Why is hockey the greatest sport on Earth? How can we count all of the reasons? The speed, the finesse, the grit, the physicality, nearly every aspect of hockey is a reason why we love the game so much. In Canada, it defines us, and woven deep into our cultural fabric as a rite of passage more than it is a game. We all hear stories of children learning how to stickhandle and skate before they can even fully walk, or friends playing at a drop-in ice time until the early hours of the morning. We all know there are so many reasons why we love hockey, here are just a few.
Athleticism
Let’s start here: hockey is really difficult to play, especially on ice. It takes a heck of an athlete to master ice skating at top speed to begin with, but throw in stickhandling, passing, shooting, and avoiding body checks and you can see why playing hockey at high levels is so difficult to accomplish. This is not to say we are downplaying athletes of other sports, but the combination of high impact, full-contact rules with trying to maneuver around the ice at top speeds, puts NHL players at the top of our list for athleticism.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
This is a little tongue in cheek as of course we would never promote violence, but in Canada, a hockey fight has a code of honor that makes it accepted. In what other non-combat sport do the rules allow fighting between two combatants where the game stops and everybody watches? In baseball, players get suspended, in basketball or football, they get ejected and potentially suspended as well. In hockey, you get a five minute major penalty, and realistically have a shot at having another fight later in the game.
Hockey Hair
There is nothing quite like a player taking off their helmet and having an incredible flow of hair falling down their shoulders. Hockey hair has been a staple of the game since even before helmets were made mandatory. Players like Jaromir Jagr, Ryan Smyth, and Patrick Kane, all have legendary flow coming out of their helmets that is made even more apparent when they are skating at top speeds down the ice.
Missing Some Teeth?
Hockey players earn their reputations and losing teeth is a sign of toughness. More than in any other sport, hockey players seem to get their teeth knocked out from fighting, errant sticks, or even getting hit in the face by the puck. Nothing sets a hockey player apart than a full grin with half of their teeth missing and even if one does get knocked out, you would be hard pressed to find a player who will miss a shift because of it. This goes for players who need stitches as well. Hockey players routinely get cut or nicked up during a game and are often seen receiving stitches on the bench between shifts.
International Presence
There are few sports that have more of a global presence than hockey as players from all over Europe and even some from Asia, have officially played in the NHL. Hockey has many international tournaments where national pride is at stake, including the World Cup of Hockey, the Winter Olympic Games, and the World Junior Championships. There are so many superstars in the league that are from abroad now Canada is no longer head and shoulders above the rest of the competition like it was before.
The Stanley Cup
They say there is no trophy more difficult to win in professional sports than the Stanley Cup, so to see the raw emotion in players when they do win is inspiring. Unlike in Football, Basketball, or Baseball, it is the players who get to lift the cup first, not the owners. The traditional laps around the rink while holding the cup are some of the most emotional things you will ever see in sports. It is also just a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the other trophies and to be honest, who doesn’t love a trophy they can drink a bunch of beer out of?
Sportsmanship
Anything goes on the ice, but once the game ends, players almost always have the utmost respect for each other. The handshaking at the culmination of playoff series in the NHL is one of the best traditions in sports and no matter how much they may hate each other during the game, the sportsmanship shown in shaking each other’s hands after the series is important for the sanctity of the sport. There may be no more difficult task and at the same time no greater show of respect, than losing the Stanley Cup to another team, and then shaking their hands in congratulations. It is an important lesson that hockey teaches players from a young age, to respect your opponents, and be humble in defeat: things that can be applied to nearly everything in life.
It’s Tradition!
Well, in Canada it is. Like football on Thanksgiving and Baseball in the summer, winter means one thing for people in Canada: it’s time for hockey. As the temperatures continue to drop, there is nothing more fun than hitting the ice with your friends and taking part in the game we all love. From children to senior citizens, hockey is a sport that is enjoyed by Canadians all across the country and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
