Like most pro sports leagues, the NHL has a history of playing through wars and other conflicts.
But the biggest of those wars had a profound effect on hockey history.
During World War II many players interrupted their careers for military service (though team owners were said to have intervened, ensuring that stars received non-combat assignments).
The depletion of NHL wartime rosters during the created opportunities for athletes who might otherwise have never played an NHL game.
The dilution of talent during World War II also helped spur rule changes to encourage a faster paced game.
Until 1943, a player was not allowed to make a forward pass across his own blueline. That changed in the 1943-44 season, when the NHL ruled that players could pass from their defensive zone up to the middle of the rink, which would be marked by a new red line at centre ice.
The war also shifted the power balance in the league.
While other NHL teams watched their players depart for military camps, the Montreal Canadiens took advantage of the war years to get a head start on a new dynasty.
By finding jobs for players in essential industries like munitions and shipbuilding, the Canadiens helped keep their talent home, building the foundation for several Stanley Cup championships.
International hockey tournaments have also reflected conflict in the real world.
The most obvious example is the Cold War era. From the 1960s through the 1980s, any sports event between western nations and the Soviet Bloc reflected the international standoff.
In hockey, that standoff culminated in what has become known as the Miracle on Ice. Cold War tensions heightened the drama of a huge on-ice upset.
But perhaps the most memorable "political" games in hockey history took place at the 1969 world championship, a few months after a Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia.
The Czechs defeated the Soviets twice during the tournament (which was played in Sweden), causing thousands to pour into the streets of Prague in celebration. A memorable sign in the crowd told the Soviets, "This time you can't count on your tanks."
