In the United States, ice hockey is popular.
Ice hockey . Ice hockey is most popular in Canada , central and eastern Europe , Scandinavia , and the northern regions of the United States . In North America , the National Hockey League ( NHL ) is the highest level for men 's hockey and the most popular . In international competitions , the national teams of six countries ( the `` Big Six '' ) predominate : Canada , Czech Republic , Finland , Russia , Sweden and the United States . In Canada , the United States , and some European countries it is known simply as hockey ; the name `` ice hockey '' is used in places where `` hockey '' more often refers to field hockey , such as South America , Asia , Africa , Australasia , and some European countries .