The top-level domain (TLD) “.hockey” is a sponsored top-level domain (sTLD) that is specifically targeted for individuals, businesses, organizations, and entities involved in the sport of hockey.
Per ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), the organization that oversees the domain name system, the .HOCKEY domain extension provides a recognizable and specific marketing avenue that’s directly relevant to the hockey industry – from players and coaches to leagues, venues and equipment stores. It can serve as a central digital hub for hockey-related content, business, and communication, organizing the vast world of online hockey under one recognizable banner.
Any entity associated with the sport — teams, players, coaches — as well as businesses selling hockey gear, and bloggers writing about hockey, could benefit from a .hockey domain. As per the rules of ICANN, the use of a .hockey domain must be used for the promotion of hockey, and any violation of this rule can result in the domain being taken away.
Examples of websites that could use a .hockey domain include www.lakings.hockey (for a professional team), www.johndoe.hockey (for a player), www.puckstopshop.hockey (for a retailer). As you can see, these domains instantly communicate the hockey-related content to a browser before they even visit the site.
As of present, the registrar for the .hockey top-level domain is the Donuts Inc. This was made official by ICANN after the necessary procedures and protocols were followed. Donuts Inc. is one of the largest and most successful TLD registries and is currently a managing registrar for hundreds of TLDs.
Relevant documentation about this can be found from the official webpage of ICANN where they have a database of the TLDs which includes the .hockey as well.
As of now, the .hockey TLDs are on sale and can be purchased from various online domain sellers like GoDaddy, Namecheap etc. The prices for the TLDs differ from one seller to another but on general, as of today, you can purchase them for an approximate amount of 50-70 USD.
To summarize, the .hockey top-level domain (TLD) is an internet domain extension that provides a dedicated online space for all things related to the sport of hockey.
Sources:
1. ICANN: https://www.icann.org/
2. Donuts Inc.: https://donuts.domains/
3. Namecheap: https://www.namecheap.com/
4. GoDaddy: https://www.godaddy.com/
