Netherlands

The Netherlands is a country in the North-West Europe. Amsterdam is the capital and largest city.

History of hockey in the Netherlands
Paintings from the Netherlands in the 17th century show people skating and hitting a ball with curved wooden sticks. The first indoor ice rink in The Netherlands opened in 1937.

The Netherlands Ice Hockey Association was founded in 1934, and the country joined the IIHF on January 20, 1935.

The Eredivisie was first contested in the 1945-46 season. The league was not held between 1950 and 1964, but has been held annually since being revived for the 1964-65 season. The Tweede Divisie is the second level league, the Derde Divisie is the third level league, and the Vierde Divisie is the fourth and lowest level of Dutch hockey. The Dutch Cup was contested twice in 1938 and 1939. After that, it was not contested again until 1971, and it has been held annually since then.

The men's national team made its international debut on January 5, 1935, playing a friendly game against Belgium, which they lost 4-0. A couple of weeks later, they participated in their first World Championship, finishing in a tie for last place. Their best finish at the World Championships was eighth place in 1950 and 1981. They have not participated in the top division of the World Championships since 1981. The national team participated in the Olympics once, in 1980. They finished in fifth place in the Red Division, tying Japan and beating Poland.

The women's national team first appeared on the international scene in 1987, playing in the Women's World Hockey Tournament. They finished in seventh and last place after failing to win a game. They participated in the Women's European Championships in 1989, 1991, and 1995. Since 1999, they have participated in annually in the Women's World Championships. In 2011, they won the Division III tournament.

The junior national team first participated in the World Junior Championships in 1979, finishing in sixth place in Pool B. Their best finish at the world juniors was second in Pool B in 1985.