Hockey is a brutal sport. It is because of this brutality that the game is so tough. Starting when they are kids, hockey players are taught to fight through pain as well as fight through your opponent. Hockey is emotionally heavy and produces aggressive violent behavior. The weak will not survive this sport, but that is the point. Hockey molds a man into a head smashing, vulgar spewing, tough individual. Here are 11 reasons why Hockey is the toughest sport. Enjoy the blood.

1. Pain Tolerance

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In a 60 minute game, hockey players get beat down. Players are met by shattering blows into a solid wall and take slap shots to the thigh, knee, ankle, wrist, elbow, shoulder, back, abdomen, or any other part of the body you can think of. They get slashed and cross checked with carbon fiber sticks and possibly get their teeth knocked out in one of the three ways just described. Through all that, they continue playing, unless they are forced off the ice.

2. No Flopping In Hockey

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They know the difference between pain and soreness unlike the grass fairies, who fall on the ground anytime someone comes near them when they have the soccer ball. There are no flops in hockey. You won’t see a hockey player grabbing a leg because someone got a little aggressive. Little can be said about the world’s most popular sport.

3. Brawls

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In what sport will the referees stop the game to let two players beat each other to a pulp? Hockey players can drop the gloves and go toe to toe with an opponent until one of them gets pinned on the ice or leaves on stretcher trailing blood on the white ice.

4. It Is Played In A Refrigerator

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Hockey is played in an ice box. You know what else is kept in an ice box? Brews! Nothing beats watching two teams duke it out while enjoying a nice beer. Did I mention the beer won’t get warm cause it’ll be in an ice box?

5. Trash Talk

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People are getting chirped in every square inch of a hockey stadium. When a player from the opposing team skates by the other team’s bench, he is 100 percent met by a wall of trash talk. Every team has that one guy who has no filter or boundary, and knows everything, from stats to the names of other team’s mothers. Nothing is off limits, and there are no “safe zones”. Trash talk isn’t limited to the ice. If a fan is wearing the away team’s jersey you better bet they are getting verbally abused at the gate, in line for concessions, at their seat, and even the restroom.

6. Thick Skin

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With the constant parade of verbal and physical harassment, you gotta have thick skin both literally and metaphorically. Softies won’t last long in this sport. So if you’re looking for game full or sunshine and rainbows I would start looking somewhere else.

7. Cups are Necessary

No one wants to take a puck, stick or anything else below the belt. If a hockey player chooses to negate this necessity, they are really rolling the dice with their family jewels. Some people believe some high risks have a high reward, but this one does not.

8. Hockey Players Play With Blades On Their Feet

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Every player on the ice has two weapons strapped to their feet. One slice and a player can be put in critical condition.

9. Slap Shots

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Slap shots have been clocked at 110 mph plus. Part of a players job is blocking shots, and there is even a position dedicated to getting pelted with the 6 ounce solid rubber puck. Goalies are given more pads, but there are still some holes in his armor. If a slap shot were to nail a goalie right in the jugular he would have to leave the game and possibly hospitalized.

10. Most Hockey Players Are Missing Teeth

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They aren't afraid to hit or get hit. Hockey players play balls to the wall and show no remorse. Sometimes a players teeth happen to get in the way; a puck is always flying around the ice, elbows are being thrown, sticks are swung high sometimes and the boards are unforgiving.

11. Try Crying, I Dare You

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Hockey players, from what I understand, have the inability to cry. Pain does't work. Words don't work. Bringing up their mother doesn't work. I don't even think telling them a puppy is dying would do trick. At the end of the day they might cry, but on the ice, not in a million years.