First and foremost, for those of you who don't think hockey is all that interesting, here's a good starting off quote:
Now, here's why it's the best...
It’s fast paced
Hockey is one of the fastest sports out there. The players are gliding on 1/8 of an inch of steel moving at extremely high speeds across the ice, racing for a puck. They’re trying to outskate their opponent to make plays in hopes to fight off the defending team. They are basically doing sprints the entire time they’re out there for their shift and then get a few minutes break before they have to hop back out there.
The agility of the athletes is crazy
Their hand eye coordination is one for the books. They can do some crazy tricks, again, while skating ON ICE, and make smoother plays than you knew existed. You don’t even realize how quickly some of their hands can move until the puck is in the net.
There isn’t high scoring
Scoring in hockey is definitely a task that the players have to work for. Aside from the five players on the ice they have to go through, they have to find their way around a wall of a goalie in net. They have to make plays, get dirty, and find a hole to slide the puck into past the defenders. It’s not easy, but it’s very rewarding.
The crowd is intense
One minute you’re cheering for a t-shirt toss in all your glory, the next thing you know you’re yelling profanities at the refs because they called off a goal due to goalie interference. Hockey games bring out the most intense version of yourself and the people around you. You don’t even realize you’re cursing in front of your parents until you see their faces looking at you like “what happened to our baby?!”
It’s one of the most physical sports out there
Not only is there checking where you’re fighting off the opposing player, but there’s also actual fighting. In football, you have players tackling each other – in hockey, you have to race to the puck, you have to put your body in front of another player moving at a fast speed.
The players are the toughest athletes around
You think football players are tough? How about Bruins’ player Gregory Campbell who blocked a shot, broke his leg, and still stayed on the ice and skated on it to finish his shift. Or when Matt Calvert with the Blue Jackets took a slap shot to the face then returned after being stitched up to finish the game and netted the game winner. They’re among the toughest athletes out there for their pure love of the game and unwillingness to let their team down.
The goalies alone are reason to watch
These goalie lay themselves out on the line night after night to make some crazy plays. They have saved pucks flying by them at 80 plus miles per hour, only to dive in front of it. They will legitimately sprawl out into a split, kick pucks out of the air, or use their stick as a ninja stick to block a puck going into the net. Some of the saves they make are incredible.
If you're still not sure and I haven't convinced you, grab a few friends and head to a game. People always say they love hockey when they go to a game rather than watching it on TV. Trust me, you're going to fall in love with this sport.
