Hockey is believed to have been around long before ice was even brought into its equation. 4,000-year-old drawings exist of men playing a game resembling field hockey, at ancient tombs in Egypt. Talk about old school.
An Irish game, known as hurling, is thought to be a predecessor to hockey. We know that it existed as far back as 1366 because the Statutes of Kilkenny, which were promulgated in that year, ban the sport.