the early 1900s with four teams, but it was in 1942, what's referred to as the Original Six era, that the NHL truly began.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, do you know what NHL stands for? If you said National Hockey League, you're right.

[Guy]

There was the Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. And all are still playing today.

[Trusty Narrator]

Just six teams, huh?

[Guy]

Oh yeah, you betcha. Believe it or not, those original six teams were the only ones in the league for 25 years until six more were added in 1967. Today there's 32 teams in the league, Eh? The newest, the Seattle Kraken, were just added in 2021. Over the course of the league, several teams have moved cities gone extinct or have been added. But every team is in it for just one reason to win the most famous trophy in all of sports.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, do you know what the trophy for winning the NHL is called? Is it A the Stanley Bowl, b the Stanley Plate, or C the Stanley Cup? If you said The Stanley Cup. You're right. But why Stanley? Who's Stanley?

[Guy]

The trophy is named after Lord Stanley, the Governor General of Canada who donated the cup to the league.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, I see. And what makes it so special?

[Guy]

Oh, gosh, it's a magical object. If you could see it, you'd understand.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yeah, well, I don't think there's any.

[Chet]

Way I'm ever gonna win a Stanley Cup.

[Guy]

That's true. But we could just go to the Hockey hall of Fame in Toronto and see it.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, that's easy. Hold on. Thanks to my teleportation app, here we are.

[Guy]

Whoa.

[Trusty Narrator]

Is that the Stanley cup in that glass case? It's huge.

[Guy]

Oh, yeah. Don't you know? It's nearly 3ft or 1 meter tall and weighs nearly 35 pounds or 16 kilograms. It's a big silver bowl or cup sitting atop a base. It's been awarded to the championship team every year for over 100 years. But that's not what makes it so special.

[Trusty Narrator]

Eh, smarty pants? Do you know what makes the Stanley cup different than other sports trophies? Yeah, me neither. Hey, wait a sec. Are people's names written on the trophy?

[Guy]

You betcha. When your team wins the Stanley cup, your name gets engraved right on the trophy.

[Trusty Narrator]

I see. Is that all the winning teams ever?

[Guy]

Oh, gosh, no. They did that. The trophy would be taller than this room. Every 13 years, they remove a section or band of metal with names on it and slide the other bands up. This leaves room at the bottom for new names to be added. The band they remove is retired and put on display here in the hall of Fame.

[Trusty Narrator]

Nice.

[Guy]

Another cool tradition going back decades is after winning the championship, every player, coach and staff member gets to take the Stanley cup home with them for a few days to share with friends and family.

[Parent/Survey Announcer]

Eh?

[Trusty Narrator]

Aw.

[Guy]

The Stanley cup has traveled all around the globe.

[Commentator]

Lord Stanley's cup has been used as a flower pot, a candy dish, and a cereal bowl. One player had his daughter baptized in it, and both dogs and horses have eaten out of it.

[Guy]

The Montreal Canadiens hockey team have won the Cup 23 times, more than any other team. Who knows, Trusty? Maybe with some practice, you can win one, too. Sure.

[Trusty Narrator]

Go ahead, take another shot. I'm stopping this one.

[Commentator]

Do you believe in miracles? Not today.

[Chet]

A big body check of a shout out to Carter in Cedar Grove.

[Trusty Narrator]

We hear you love listening with your.

[Chet]

Family and that you especially love the fart sound effects.

[Trusty Narrator]

Guilty as charged.

[Chet]

Thanks for letting us make learning fun.

[Trusty Narrator]

For your whole smarty family. This episode, Ice Hockey was written by Dave Double Miner Davis and voiced by Justin Drop the Puck Dodd, Adam Checks Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh High Sticking Hannah who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Kroczyk Komaski. The theme song is by Brian Slashing Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who's Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colberg. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Commentator]

Who's Smarted?

[Parent/Survey Announcer]

Hey parents. We'd like to know more about what your child listener thinks about our podcast. And we'd like to know a little bit about about you, the parent. So we're asking you to fill out our short survey with your child. As a thank you. We'll give you a chance to win one of three $100Amazon gift cards. Fair deal. Check out the survey at starglowsurvey. Com. That's StarglowSurvey. Com.