Although Finland was one of the last european countries to be introduced to ice hockey when the country was introduced in 1927 ice hockey flourished. By the 1950s in Finland ice hockey was beginning to be one of the most played winter sports and offered better facilities for athletes. The first indoor ice hockey rink in Finland was built in 1956, in Tampere. This rink was built just in time for the First World Ice Hockey Championships held in Finland. Since the early 1970s the Finnish lions were considered metal winning. The finish has kept a steady pace when it comes to earning medals for ice hockey in the olympics. While most other countries specialized in football, finland chose to keep their primary sport as hokey. In no other European
