### Instruction:
What is ice hockey?

### Response:
Ice hockey is a team sport which is popular primarily in North America and Europe. Gameplay consists of two teams attempting to propel a puck into the opposing team's net using hockey sticks. What makes ice hockey unique is that it's played on a sheet of ice and players must wear ice skates to maneuver around the playing surface. 

Ice hockey teams will generally have 6 players on the ice at any given time; 3 forwards whose objective it is to score goals, 2 defenseman whose main objective is to defend their own net from opposing players, and one goaltender who is tasked from preventing pucks from entering their team's net.

The most popular professional ice hockey league is the National Hockey League (NHL) which is based in the US and Canada. However, there are professional hockey leagues throughout the world including the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia, Swedish Hockey League in Sweden, and the Liiga based in Finalnd.