Hockey 101 - Early Takes From Hockey For Dummies

A diagram of a hockey rink like the one in the book that I am reading.

I begin my stretch to learn more about Hockey by diving into the book Hockey for Dummies.  Chapter 1 answers a lot of questions I have.

Chapter 1: What is Hockey?

Things that I found interesting and did not know: 
1. In the opening paragraph of the book, I found it interesting that it states that no one knows when hockey was invented.  "We do have some sketchy details on how it got started.....  I thought that every sport had a story of it's origins like a James Naismith (basketball) or Abner Doubleday (baseball).

2. Most Historians place the roots of hockey in Northern Europe - Great Britain and France.

3. The inside baseball part of me is interested in knowing that there is 18 usually per roster in the NHL.

4. Positions:
 - Centers - usually the highest scorer on the team, great play-maker, finisher.  Most second-line centers have the same abilities, but not as high a level as the 1st team guy.  The 3rd line center, is good at face-offs and strong on checking.  Primary job is to keep the other team's top line from scoring.
- Wings - Left and Right - Top guys are on the first two lines and keep their defensive specialists for the third line.  Wingers on the fourth line are enforcer types.
- Goalies - Must focus the whole game.  Have great instincts and ability to concentrate on what is going on.
- Defensemen - Two jobs - a. defend their end of the ice and b. keep the other team from scoring.  Must by physically dominating.

Things I knew:
1. Canada is the site of the earliest Hockey in North America.  I didn't know that British soldiers played however in the 1870's while in Canada.

2. The Stanley Cup is named after Lord Stanley of Preston.  The 'Cup' is given to the champion of the NHL.

3. The positions on the team are a center, two wings, to defensemen and a goalie.

Things I want to explore more: 
= In regards to positions, what situations would make a coach put four forwards in instead of three and what is the reasoning behind that.

= Who are some of the better Centers, Wings, Goalies and Defensemen.

I will have a hockey extra up soon.  I did some research on the 'Original 6' and the teams of the NHL.