from Adi Rubinstein of Israel Hayom,

At the Olympic Games in Tokyo this summer, Israeli sports fans discovered that their country has a Blue and White baseball team that plays at the highest level. Nevertheless, eyebrows were raised regarding the identity of some of the players and their (tenuous) connection to Israel. Another sport that Israelis may be surprised to discover is becoming increasingly popular in the Jewish State is ice hockey. What, you may ask, is the connection between a country where the mercury is still hitting 90 degrees in October and a tough winter sport that is popular in North American and Eastern Europe?

Ice hockey has been around in Israel since 1990 and was played mostly by immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, and young people who were exposed to the game in the United States and Canada, where the game is extremely popular. The level in Israel wasn't high, but with time an Israeli national team was founded and competed at mid-level in Europe. Over the years, as has been the case in many sports in Israel, the leagues and associations split following claims of irregularities.

The breakaway teams found themselves playing in new leagues and in new ice-hockey arenas, including an impressive, international standard arena on Moshav Tnuvot in the Sharon region.

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