Modern ice hockey originated in Canada, where rivers and lakes are covered with ice during the winter and people entertained themselves by inventing various compe­titions and games on ice. Gradually, this “fun on ice” gained popularity in countries with a cool climate, which helped to popularize ice hockey around the world, especially in north­ern Europe, North America, and later in northern Asia. Eventually, this led to the establishment of hockey leagues— which contributed to the commercialization of hockey, the creation of its own rules of play, and common technical stan­dards for infrastructure.