At a NAHL game, I noticed as I was leaving that a few players, one by one, were being introduced back onto the ice after the game to have (what I describe as) a victory lap. I didn't pay attention to why this was happening.
Why are hockey players introduced after a game? Is this a common occurence in ice hockey?
Usually after a hockey game, a third party names the "Three Stars" of the game. This is based on the player's performance during the hockey game. These "Stars" come out one at a time and acknowledge the fans by either taking a lap or just raising their stick.
After a little digging, I found that in the NHL, the three stars was first awarded in the 1936–37 NHL season and continues today.
Three stars are generally not awarded during international play, such as at the Winter Olympic Games. The IIHF World Championships and World Junior Championships instead issue awards such as "Best Player" for each team per game, or the overall best player per position over the course of the tournament.
