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Shinny is an informal type of hockey, either on ice or as street hockey. There are no formal rules or specific positions, other than the goaltenders, and the goals themselves may be marked simply by found objects. Bodychecking and lifting or "roofing/reefing the puck" (shooting the puck so it rises above the ice) are often forbidden because the players are not wearing protective equipment. It is often called pick-up hockey or pond hockey. Shinny is a game that all levels of hockey enthusiasts can play because it requires no rink.

Each player deposits his stick in the middle of the ice in a pile. One player bends down and splits the pile into two equal sections. Players go and pick up their own stick. The other players whose sticks were in your pile are now your teammates.

Shinny was informal enough that the pucks and sticks were often makeshift. During the American Great Depression, for example, northern boys used tree branches or broomhandles as sticks, and a tin can as a puck. (After many games, the can would begin to resemble a metal ball.)

The name is derived from the Scottish game shinty and indeed shinny was a common name for one of shinty's many regional variations in Scotland. Shinny hockey, a primarily Canadian term, is usually called Scrimmage or Pick-up Hockey in the United States.

Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien famously played a (naturally) impromptu game of shinny on the Rideau Canal with school children during his time in office.

"Shinny" can also refer to a game played on one's knees with sticks about a foot and a half in length. The goals are also a foot and a half in height, and about 2 feet in width. This game is usually played between around six players where there is one goalie, and two shooters. The game is played indoors and in small rooms or areas. It is sometimes referred to as "Knee Hockey" or "Mini-Sticks." (In reference to the size of the sticks used to play.)

• Article from Canadian Broadcasting Corporation