This is a joint issue with Canada. One stamp features a scene that illustrates the evolution of the sport across generations. The second stamp pictures a vintage player representing the game’s past set against a snowy background. One player is wearing a contemporary uniform and using modern equipment, and the other is wearing vintage garb and using old-fashioned equipment.

In the 1800s, the sport truly began to take shape in Eastern Canada. By the late 19th century, the game had grown popular in the United States. American Malcolm Greene Chace became interested in the game and assembled a group of players from various universities. In 1896, a team from Yale, which included Chace, faced Johns Hopkins University in the first college hockey game. Soon, professional leagues formed in North America. And today, women’s hockey is thriving. The National Hockey Association began play in 1910 and evolved into the National Hockey League in 1917. In 1924 the Boston Bruins became the first American team to join the National Hockey League.