Hockey. It's a sport that is played mainly on Ice, where two teams of men skate around trying to get a slab of rubber into a net. Doesn't really sound all to pleasing, now does it? Well, if you put it that way it doesn't. Yet, there is more to hockey than meets the eye, and many reasons for you to become addicted to it, if you aren't already (and come on, who isn't?).
1. It's Visually Pleasing
Right before a game starts, the rink displays beautiful and eye catching designs. Sometimes they're illusions, like the one features right above. It's a change in scenery from the very common green grass that is seen at baseball, football and soccer games.
2. It's fast paced.
Unlike other sports where the game is constantly stopped, or requires endless running across fields, hockey is like the nascar race of sports. The players skate across the ice from one end to another in a matter of seconds. No other sport even comes close to hockey in terms of speed. Everything about this sport is fast-paced: the slap shots, the game pace, the players.
3. There is a high level of skill involved.
Not only do players have to know how to skate, and be good enough at skating to maneuver through other players. All while maintaining control over the puck. Talk about concentration! Hockey players have to combine all that speed and agility on top of managing to stay upright on a large ice-cube. If that’s not skill, I don’t know what is.
4. It's rough.
Hockey players are constantly being pushed up against the walls and falling down on ice, and there is always the risk of getting hit by a stick, or the puck.
5. There's a long schedule.
Hockey is played from October to mid-June, leaving only 3 and a half months (about) of a break from the sport. This means that the sport has one of the shortest off-seasons, giving fans plenty of opportunity to watch while leaving their waiting time for games to start back up again, to a minimum.
6. They're not teammates, they're family.
Hockey teams are more than just a bunch of players from different states or countries, they're groups of individuals who despite the things that make them different from one another, maintain a loving relationship. Teammates are not only people they play games with, but people that they spend some of the most memorable moments in life with.
7. NHL players are good guys.
Rarely are hockey players in the news for a case of domestic abuse or something else. They're guys (and gals) with strong morals and pure hearts.
8. No cheerleaders.
There's no need for cheerleaders to entertain the crowd. The sport itself is so entertaining that the fans have no problem maintaining an interest in the game. Dozing off during a hockey game is something that is hard to accomplish, even if you don't know every single rule in the game.
9. Short off season.
As mentioned earlier, hockey has a long season, making the off season one of the shortest in professional sports leagues. After a short break, both fans and players are back doing or watching something they love.
10. It's played on ice.
Other sports, like basketball, football and baseball are played on solid ground. The players of those sports wear shoes, not sharp blades on the bottoms of their feet. No, I am not saying that those sports are easier to play, but the added concentration of trying to stay upright on a slippery sheet of ice only adds to the complexity of the sport.
11. It's a team sport.
Some sports, even though they’re considered “team sports,” are sometimes monopolized by an individual athlete.For example, Football has quarterbacks. Other sports like baseball have pitchers. In hockey, it takes more than one player to make a team amazing. Sure, it’s possible for one hockey player to be the superstar of the team, but hockey can't be won with that mentality. Everyone needs to work together or else, they lose.
12. The players are warriors.
This gif speaks for itself. Hockey players get hit and pushed and fall on the ice, yet they still get up and play. They're either insanely passionate or robots.
13. Plenty of traditions and superstitions.
Every sport has it's own traditions and superstitions, but hockey has some of the most interesting ones, in my opinion.
14. Hearts of gold.
What other team takes time out of their day to dress up like Frozen characters and visit sick children? You don't hear about other teams in other sports doing things like this. Sure, they may have charities but hockey players go the extra mile.
15. Hockey players love their fans.
Hockey players have two major loves in their lives-- the game itself and their fans. Their fans are not just fans, they're family. The fans are there to support them through every win and loss, just like biological family members and friends.
