I was inspired today to write a post about the things I love most about hockey when I read a column by Rory Boylen, of The Hockey News, about what makes Hockey great. (Link available above.)
Hockey has been my favorite sport all my life. Granted, I was not always as big a fan as I am now, but it was impossible for me not to fall in love with hockey. It was the favorite sport of my older brothers and the sport I watched them play and watched on tv all growing up. It wasn't until late middle school, early high school that I really began to understand the game of hockey and my mom would say that my brother turned me into a "Hockey monster." I began to live and breathe hockey soon after I attended my first Pens game at the old Mellon Arena. It was October 29, 2005. There was no looking back after that.
I had been to a Pirates game and knew that I could not really watch an entire Steelers game on tv(since then I have also attended a Steelers game.) and still, nothing compares to a live NHL game in person.
So, here are my reasons why I love the game of hockey.
Reason #1: The atmosphere of an NHL game. I do miss the days of getting into Mellon Arena with the Student Rush program and having almost an entire section filled with other students. Students that would stand in line for hours to get great seats for $20. Those sections will always be the best in my mind. They were loud and the camera man for the jumbotron never really left the area. I wouldn't have a voice the next day. Though the games I have attended at Consol have seemed a little more quiet, the atmosphere of an NHL game still is the tops! The game keeps you entertained and the crowd comes alive and there's nothing like it.
Reason #2: My family loves it. I may not be a hockey fan right now if it had not been for my family. My family is a hockey family. It is the only sport we can all sit down and watch together and when there is a Pens game on, you probably won't find anything else on any of the tvs in my house. I love sitting down with my family and watching a great Pens game, it's one of my favorite things to do.
Reason #3: The players. Sure, every sport has members and players that contribute to the community and donate time and money to charities, but it seems like the NHL has a great abundance of players who have started organizations and truly care for many charities. I know other sports are the same way, but I don't read as much about them.
Also, the players on hockey teams seem like a close group. The locker room atmosphere of a hockey team is important to how they play on the ice. In other sports, it seems like most individuals are out for themselves, but in hockey, the team is the most important in many players' minds and it makes me love the sport that much more.
The players' characters are another reason the players are a reason I love the sport. In other professional sport leagues, you hear so much about arrests and poor behavior and that news in hockey is few and far between. It seems the NHL is full of a lot of stand-up guys and I appreciate the positive outlook that gives the NHL. (I know there are excpetions to every rule and the NHL does have its share of negative news, but not nearly as much as other sport leagues.)
Reason #4: The players' love for the game and willingness to play after an injury. In some cases, this can be a bad thing. Especially with the rise of concussions in the NHL, some players are hiding their symptoms in order to continue playing which is nt helping their situation (ex: Colby Armstrong most recently). However, with other injuries, you often see a player get cut or take a bad fall or hit and they'll be back on the ice in no time. It shows the love for the game these players have and how they are determined to help their team win a game.
Reason #5: How it connects people. I know for myself, I would not have some of the friends I do now if it were not for hockey. Hockey is the first thing we found we had in common and in most cases, that is enough. Going to Pens games, waiting in those student rush lines, and talking hockey online, I have met friends that are some of the nicest people you could meet. We share the love of hockey and that is all some need.
Reason #6: The excitment and pace of the game. I said earlier that I struggle with watching an entire football game on tv and I have never been able to watch an entire baseball game on tv either. The slow pace of a baseball game makes me tired and the constant breaks and commercials of a football game make me lose interest rather quickly. On the other hand, most hockey games I find myself not being able to change the channel. The quickness of the game and the speed are, to me, what seperates hockey from the rest of the sports and makes it the most interesting and best.
I could go on and on with reasons why I love the game of hockey, but these are my top reasons and when it is this time of year, I tend to reflect more on what I am grateful for in life. Sitting down with my family to watch a hockey game and laughing and spending time together is often one of the things I am most grateful for in my life.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!!
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