Ice hockey has national teams which compete internationally.
Ice hockey . In international competitions , the national teams of six countries ( the `` Big Six '' ) predominate : Canada , Czech Republic , Finland , Russia , Sweden and the United States . Teams outside the `` Big Six '' have won only five medals in either competition since 1953 : All 12 Women 's Olympic and 36 IIHF World Women 's Championships medals have been awarded to one of these six countries , and every gold medal in both competitions has been won by either the Canadian national team or the United States national team . The Kontinental Hockey League ( KHL ) , Kontinental ` naya hokkeynaya liga ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008 . The National Hockey League ( NHL ; Ligue nationale de hockey -- LNH ) is a professional ice hockey league currently comprising 30 teams -- 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada -- with a 31st team in Las Vegas scheduled to begin play in the 2017 -- 18 season .