WASHINGTON — Attention sports fans — the U.S. Postal Service and Canada Post have jointly created stamps to celebrate the history of ice hockey, the fast-paced sport played on frozen ponds and in rinks across North America and around the world.

Postmaster General and CEO Megan Brennan will be joined by Canada Post President and CEO Deepak Chopra for an 11 a.m. ceremony at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit, MI, on Oct. 20 to dedicate The History of Hockey stamps. The event is free and open to the public. Followers of the U.S. Postal Service’s Facebook page can view the ceremony live at facebook.com/USPS. 

The stamp images will be previewed at a later date.

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.

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