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The International Olympic Committee and the International
Ice Hockey Federation are responsible for Olympic hockey tournaments. The
first competition was held during the VIIth (Summer) Olympic Games in
1920. It was retroactively designated as a World Championship in 1983.
Hockey has remained a part of every Winter Olympic Games since the first
tournament in 1924. Until 1992, the IIHF World Championships were combined
with the Olympics (with the exception of 1972 and 1976). Since 1992, a
separate World Championship tournament has been held in Olympic years. In
1988, the IIHF allowed professional athletes to play at the Olympic hockey
tournament. Women's hockey made its debut at the 1998 Nagano Games. For
the first time ever, the men's tournament showcased the world's top
players as a result of a break in the NHL schedule that brought the
league's best to Japan.
Click here to view our Olympic Scrapbook
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