 From 1920 to 1968, the Olympics also acted as the Ice Hockey World Championships, and the two events occurred concurrently.From 1920 until 1984, only amateur athletes were allowed to compete in the tournament, and players from the National Hockey League (NHL) were not allowed to compete.The countries that benefited most were the Soviet Bloc countries of Eastern Europe, where top athletes were state-sponsored while retaining their status as amateurs.