It's that time of the year again, playoff season. Playoff season is one of the greatest times of the year for hockey fans. Teams battle it out in order to be the one who gets to hoist the Stanley Cup. There are countless things to love about the competitive sport of hockey. As a die hard fan, I am here to tell you a few special things that makes hockey different than any other sport.
1. The game is fast paced.
Unlike football and baseball, hockey doesn't have nearly as many whistles or stoppages of play. This allows the fans to be fully engaged with the sport and never get bored while watching.
2. Every game is always intense.
It doesn't matter if it's the playoffs or against the teams rivals, the intensity is always present. The arena is always filled with high energy and chants from the crowd.
3. Goal celebrations.
After every goal you can always count on the players to "celly."
4. Appreciation towards the players.
They play on a sheet of ice which requires agility, balance, and speed. On top of that, the players also need to have proficient hand eye coordination to be able to use the stick and control the puck at the professional level.
5. The lingo.
From "bender" to "sick sauce" hockey players and fans have their own type of language. In order for others to understand, they need their own special dictionary to decipher what they are talking about.
6. Fights.
Hockey is the one sport that allows fights to happen without players getting kicked out of the game or fined. Not only does it get the team excited, it gets the crowd pumped up because it leads to a powerplay or penalty after the fight is over.
7. The Heritage Classic and The Winter Classic.
Every year, only six teams get picked to play in the Heritage Classic and the Winter Classic. These games are to represent and honor the origins of hockey by playing outdoors in stadiums.
8. Skills competition and the All Star game.
Teams and players are brought together celebrating the game of hockey. It's a form of entertainment but still has the competitive drive to it to make it enjoyable. Players become friends instead of competitors in this opportunity to show off their skills.
9. The die hard fans.
No matter what, they will always be loyal to the team they are rooting for and go to extremes in order to defend their team's reputation. Chirping occurs at every game with the fans commenting about the opposing players and showing support for their home team.
10. Because it's the Cup.
Need I say more?
