Street Hockey - Origins of The Sport

Origins of The Sport

It is believed that ball hockey and Street Hockey took off when roads started getting paved in wealthier parts of North America around 1900. Lester Patrick, Art Ross, and John Galante are said to have been some of the earlier practitioners of the sport in Westmount, a part of Montreal.

Raymond W. Leclerc (the creator of the No Bounce ball)and MYLEC established organized basics for the game: a rink measuring 160 feet long by 80 feet wide, special lightweight protective equipment, a game that features no checking, and that all players ages 4 to over 50 could play. He then established an organization with key members Thomas Downey, Dave Kornik and Chris Housser then governing bodies to guide and organize the teams and members through ASHI/IDTA (American Street Hockey Institute/International DekHockey Tournament Association) with a special Street Hockey Rule Book to control the game. After a few years of experimenting with all the dynamics, Mr. Leclerc built a model site in 1974 to play and advance the game, known as "The Home of Street Hockey" in Leominster, Massachusetts consisting of 3 outdoor rinks along with the headquarters and governing body of Street Hockey/Dekhockey. He is regarded as the founder and father of organized Street Hockey/Dekhockey in the USA and Canada.

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