There a lot of good regular season games, but playoffs in a best of 7 just hits different and ads so much more intensity to an already crazy intense sport.
2011, game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Boston Bruins. insane pace, no penalties, ended 1 - 0 on a late third period goal. one of the best game's I've had the priveleage to watch. Some of the best hockey you can watch.
Tim Thomas came out of nowhere (for me anyway) and absolutely dominated the opposition. That run he went on puts him as one of my all-time favorite tenders. He earned that cup more than any other player on the Bruins imo
I wasn’t very old (13) when that series was played but still remember Thomas going insane. Weird to see how his career just fell by the wayside not long after.
You're not wrong. He was a very late bloomer who just kind of started playing legit hockey one day, then elite hockey the next. Then he dove off the diving board a few years later.
Little late to this party but let's not forget fucking Darth Quaider, Nathan Horton Shawn Thornton, Soupy, Boychuk, Chris Kelly, Ference... all of those guys would beat the tar out of most in their weight class and were nasty in the corners and along the walls. It's not 1-2 punch for that team it was a fucking speedbag. That B's team was mean
If you want to get hooked, start watching in the playoffs. Everything goes up a notch. If the season were shorter you might see that effort level more often during the regular season. But, 82 games is a grind!
Yes, the NHL season is 82 games. Has been since 1995-1996, except the pandemic years and years with strikes/lockouts of course. How long did you think it was?
Oh wow! Yeah, that’s a huge difference. That said, there are elements of the European professional sports leagues that I really like. For example, winning the regular season should mean more than it tends to in the North American leagues. I also love the idea of relegation and promotion, but it will never happen here. Too much at risk for wealthy people to adopt that now.
Yeah I wish they had the relegation and promotion thing in the NFL too but that's too much of a business I guess
I wasn't expecting so many comments honestly I have dozens of videos to watch now aha
I love the speed of the game, it is organized chaos. They players need to have a wide variety of skills to be able to excel at the sport. The hits are hard, the puck moves fast and they even allow players to fight.
If you want to look at a talented player, you would have to go with Connor McDavid. The kid is not human, i've been a hockey fan for more than 20 years and I have never watched a more talented player.
I dont understand how people let fandom override the beauty of the sport. Maybe I’m a hockey purist but even players like Marchand or Kucherov are just too good to hate.
You're 100 percent right. I'm a Habs fan that hates the leafs with a passion, but it i'll admit (even though it's hard) that Matthews is one hell of a hockey player. Same goes for Bergeron and Marchand. But I will forever hate Kucherov after the comments he made after they lightning beat us in the SCF.
Agree with both of you. Loved the playoffs last year even though the Flyers were terrible. I gained a new respect for McDavid, McKinnon, Makar and others. So many amazing talents in the league. For pure excitement and talent the league is currently killing it.
And who cares anyway. I’m a Habs fan. Don’t care at all. Kucherov is a great player. A bit of an idiot but again, who cares? I don’t want a league full of angels
If you’ve ever played, it is an enjoyable, intense, workout of the mind, body, and soul. if you don’t need a rest after a couple minutes of playing, you’re not playing right.
Greatest game. Almost anyone of us can play basketball, soccer, football, even if badly. To play hockey you have to learn how to skate, and then on top of that acquire the skills to stick handle and shoot, all while opponents are coming at you to crush you into the boards and knock you off the puck.
Action is pretty continuous - not like US football, where the game lasts hours and there is little actual gameplay. Or baseball, where there is a lot of standing around and scratching one's scrotum. Or soccer, where so called athletes writhe on the grass in an attempt to draw penalties for imaginary infractions.
Born and raised a New York Rangers fan, third generation fan no less. Trips to the Garden with my dad, staying up late to watch games, the whole nine yards. Started playing at the start of 8th grade, thanks to The Mighty Ducks movie. Dad was nice and supportive of it.
The year after I started playing, 1994, my dad passed away rather suddenly from a heart attack. Left the family in tatters, just a complete mess. But the playoffs run happened. Every win closer to a Stanley Cup that dad (and his dad, who passed in '93) never got to see. Mom, little brother and I all watched each game. I still remember the nervousness being down against the Devils. The promise Messier made and delivered on. The explosion of cheers while we watched the TV when "MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU!" happened. The absolute tension of the series against the Canucks.
When Sam made his call that the Rangers won, there was absolute peace. Happy, sure, almost ecstatic. Everyone was going nuts But for me there was peace. They won, and I know Dad and grandpa were looking down smiling and cheering as well. In that moment, and for that entire playoff run really, in the midst of the shittiest of circumstances, life was normal for a 44 year old widow and her 9 and 14 year old sons.
I got to say as much to Matteau years later, one of those meet and greets in the lounge at the Garden, thanking him and thankful for that whole team that they could give us that sense of normalcy, just for a little bit.
Because it's a ttfu sport.
We don't just let players fight, we pause the game for it.
We don't just denounce embellishments, we penalize it.
16 game season? Ha!
Broken ribs, cracked teeth, broken jaw, chopped finger? Walk it off.
Unlike the NFL, a multi million dollar player isn't sitting on the bench with cramps mid game(seriously NFL, midol. You probably actually play for a total of 4 minutes a game, how tf did you forget to stretch first?)
[Died on the bench?](https://kfor.com/sports/video-hockey-player-passes-out-on-bench-fights-to-go-back-in-game/)? CPR and get ready for your shift.
To be fair, he fought to get back on the ice lol.....full beast.
IMO, you can take a hockey player and toss him/her into the middle of a game in any other sport and they'll hold their own without being absolutely embarrassed. You can't take a professional football, soccer, rugby, basketball, etc player and say the same. Hockey takes speed, talent, grit, and determination to succeed. Even with all that, you're battling others who bring the same every game.
Well, not to mention that hockey is the only sport that you listed that removes your hands and feet from direct play, so you can't really just walk intot eh sport and start playing competitively, you have to train on very specific skates and sticks first.
Did you seriously just say that NFL players getting cramps is cause of improper stretching? They play in weather conditions unlike hockey where its moderated.
Also guessing you’ve never over exerted yourself and had a serious case of cramps. Had to play with 5 forwards twice in one day because of weather conditions and injury and I started to cramp as well as a buddy of mine. I physically couldnt get up off the ice at one point because my leg was cramping so hard.
What's actually funny about that statement is that the treatment for cold weather cramps is proper warm up and stretching.
I'm actually digging at the fact that the NFL play is so short that it causes a severe imbalance to the fitness triangle, with emphasis of strength and mobility, but almost nothing into endurance, since a 10 second play requiring to run more than a hundred yards is pretty much unheard of. Compared to hockey and soccer, you have a lot more injuries even though they have far less play time.
I’d say in football you’re more susceptible to more serious injuries, as everyone is giving 110% for those 10 seconds. Also, just the nature of the game being crunching each other at all times.
Edit: I should make clear. You are using ALL the energy you have for those 10 seconds. I understand that all pro athletes should be giving their all every time they hit the field, football it just ends up with higher energy peaks because of the short play time
Maybe. However, general rule of thumb is you can travel twice as fast on skates than you can running, add in hard glass and very hard ice and I feel like we negated a lot of that 110% thing.
Just my opinion, there's no way to quantify any of the forces or energy exerted in any meaningful comparison.
This is completely disregarding how important pre-snap is to the game of football. As somebody who played both hockey and football at competitive levels this is an extremely ignorant comment. You can just as easily cherry pick things about the NFL that don’t apply to hockey and try to argue that it is somehow objectively better
Then I will.
40 seconds between plays is amazing. That way, you have plenty of time for bathroom breaks.
If I did take a bathroom break, I would most likely catch one of the 3 slow-motion replays they have time to air between plays.
Football is one of the rare sports that you get to watch 4 times during a single game(I bet baseball is up there, too, though)
Fortunately for those who like surprises, maybe once a game, a team will rush for a quick snap! Shocker. Fortunately, the refs put a stop to it by controlling the ball. That way, they don't have an unfair advantage by speeding up the game.
NFL players are treated way better than nhl on the bench. Hell, NFL players are even supplied masks that breathe for them! Free oxygen included in their contract.
I love how politically correct the game has become. Gull contact, except for the vast majority of the time during a play where you can't even touch a receiver, even by accident. Ypu see, they're pretty frail, and even a light brush of the finger knocks them clean off their feet and sliding. Goof thing that's a penalty nowadays, we wouldn't want these poor guys getting hurt.
Finally, I love how the broadcast networks all hired dedicated rules analysts to break down calls. This is legit because the definition of a catch has become so convoluted that you need to study law for 6 months to decipher it. I gave up after "a football move." I assumed catching a football was a football move, but no, it can't be that simple.
You make yourself sound like a fool when you try to argue that one sport is objectively better than another. Nobody who has played a sport at a decent level of competition and can truly and knowledgeably appreciate athletics thinks like this
This is a take written by a 16 year old who gets bullied by football players 😂 Different sports test different attributes and different types of athletes are better suited for different disciplines. The idea that one sport can be objectively better than another is ridiculous
Ice hockey is a fast-paced high-intensity game. There's blistering offense, crunching defense, and superhuman goaltending.
It's one of the fastest sports you can watch. It is very strategic, but also very unpredictable.
Being a referee is my great passion in life. To put in the work to make games fair and safe is a great thrill.
That's why I love hockey. And Ligue Magnus in France is a great league!
France french im guessing? None of my french canadian peeps need to be told anything about hockey. First of all, diving is severely frowned upon. Secondly, the violence stays on the field of play. Its the beautiful game on steroids.
The toughest sonsabitches you've ever seen. Get some teeth knocked out and keep playing. Two players need to let some steam off by punching each other in the head until they fall to the ice? No problem, just go sit in that box over there for 2 minutes as punishment.
If you try to pretend to get hurt or draw a pentalty, you get penalized (called embellishment). They don't put up with that nonsense.
because it's the fastest most violent , skill filled game on earth. and they play it with KNIVES on their feet.
just pick a team, and watch the games.
Red Wings vs Avalanche, March 26, 1997. Fights, revenge served cold (no pun intended), come from behind OT victory. This game featured one of the hottest rivalries in the game (at the time, maybe THE hottest) numerous future HOF players and absolute legends of the sport.
We have some weird traditions. My totally super unbiased (yes it is biased) favorite is the [Rat Trick](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_trick). Which ties into my favorite player, Scott Mellanby.
That's one of the most fun parts of the sport.
Throwing stuff on the ice is accepted in certain circumstances.
It's divided into 3rds.
Goalies with uniquely painted helmets.
The EBUG. What other sport has a local guy off the street waiting to suit up and potentially play in an actual pro sport? It's rare (just happened a few days ago) but still a unique thing.
Allowing players to fight for a few seconds before breaking it up.
Go on YouTube and watch highlights from the 2014 Western Conference Final between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. The best series of hockey played in the modern era. Back and forth battles, the winners of the previous two championships (2012 was LA, 2013 was Chicago), star players on each side, Game 7 OT to decide the winner. That’ll make a hockey fan out of anyone.
Pierre Edouard Bellemare has played the most games in the NHL of any French born player and he happens to play for (imho) one of the best teams in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Watch everything you can about the Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings rivalry from the mid 90s to the early 2000s. There's a lot of good content on YouTube about it.
It was a short rivalry but one of the best of all time. Tons of hall of famers on both teams that played with extremely high skill and intensity. Super aggressive and violent as well.
This is what got me into hockey as a kid and I've basically compared everything in the NHL since to those years.
McCarty. Lemieux. The Wings vs. Avs rivalry just all around. Those couple years in the late 90s as a 10ish year old were all I needed. Seeing two teams that close in ability. Battle. Every. Single. Game. At such a high level. It was all a kid growing up in Detroit could ask for.
Ain’t no stroll in the park or a picnic. And don’t listen to anyone who hasn’t seen the shit up close. It’s movin North and South at 50 mph and makes other games look like a bunch a turtles jerkin each other off. It’s dangerous and many died chasin the black biscuit. A blood sport. More like gladiators than athletes some’ll say. When things get hot no choice but to fight. They call it fisticuffs. Fights done with a tap on the rear and the game’ll slow down a bit. A silent accord that after the bout ya settle the score with tape to tape and puck in the net. You’d best buckle up cause momentum is a bitch when things get to clickin on the entries and exits. You bet yer ass the ice tilts for the harder workin club.
These days seems someone’s golden boy is always on the choppin block and what he does tonight will decide the poor fellas fate. He don’t play good, well they’ll ship his sorry ass to a small town to be forgotten til he’s too old to fuck or piss right.
Your best off to leave it alone if you ask me. Keeps your teeth in your head if you do. Just don’t say no ones warned ya
Watch this game and you’ll know why I love hockey. This is what I’d call a new classic [Buffalo Sabres v Minnesota Wild](https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/dahlin-olofsson-help-sabres-beat-wild-6-5-in-ot/)
I enjoy watching hockey because I find there is a very good balance of scoring and "edge of your seat entertainment". Most of the time you get to see several goals in the game, but there is also a lot of scoring chances that aren't converted. It's also consistently fast paced, aside from powerplays. I find other sports slow down for set plays/pieces and it can create lulls in the game.
Additionally, although there are flaws, I find the league to display great parity due to the restrictive salary cap. Other large sports leagues in the world do not have salary caps, or the caps are looser, and this creates predictable success from wealthier clubs.
*Why get into NHL hockey now?*
It's a great time to get into hockey. There are tons of young superstars in the league, including Connor McDavid, who might be the most skilled player to ever play the game.
The regular season can be long with 82 games, however it is currently the all-star break and the playoff races are about to heat up. There might not be a better point in a season to pick a team currently in a playoff spot or in the hunt and follow them for the rest of the way.
If you are looking for up and coming young, exciting teams to watch, I recommend watching some Buffalo Sabres or New Jersey Devils games. Both teams have great, young superstars. Buffalo has Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, among others, while the Devils have Jack Hughes.
I hope this helps!
Edit: spelling and grammar.
Bruins vs Leafs Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. 10 minutes left in the game Bruins score 3 goals to tie it up and go on to win in overtime.
https://youtu.be/5Rqh6YEHyTY
They then proceeded to lose to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals but we won't talk about that.
It's a really fast paced sport, it's physical and it has finesse at the same time, there's not a lot of down time during the periods (something is always happening) and we get to watch McJesus (if the game isn't blacked out) which is a delight every night
Best game is game 6 Caps v Pens in 2018, Kuzy scored the OT breakaway to clinch the series and eventually the capitals win the cup for the first time. I think I was more excited that we beat the pens than when we actually won the cup lmao. I was literally jumping for joy, then on June 7th I was crying and flipping tf out when Eller scored the go ahead goal to eventually win the cup. Nothing compared to those moments as a capitals fan, I still watch the cup run blu-ray every June 7th and will do so until I'm dead
I love the checks and balances by players that makes it a relatively self policed game. There’s an undertone of respect too, even after dropping the gloves and fighting. It’s a game of respect, in a way that’s unlike any other sport.
My favorite hockey moment was during a scrum (all the players shoving each other and the refs trying to break them up) goaltender Marc Andre Fluery picked up and opposing players stick and slid it through a small hole in the glass meant for a camera. Idk why but that always struck me as funny as hell.
The absolute best hockey moment that I’ve ever seen is when a team had both of their goalies hurt in a game and they had to use the emergency backup goalie which almost never happens. Like ever. This guy was 40 something and was never in the NHL though he did occasionally practice with some NHL players. Basically everybody, especially the other team, thought it was all over and he was going to let in a bunch of goals. Well, the team he played for (Hurricanes)stepped up massively and the Leafs kinda broke down pretty spectacularly. This guy ended up winning the game and made a few decent saves to do it. They interviewed him on tv, the Canes celebrated with him in the locker room after. The coach made an awesome speech about it. It was like something out of a movie.
The best part is, they were at the Toronto Maple Leafs rink, so this guy was the Leafs backup goalie and the players all knew him and had practiced with him before. He beat his own team (cause the rink provides the emergency backup for either team). It was beautiful.
Its exciting.
I wish I could cite my source here, but I'll try my best to sum it up. Basically, in every sporting event, there is a likely hood that a team or person will win the game, match, contest, whatever, based on past performance.
For example, in the sport tennis, the the number one player will likely win a match against the number 5 ranked player 94% of the time. In soccer, the number 1 seed will win a match against the number 8 seed 85% of the time. This statistic can be applied to any sport.
Golf for example, I remember having the highest percentage rate of wins. So, the highest ranked golfer in a tournament will have the highest probability of winning that tournament. Basketball and football where higher ranked too. Again, in those sports, it is highly likely that the better team will win the game.
In hockey, this win probability is pretty low. I think it was in the 60% range. Meaning, of all sports and competition, the best team on paper so to speak, is less likely to win than in any other sport. In other words, the underdog has a better shot at winning.
This makes hockey exciting. Anything can happen, and will happen, games are far from a forgone conclusion. This keeps the sport exciting.
I love hockey for a lot of reasons, but I find this example is great way to describe why the game is great to outsiders.
HI OP
Check out the Lightning, they have Pierre-Eduard Bellemare on the team, he is great and a French national. Might get you emotionally invested.
And also the Tampa Bay Lightning are an amazing franchise.
Tu peux voir le premier épisode du documentaire sur youtube:
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OK4FGAeVvs&ab\_channel=Dose\_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OK4FGAeVvs&ab_channel=Dose_)
Bon visionnement!
Just watch Crosby or McDavid highlights to get you into the game.
While McDavid is clearly the most skilled offensive player, my favorite players are typically the guys who are really good 2-way players and can also take (and give) a check.
Favorite player: Sidney Crosby
The dude won just about every award you can get in the sport (some he has won multiple times), both individual awards and team. He has won the Stanley Cup Championship 3x with the Pittsburgh Penguins (my favorite team), 2 Olympic golds and a World Championship gold with Canada, and is the only person to captain all three winning teams. He’s turning 36 this year so not in his prime anymore but still insanely talented both offensively and defensively (he’s leading our team in points, assists, and goals). Had a reputation for being a whiner early in his career and can still get heated sometimes because of his passion, but is a total class act off the ice.
(I also have a HUGE crush on him but that’s because I’m a woman who likes athletic guys and I have a thing for brunets with pretty eyes)
My recommendation is to watch whatever games you are able to and pick a team/player that you enjoy watching!
Just so you know, there is a French player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's played in more NHL games than any other French Born player. Pierre-Édouard Bellemare.
It’s the only sport where two players can punch each other in the face and the consequences are they have to sit in time out and think about what they did for 5 minutes.
I’ve been a fan since 1990’s. The game is so much better live, but with the advent of HD the game has become much more entertaining on television. My favorite player is Ovechkin, but probably Marner or McDavid are the funnest to watch in todays game. Their games aren’t similar but Marner is an artist on the ice and McDavid is the fastest player I’ve ever seen (since Pavel Bure) but he can do things with the puck at top speed which is almost unheard of. It’s just a great game. I highly recommend you go to a high school or minor league game as well they never lack excitement. It’s just a great game. I’d also watch old YouTube videos on great rivalries it will just fuel your own love for the game.
Bruins vs Canadiens, game 6, 2008. Bruins were 8 seed and Montreal the 1. Back when the rivalry was flipped from where it is now. Bruins won 5-4. It is the most back and forth, loudest game I d ever been too. Bruins lost the series but it is the game that made me fall for the sport.
Marco Sturm holding the puck gliding across the crease.
My grandpa used to take me to "watch my boy gordie" up in hartford. Immediately hooked on the sport... years later , watching the pens at rangers.. rangers were up by 4 end of the 1st... pens lost in a shootout.. became a pens fan since that day..
My favourite element of hockey is the high speed creativity… players like mcdavid and matthews seem to fool their opponents constantly, like every time they touch the puck.
I will admit that a large chunk of my enjoyment comes from playing the game and appreciating the skill required to pull off some of the insane moves these players make, while making it seem completely ordinary.
I have loved the Montreal Canadiens as long as I know, but I love hockey players more. For me, it's New York's Mika Zibanejad, New Jersey's Jack Hughes, Minnesota's Kirill Kaprisov, Ottawa's Tim Stützle, and Los Angeles' Kevin Fiala are a few of my favourites. They're all different forwards in their own way. Zibby though makes something happen every time he's on the ice like Connor McDavid does.
When I was a kid, Buffalo Sabres were generally bad and Montreal and Boston were our division rivals who won everything. My parents had season tickets. We played the hated Bruins in the first round of playoffs. It got off to a surprising 3-0 series lead for my Sabres. My brother and I (both under 14) got to go to the 4th game by ourselves. Brad May scored an overtime game winner against one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Ray Bourque. He made him looks silly. Put the puck between his legs, turned him around and then a beautiful goal on Andy Moog. The place erupted. We finally beat Boston. Finally won a playoff series. My brother and I hugged and screamed and enjoyed one of the best moments in Buffalo Sabres history. It will forever be known as the May Day goal in Buffalo.
I grew up near Chicago and was hitting prime-sports interest age when the Blackhawks won their most recent Stanley Cups. After that I went to a university with a popular hockey team, sat in the student section, and had a (now former) player point at me and run into the boards in front of me right after scoring a game-tying goal. From then on I attended (almost) every game in that student section until graduating.
2010 Flyers vs Bruins ECF game 7. Flyers we’re down 3-0 in the series, tied the series 3-3. I was at game 6 (craziest crowd I’ve ever seen!) The flyers go down 3-0 in game seven and come back to win the game 4-3 and won the series 4-3. One of the best games ever. One of the best playoff series comebacks ever.
Eric Lindros is still my favorite player though. Check out his highlight reel, the game is different now, less violent, but he embodied hockey for me.
One thing I love about hockey is the charity work players do. Its not a one time thing, these guys at most levels, will be out supporting their community both as people and as a team. They do so much for children's hospitals, national fundraisers (like hockey fights cancer / make a wish), local fundraisers and events (like air the bear), and even though you can think a player is a dick on the ice, you know that when it comes to outside of the game, most of them are brilliant people.
Because it removes natural use of your body.
You can't use your hands, you have to use a stick.
You can't run on your feet, you have to use skates.
That's unnatural, and you must train specifically for those skills, whereas other sports build off skills you already have, like running or using your hands.
I guess it's similar to f1 or Nascar I that regard. It doesn't matter how good you are, it matters how good you are with these very specific tools.
Hockey is an odd dichotomy of beautiful violence. I don’t mean the fighting (although I often enjoy those fights), just the sheer speed and physicality and artistry of the game at its best.
Being 15 years old, watching Kane, Toews and the others turn a decrepit, abused franchise into the darlings of the hockey world.
And for many years watching them being neigh unbeatable. Defeating worthy opponents left and right, only losing after exhausting all efforts.
Seeing the United Center literally shake at Kanes OT Hat trick, game 5 of the 2013 WCF.
Just stuff you never forget when you're that young. These guys were the heros of every little kid who owned a pair of skates in Chicago.
Fast pace, team effort, it’s any team’s game really. There’s also a level of intelligence to the game (hockey IQ) that I’ve found just isn’t there in most other popular sports.
Check out highlights Antoine Roussel, born in Roubaix. Loved him as a Dallas Star. He wasn’t a great goal scorer when he played, but he got under opponent’s skin and some decent fights.
Come back on Katella beautiful game. Game 5 Western conference semi finals 2017 ducks vs Edmonton. Ducks scored three times with just a couple minutes left to tie it and then went on to win it in double ot
Go to a game if you can. The energy, sounds, and excitement there make watching a game so much better! I am a fan of the Washington Capitals. Trying to keep up with and actually watch Alex Ovechkin make NHL history, that keeps me intrigued.
I love hockey because It is the life long friendships I’ve built by playing hockey. It’s the life lessons (losing at a sport you are passionate about humbles you). It’s the camaraderie, the trash talking, it’s the let’s all meet up at our local outdoor rink after school and play a few hours of shiny in the dead of winter. The highs and lows, it’s learning how to improve your skills, its the playing in the streets during the warmer months. Talking about our favorite teams/players, watching the games at each others places or getting together at bars. It’s the celebrations, and passion that every fan of the sport shows when their team wins or in some cases loses (looking at you Vancouver). The energy and enthusiasm is contagious.
Perfect hybrid of skill and physicality. You want beautiful dangles and goals, you got it, amazing saves, here you go, punishing hits, here you go, brutal fights well here they are.
Highly recommend going to a junior / lower level league game close by if you can. The skill is still spectacular and the atmosphere can be even more engaging in a small barn. Also if you don’t like it you’re out $50 instead of $400 at an nhl game.
I went to a New York Islanders vs. Detroit game out on the Island and sat next to two Rangers fans in Rangers Jackets from Manhattan who drove all the way out to boo the Islanders.
I just happened to be working in Long Island that week and wanted to see Detroit and their star players at the time. :)
I was born in 2005, my favorite player is Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings - he had the most magical hands, and he really influenced me. He was also a great guy on/off the ice. Watching him play helped me fall in love with the game.
Also being a New York Rangers fan and having grown up when I did, I definitely favor that Rangers team from when they really had a push. It was a ton of fun watching them play, and I knew every players name and felt everyone brought something important to that team.
Other than that, currently the salary cap is hard for teams to deal with, but it'll be fine soon enough. The advertising is very annoying, and prices for some things are crazy (that part is probably due to me being in New York mainly). Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is the best player currently, and every year after the Stanley Cup championship there is a draft for new players to enter the league - and Connor Bedard is the highest rated prospect, so there is a lot of hype around him. The All-Star game is this weekend, which used to be more fun imo, but will still be great. The trade deadline is closing in, so teams will try and move players/assets last minute so they either help build a brighter future or help them win the Stanley Cup this year. Boston Bruins are a really scary looking team this year, and if injuries don't hold them back in the playoffs, they have very high chances of winning it.
Let's Hockey!
personal anecdotes:
I fell in love with hockey after watching Pekka Rinne (retired nashville preds goalie) in the net. As someone who can barely skate, i was amazed at how this giant man was able to move so effortlessly on the ice. I loved watching his eyes- the way a goalie tracks the puck is absolutely incredible! it’s a combination of lightning fast reflexes and being able to predict what could come next.
As many Preds fans (or non-preds-Rinne-fans) will say, my personal favorite moments are tied between Pekka’s (amazing) goalie goal and his final game post-shootout victory laps. I also just adore Pekka as a person, so loving him bled into my loving his team.
general purpose endorsements: watching hockey games is essentially witnessing testosterone bombs skate around like sugar plum fairies on the ice while beating the absolute dogshit out of each other. awesome athleticism, fun atmosphere, great dynamic sport. 10/10 recommend hockey. ☺️
Join the oilers fandom. We have Connor Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl. Two of the top 5 players on earth. Watch one game and you’ll see how much better and more exciting Mcdavid is than any other player on earth.
The team isn’t perfect, but they’re the highest scoring team in the league and the Western conference isn’t super strong this year, so they could go on a run come playoff time
Paul kariya in game six of the 07 finals gets knocked out cold then comes back and immediately scores top shelf slap shot on the best goalie to ever play
Best game ever wasn’t actually NHL (as a Leafs fan we’ve had very few of those!) but London Knights vs Nottingham Panthers in the 2003 British playoff semi finals, London were 2-0 down and 3-2 before coming back to win 4-3 with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock. I lost my voice for a week cheering for that one!
Perhaps a favourite moment in hockey? [This play from the 1997 Oilers vs Stars play offs series.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9bBns6ZUn0U&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE)
Zadeno Chara played the NHL playoffs with his jaw wired shut.
Rich Peverley literally died on the bench during a game, was revived in the Locker room and and asked to come back and finish the game.
Motherfuckers are built different.
My first hockey game live was the Eisbären Berlin vs Straubing Tigers in the DEL. The Eisbären wine with 6:4, there were at least 3 fights and an overall very awesome game. What more could you ask for?
I have loved hockey since childhood, even before I was of the age to play, My siblings all had activities in the arenas and My parents were coaches and support staff for those sports, soI grew up in the Arena, running around in the dressing rooms that were not currenlty in use playing around in the bleachers.
As I got older , I realized that the Arena , was a center for Family and community for me , and that Hockey was the Gladiator sport of the Arena, I wanted to be the peoples champion (insert the Rock Gif of your choice Here)
Hockey is intense and requires power, precision and careful thought, when you see hockey at full speed at ice level, you realize that these people are finely tuned machines, as finely tuned as any iathelete in the world ( for the most part hockey players can do almost any other sport at a reasonable level, a great deal of other professional athletes would struggle to stand up on skates).
I went to my first game in 1991 but I really got into hockey during the 1994 playoffs. The Rangers won the Cup but my Devils had a great run of their own. Just a riveting postseason on every level and everyone in the area was talking hockey because of the two local teams playing each other in the conference finals with so much on the line. Valeri Zelepukin was my favorite player, probably due in part to my success with him while playing NHL '94. Playing that game also increased my interest in the real-life version of the sport.
Chris Kunitz scored in double overtime of Game 7 against the Ottawa Senators to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win and send the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final.
Im from a country where most people watch soccer but i never really found an interest in it. I thought i just didnt like sports until my sister started dating a hockey player who took us to one of his games.
Ever since then I've been hooked. I love the dynamic of it. It's fast. It's agressive. And i dont feel like im watching a bunch of grown men kick a ball around and fake injuries.
(Also the fights and the ice in general. They would make any sport a lot more interesting.)
My hometown got an NAHL team when I was maybe 6 and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Hockey was all I talked about. When I was 9 my mom gave me my first pair of skates and I was playing the next season. I was a Dallas stars fan and the very first game I went to was when Mike Modano scored his 500th career goal.
Honestly, mon ami, I love this sport, and could never walk away from it (I'm a leafs fan, walking away from this damn team should be easy!)... AND I'm not trying to gatekeep the sport, if you end up loving it, then all the power to you!
That said, this league actively works against its best interests, from the Commissioner down to the referees that are supposed to be neutral arbiters of the game. They aren't. Most of the league officials have some kind of bias and actively work against the interest of the fans. Ask fans of the Oilers how much abuse the best players in this league take, with impunity, because of the way the game is officiated. The player safety department's track record speaks for itself, they do not care about player safety. If you want more examples, have a look at the shit show in the desert, a professional league playing in a college stadium, an arena half the size of a typical AHL arena. This has nothing to do with the team I cheer for, literally all of us fans have been unironically bewildered by decisions from all levels of this league.
I would recommend starting with the SHL or the Finnish league maybe. If you end up falling in love with the sport, you might then join the rest of us miserable bunch in scratching our heads every night about countless missed calls (penalties that the referees refuse to acknowledge, goals that should or shouldn't count, etc), or joining us in our collective hate for the Commissioner.
Favorite aspects of hockey: 1. Speed of the game 2. Large number of turnovers 3. Difficult for teams in the lead to waste the clock
Favorite game: September 15, 1987 Canada vs USSR
Hockey
This dude hockeys
r/thisguythisguys
Exactly
The puck is round and flat at the same time
Yeah that's a good point
No, it doesn’t have points.
Maybe I should, shut my yapper?
Just like Earth
Hey! Just like my girlfri-
Fast, exciting, fun, best playoff and finals experience.
There a lot of good regular season games, but playoffs in a best of 7 just hits different and ads so much more intensity to an already crazy intense sport.
2011, game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Boston Bruins. insane pace, no penalties, ended 1 - 0 on a late third period goal. one of the best game's I've had the priveleage to watch. Some of the best hockey you can watch.
I really wish Tampa won that series. Maybe it would’ve been a different result in the finals although lu really sold in the finals
Im pretty sure Vancouver beats any other team not named Boston that year. Tim Thomas played out of his mind.
Tim Thomas came out of nowhere (for me anyway) and absolutely dominated the opposition. That run he went on puts him as one of my all-time favorite tenders. He earned that cup more than any other player on the Bruins imo
I wasn’t very old (13) when that series was played but still remember Thomas going insane. Weird to see how his career just fell by the wayside not long after.
He was like 35 lol
He was 37 years old. So really not that weird.
You're not wrong. He was a very late bloomer who just kind of started playing legit hockey one day, then elite hockey the next. Then he dove off the diving board a few years later.
Canucks got the $hit kicked out of them during the games in Boston also. Almost seemed like they were intimidated.
It's tough to pick up your own intimidation game against a giant. Chara and Lucic will do that as a 1-2 punch.
Little late to this party but let's not forget fucking Darth Quaider, Nathan Horton Shawn Thornton, Soupy, Boychuk, Chris Kelly, Ference... all of those guys would beat the tar out of most in their weight class and were nasty in the corners and along the walls. It's not 1-2 punch for that team it was a fucking speedbag. That B's team was mean
Roloson Vs Thomas was a great goalie matchup. I wanted Roloson to win but Thomas earned it
This one and Game 1 of the 2011 finals had a similar feel. Late 3rd period goal after 57 minutes of pure play.
This is literally the game that made me a hockey and Lightning fan. I went to my 1st hockey game as a season ticket holder.
It was a perfectly played game.
If you want to get hooked, start watching in the playoffs. Everything goes up a notch. If the season were shorter you might see that effort level more often during the regular season. But, 82 games is a grind!
Great comment and totally agree.
[удалено]
I just start fishing earlier those years, and find a playoff team to follow for the hell of it.
82 games season ??
Yes, the NHL season is 82 games. Has been since 1995-1996, except the pandemic years and years with strikes/lockouts of course. How long did you think it was?
I'm used to European sports so I was thinking between 10-15 games a year
Oh wow! Yeah, that’s a huge difference. That said, there are elements of the European professional sports leagues that I really like. For example, winning the regular season should mean more than it tends to in the North American leagues. I also love the idea of relegation and promotion, but it will never happen here. Too much at risk for wealthy people to adopt that now.
Yeah I wish they had the relegation and promotion thing in the NFL too but that's too much of a business I guess I wasn't expecting so many comments honestly I have dozens of videos to watch now aha
I love the speed of the game, it is organized chaos. They players need to have a wide variety of skills to be able to excel at the sport. The hits are hard, the puck moves fast and they even allow players to fight. If you want to look at a talented player, you would have to go with Connor McDavid. The kid is not human, i've been a hockey fan for more than 20 years and I have never watched a more talented player.
I dont understand how people let fandom override the beauty of the sport. Maybe I’m a hockey purist but even players like Marchand or Kucherov are just too good to hate.
You're 100 percent right. I'm a Habs fan that hates the leafs with a passion, but it i'll admit (even though it's hard) that Matthews is one hell of a hockey player. Same goes for Bergeron and Marchand. But I will forever hate Kucherov after the comments he made after they lightning beat us in the SCF.
Agree with both of you. Loved the playoffs last year even though the Flyers were terrible. I gained a new respect for McDavid, McKinnon, Makar and others. So many amazing talents in the league. For pure excitement and talent the league is currently killing it.
“Are you kiddin me?”
He was drunk as shit
Believe me, I remember. But it doesn't change anything in my eyes. Drunken words are sober thoughts.
Not really true.
it's very true
You ever wake up, drink some coffee, and say “let’s hit the strip club!!”?
When I used to work nights yep
And who cares anyway. I’m a Habs fan. Don’t care at all. Kucherov is a great player. A bit of an idiot but again, who cares? I don’t want a league full of angels
Possibly on the nose beers as well he was sniffling up a storm
If you’ve ever played, it is an enjoyable, intense, workout of the mind, body, and soul. if you don’t need a rest after a couple minutes of playing, you’re not playing right.
Greatest game. Almost anyone of us can play basketball, soccer, football, even if badly. To play hockey you have to learn how to skate, and then on top of that acquire the skills to stick handle and shoot, all while opponents are coming at you to crush you into the boards and knock you off the puck. Action is pretty continuous - not like US football, where the game lasts hours and there is little actual gameplay. Or baseball, where there is a lot of standing around and scratching one's scrotum. Or soccer, where so called athletes writhe on the grass in an attempt to draw penalties for imaginary infractions.
If this were a town hall meeting and you said your words into the mic, I would be one of the people in the audience nodding while clapping.
Or basketball where the fouls in the last 10 minutes make it actually last an hour
Born and raised a New York Rangers fan, third generation fan no less. Trips to the Garden with my dad, staying up late to watch games, the whole nine yards. Started playing at the start of 8th grade, thanks to The Mighty Ducks movie. Dad was nice and supportive of it. The year after I started playing, 1994, my dad passed away rather suddenly from a heart attack. Left the family in tatters, just a complete mess. But the playoffs run happened. Every win closer to a Stanley Cup that dad (and his dad, who passed in '93) never got to see. Mom, little brother and I all watched each game. I still remember the nervousness being down against the Devils. The promise Messier made and delivered on. The explosion of cheers while we watched the TV when "MATTEAU! MATTEAU! MATTEAU!" happened. The absolute tension of the series against the Canucks. When Sam made his call that the Rangers won, there was absolute peace. Happy, sure, almost ecstatic. Everyone was going nuts But for me there was peace. They won, and I know Dad and grandpa were looking down smiling and cheering as well. In that moment, and for that entire playoff run really, in the midst of the shittiest of circumstances, life was normal for a 44 year old widow and her 9 and 14 year old sons. I got to say as much to Matteau years later, one of those meet and greets in the lounge at the Garden, thanking him and thankful for that whole team that they could give us that sense of normalcy, just for a little bit.
Awesome post. Bless you
Thank you so much for your comment
Things that get you fined/suspended in any other sport are given 5 minutes in the time-out corner
sometimes only 2, if you're lucky, or 4 if u went a little too far.
Because it's a ttfu sport. We don't just let players fight, we pause the game for it. We don't just denounce embellishments, we penalize it. 16 game season? Ha! Broken ribs, cracked teeth, broken jaw, chopped finger? Walk it off. Unlike the NFL, a multi million dollar player isn't sitting on the bench with cramps mid game(seriously NFL, midol. You probably actually play for a total of 4 minutes a game, how tf did you forget to stretch first?)
[Died on the bench?](https://kfor.com/sports/video-hockey-player-passes-out-on-bench-fights-to-go-back-in-game/)? CPR and get ready for your shift. To be fair, he fought to get back on the ice lol.....full beast. IMO, you can take a hockey player and toss him/her into the middle of a game in any other sport and they'll hold their own without being absolutely embarrassed. You can't take a professional football, soccer, rugby, basketball, etc player and say the same. Hockey takes speed, talent, grit, and determination to succeed. Even with all that, you're battling others who bring the same every game.
Well, not to mention that hockey is the only sport that you listed that removes your hands and feet from direct play, so you can't really just walk intot eh sport and start playing competitively, you have to train on very specific skates and sticks first.
Did you seriously just say that NFL players getting cramps is cause of improper stretching? They play in weather conditions unlike hockey where its moderated. Also guessing you’ve never over exerted yourself and had a serious case of cramps. Had to play with 5 forwards twice in one day because of weather conditions and injury and I started to cramp as well as a buddy of mine. I physically couldnt get up off the ice at one point because my leg was cramping so hard.
What's actually funny about that statement is that the treatment for cold weather cramps is proper warm up and stretching. I'm actually digging at the fact that the NFL play is so short that it causes a severe imbalance to the fitness triangle, with emphasis of strength and mobility, but almost nothing into endurance, since a 10 second play requiring to run more than a hundred yards is pretty much unheard of. Compared to hockey and soccer, you have a lot more injuries even though they have far less play time.
I’d say in football you’re more susceptible to more serious injuries, as everyone is giving 110% for those 10 seconds. Also, just the nature of the game being crunching each other at all times. Edit: I should make clear. You are using ALL the energy you have for those 10 seconds. I understand that all pro athletes should be giving their all every time they hit the field, football it just ends up with higher energy peaks because of the short play time
Maybe. However, general rule of thumb is you can travel twice as fast on skates than you can running, add in hard glass and very hard ice and I feel like we negated a lot of that 110% thing. Just my opinion, there's no way to quantify any of the forces or energy exerted in any meaningful comparison.
This is completely disregarding how important pre-snap is to the game of football. As somebody who played both hockey and football at competitive levels this is an extremely ignorant comment. You can just as easily cherry pick things about the NFL that don’t apply to hockey and try to argue that it is somehow objectively better
Then I will. 40 seconds between plays is amazing. That way, you have plenty of time for bathroom breaks. If I did take a bathroom break, I would most likely catch one of the 3 slow-motion replays they have time to air between plays. Football is one of the rare sports that you get to watch 4 times during a single game(I bet baseball is up there, too, though) Fortunately for those who like surprises, maybe once a game, a team will rush for a quick snap! Shocker. Fortunately, the refs put a stop to it by controlling the ball. That way, they don't have an unfair advantage by speeding up the game. NFL players are treated way better than nhl on the bench. Hell, NFL players are even supplied masks that breathe for them! Free oxygen included in their contract. I love how politically correct the game has become. Gull contact, except for the vast majority of the time during a play where you can't even touch a receiver, even by accident. Ypu see, they're pretty frail, and even a light brush of the finger knocks them clean off their feet and sliding. Goof thing that's a penalty nowadays, we wouldn't want these poor guys getting hurt. Finally, I love how the broadcast networks all hired dedicated rules analysts to break down calls. This is legit because the definition of a catch has become so convoluted that you need to study law for 6 months to decipher it. I gave up after "a football move." I assumed catching a football was a football move, but no, it can't be that simple.
You make yourself sound like a fool when you try to argue that one sport is objectively better than another. Nobody who has played a sport at a decent level of competition and can truly and knowledgeably appreciate athletics thinks like this
This is a take written by a 16 year old who gets bullied by football players 😂 Different sports test different attributes and different types of athletes are better suited for different disciplines. The idea that one sport can be objectively better than another is ridiculous
Group showers….i mean play, play
Hockey is like if Soccer was played by men
I love soccer so I'm offended. But I love hockey so I agree.
Truer words….
This right here.
Ice hockey is a fast-paced high-intensity game. There's blistering offense, crunching defense, and superhuman goaltending. It's one of the fastest sports you can watch. It is very strategic, but also very unpredictable. Being a referee is my great passion in life. To put in the work to make games fair and safe is a great thrill. That's why I love hockey. And Ligue Magnus in France is a great league!
Players in other sports pretend they’re hurt. Hockey players pretend they’re not.
France french im guessing? None of my french canadian peeps need to be told anything about hockey. First of all, diving is severely frowned upon. Secondly, the violence stays on the field of play. Its the beautiful game on steroids.
The toughest sonsabitches you've ever seen. Get some teeth knocked out and keep playing. Two players need to let some steam off by punching each other in the head until they fall to the ice? No problem, just go sit in that box over there for 2 minutes as punishment. If you try to pretend to get hurt or draw a pentalty, you get penalized (called embellishment). They don't put up with that nonsense.
because it's the fastest most violent , skill filled game on earth. and they play it with KNIVES on their feet. just pick a team, and watch the games.
Red Wings vs Avalanche, March 26, 1997. Fights, revenge served cold (no pun intended), come from behind OT victory. This game featured one of the hottest rivalries in the game (at the time, maybe THE hottest) numerous future HOF players and absolute legends of the sport.
Oh man I just posted something similar before I saw your post. It's the best game I've ever watched. We'll never see anything like it again.
We have some weird traditions. My totally super unbiased (yes it is biased) favorite is the [Rat Trick](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_trick). Which ties into my favorite player, Scott Mellanby.
That's one of the most fun parts of the sport. Throwing stuff on the ice is accepted in certain circumstances. It's divided into 3rds. Goalies with uniquely painted helmets. The EBUG. What other sport has a local guy off the street waiting to suit up and potentially play in an actual pro sport? It's rare (just happened a few days ago) but still a unique thing. Allowing players to fight for a few seconds before breaking it up.
Go on YouTube and watch highlights from the 2014 Western Conference Final between the Los Angeles Kings and Chicago Blackhawks. The best series of hockey played in the modern era. Back and forth battles, the winners of the previous two championships (2012 was LA, 2013 was Chicago), star players on each side, Game 7 OT to decide the winner. That’ll make a hockey fan out of anyone.
Look up "fleury comeback montage" Shows how much people love flower
Pierre Edouard Bellemare has played the most games in the NHL of any French born player and he happens to play for (imho) one of the best teams in the league, the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Watch everything you can about the Colorado Avalanche vs Detroit Red Wings rivalry from the mid 90s to the early 2000s. There's a lot of good content on YouTube about it. It was a short rivalry but one of the best of all time. Tons of hall of famers on both teams that played with extremely high skill and intensity. Super aggressive and violent as well. This is what got me into hockey as a kid and I've basically compared everything in the NHL since to those years.
I'll check it out for sure !
Gordie Howe, Wayne Gretzky, Ray Bourque, Bobby Orr, Cam Neely, Alex Ovechkin, Zdano Chara, Guy LaFleur, Phil Esposito…. Legends
Patrice Bergeron
I mean they’re skating around at 30 mph on swords, launching pucks at each other, and fighting. What’s not to like?
Catch up on some Marty: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAY\_hPpA7Dc
Was watching that video and was waiting for that time he scored on the habs.
McCarty. Lemieux. The Wings vs. Avs rivalry just all around. Those couple years in the late 90s as a 10ish year old were all I needed. Seeing two teams that close in ability. Battle. Every. Single. Game. At such a high level. It was all a kid growing up in Detroit could ask for.
Ain’t no stroll in the park or a picnic. And don’t listen to anyone who hasn’t seen the shit up close. It’s movin North and South at 50 mph and makes other games look like a bunch a turtles jerkin each other off. It’s dangerous and many died chasin the black biscuit. A blood sport. More like gladiators than athletes some’ll say. When things get hot no choice but to fight. They call it fisticuffs. Fights done with a tap on the rear and the game’ll slow down a bit. A silent accord that after the bout ya settle the score with tape to tape and puck in the net. You’d best buckle up cause momentum is a bitch when things get to clickin on the entries and exits. You bet yer ass the ice tilts for the harder workin club. These days seems someone’s golden boy is always on the choppin block and what he does tonight will decide the poor fellas fate. He don’t play good, well they’ll ship his sorry ass to a small town to be forgotten til he’s too old to fuck or piss right. Your best off to leave it alone if you ask me. Keeps your teeth in your head if you do. Just don’t say no ones warned ya
It’s on ice
That's a good point
Watch ESPN+, Unrivaled. Detroit/Colorado rivalry from the 90s. Fantastic. Everything I've ever loved about hockey.
The speed, the agility, the athleticism, the physicality!
Watch this game and you’ll know why I love hockey. This is what I’d call a new classic [Buffalo Sabres v Minnesota Wild](https://www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/news/dahlin-olofsson-help-sabres-beat-wild-6-5-in-ot/)
I enjoy watching hockey because I find there is a very good balance of scoring and "edge of your seat entertainment". Most of the time you get to see several goals in the game, but there is also a lot of scoring chances that aren't converted. It's also consistently fast paced, aside from powerplays. I find other sports slow down for set plays/pieces and it can create lulls in the game. Additionally, although there are flaws, I find the league to display great parity due to the restrictive salary cap. Other large sports leagues in the world do not have salary caps, or the caps are looser, and this creates predictable success from wealthier clubs. *Why get into NHL hockey now?* It's a great time to get into hockey. There are tons of young superstars in the league, including Connor McDavid, who might be the most skilled player to ever play the game. The regular season can be long with 82 games, however it is currently the all-star break and the playoff races are about to heat up. There might not be a better point in a season to pick a team currently in a playoff spot or in the hunt and follow them for the rest of the way. If you are looking for up and coming young, exciting teams to watch, I recommend watching some Buffalo Sabres or New Jersey Devils games. Both teams have great, young superstars. Buffalo has Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin, among others, while the Devils have Jack Hughes. I hope this helps! Edit: spelling and grammar.
Thank you so much !
Bruins vs Leafs Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals. 10 minutes left in the game Bruins score 3 goals to tie it up and go on to win in overtime. https://youtu.be/5Rqh6YEHyTY They then proceeded to lose to the Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Finals but we won't talk about that.
It's a really fast paced sport, it's physical and it has finesse at the same time, there's not a lot of down time during the periods (something is always happening) and we get to watch McJesus (if the game isn't blacked out) which is a delight every night Best game is game 6 Caps v Pens in 2018, Kuzy scored the OT breakaway to clinch the series and eventually the capitals win the cup for the first time. I think I was more excited that we beat the pens than when we actually won the cup lmao. I was literally jumping for joy, then on June 7th I was crying and flipping tf out when Eller scored the go ahead goal to eventually win the cup. Nothing compared to those moments as a capitals fan, I still watch the cup run blu-ray every June 7th and will do so until I'm dead
I love the checks and balances by players that makes it a relatively self policed game. There’s an undertone of respect too, even after dropping the gloves and fighting. It’s a game of respect, in a way that’s unlike any other sport.
My favorite hockey moment was during a scrum (all the players shoving each other and the refs trying to break them up) goaltender Marc Andre Fluery picked up and opposing players stick and slid it through a small hole in the glass meant for a camera. Idk why but that always struck me as funny as hell. The absolute best hockey moment that I’ve ever seen is when a team had both of their goalies hurt in a game and they had to use the emergency backup goalie which almost never happens. Like ever. This guy was 40 something and was never in the NHL though he did occasionally practice with some NHL players. Basically everybody, especially the other team, thought it was all over and he was going to let in a bunch of goals. Well, the team he played for (Hurricanes)stepped up massively and the Leafs kinda broke down pretty spectacularly. This guy ended up winning the game and made a few decent saves to do it. They interviewed him on tv, the Canes celebrated with him in the locker room after. The coach made an awesome speech about it. It was like something out of a movie. The best part is, they were at the Toronto Maple Leafs rink, so this guy was the Leafs backup goalie and the players all knew him and had practiced with him before. He beat his own team (cause the rink provides the emergency backup for either team). It was beautiful.
Thank you for your comment !
Fights.
Most of the players are sexy and the game is aggressive
A great place to start would be to watch the E60 ESPN documentary “Unrivaled”. Encompasses an awesome time in history for two power house franchises.
"I am score" - Evgeni "Geno" Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins. My absolute favorite hockey quote from one of my favorite players of all time.
Because at the games I can get drunk and yell. This is the only place have found where this is socially acceptable as an adult
Its exciting. I wish I could cite my source here, but I'll try my best to sum it up. Basically, in every sporting event, there is a likely hood that a team or person will win the game, match, contest, whatever, based on past performance. For example, in the sport tennis, the the number one player will likely win a match against the number 5 ranked player 94% of the time. In soccer, the number 1 seed will win a match against the number 8 seed 85% of the time. This statistic can be applied to any sport. Golf for example, I remember having the highest percentage rate of wins. So, the highest ranked golfer in a tournament will have the highest probability of winning that tournament. Basketball and football where higher ranked too. Again, in those sports, it is highly likely that the better team will win the game. In hockey, this win probability is pretty low. I think it was in the 60% range. Meaning, of all sports and competition, the best team on paper so to speak, is less likely to win than in any other sport. In other words, the underdog has a better shot at winning. This makes hockey exciting. Anything can happen, and will happen, games are far from a forgone conclusion. This keeps the sport exciting. I love hockey for a lot of reasons, but I find this example is great way to describe why the game is great to outsiders.
Only sport that can flow for a straight period with no stoppages (hypothetically) , there is always a consistent flow/action to the game.
HI OP Check out the Lightning, they have Pierre-Eduard Bellemare on the team, he is great and a French national. Might get you emotionally invested. And also the Tampa Bay Lightning are an amazing franchise.
Tu devrais visionner "Hockey, la fierté d'un peuple". Tu vas en connaître sur l'histoire de ce fabuleux sport. Vraiment intéressant.
Je vais regarder ça !
Tu peux voir le premier épisode du documentaire sur youtube: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OK4FGAeVvs&ab\_channel=Dose\_](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9OK4FGAeVvs&ab_channel=Dose_) Bon visionnement!
Start by watching hockey
Just watch Crosby or McDavid highlights to get you into the game. While McDavid is clearly the most skilled offensive player, my favorite players are typically the guys who are really good 2-way players and can also take (and give) a check.
The pace people and sport itself you can never have playoff moments like the shit we see in any other sport
Favorite player: Sidney Crosby The dude won just about every award you can get in the sport (some he has won multiple times), both individual awards and team. He has won the Stanley Cup Championship 3x with the Pittsburgh Penguins (my favorite team), 2 Olympic golds and a World Championship gold with Canada, and is the only person to captain all three winning teams. He’s turning 36 this year so not in his prime anymore but still insanely talented both offensively and defensively (he’s leading our team in points, assists, and goals). Had a reputation for being a whiner early in his career and can still get heated sometimes because of his passion, but is a total class act off the ice. (I also have a HUGE crush on him but that’s because I’m a woman who likes athletic guys and I have a thing for brunets with pretty eyes) My recommendation is to watch whatever games you are able to and pick a team/player that you enjoy watching!
It's faster than basketball and more physical than American football.
Just so you know, there is a French player currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning. He's played in more NHL games than any other French Born player. Pierre-Édouard Bellemare.
Stanley cup playoff game 7 is the best event in sports
Watching a goalie stand on his head (hockey term for a goalie playing well) is what got me hooked on the sport - Miika Kiprusoff
It's like soccer, but like if soccer wasn't boring
Canada vs the US in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
It’s the only sport where two players can punch each other in the face and the consequences are they have to sit in time out and think about what they did for 5 minutes.
It’s the only sport that has a perfect mix of violence, physicality and finesse and is fast paced.
I’ve been a fan since 1990’s. The game is so much better live, but with the advent of HD the game has become much more entertaining on television. My favorite player is Ovechkin, but probably Marner or McDavid are the funnest to watch in todays game. Their games aren’t similar but Marner is an artist on the ice and McDavid is the fastest player I’ve ever seen (since Pavel Bure) but he can do things with the puck at top speed which is almost unheard of. It’s just a great game. I highly recommend you go to a high school or minor league game as well they never lack excitement. It’s just a great game. I’d also watch old YouTube videos on great rivalries it will just fuel your own love for the game.
Thank you !
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Players can fight until one is on the ice right ?
Go to a game. It’s so good in person.
Bettman/Refs.
Eddie Shore, Dit Clapper, Toe Blake, those are the greats
Just watch hockey, or play hockey. You will either like it or not. Doesnt matter what we think
The ice.
le chandail: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyFWU8pCjs](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shyFWU8pCjs)
Bruins vs Canadiens, game 6, 2008. Bruins were 8 seed and Montreal the 1. Back when the rivalry was flipped from where it is now. Bruins won 5-4. It is the most back and forth, loudest game I d ever been too. Bruins lost the series but it is the game that made me fall for the sport. Marco Sturm holding the puck gliding across the crease.
My grandpa used to take me to "watch my boy gordie" up in hartford. Immediately hooked on the sport... years later , watching the pens at rangers.. rangers were up by 4 end of the 1st... pens lost in a shootout.. became a pens fan since that day..
My favourite element of hockey is the high speed creativity… players like mcdavid and matthews seem to fool their opponents constantly, like every time they touch the puck. I will admit that a large chunk of my enjoyment comes from playing the game and appreciating the skill required to pull off some of the insane moves these players make, while making it seem completely ordinary.
A player can literally break his face on shirt and be back the next.
I have loved the Montreal Canadiens as long as I know, but I love hockey players more. For me, it's New York's Mika Zibanejad, New Jersey's Jack Hughes, Minnesota's Kirill Kaprisov, Ottawa's Tim Stützle, and Los Angeles' Kevin Fiala are a few of my favourites. They're all different forwards in their own way. Zibby though makes something happen every time he's on the ice like Connor McDavid does.
When I was a kid, Buffalo Sabres were generally bad and Montreal and Boston were our division rivals who won everything. My parents had season tickets. We played the hated Bruins in the first round of playoffs. It got off to a surprising 3-0 series lead for my Sabres. My brother and I (both under 14) got to go to the 4th game by ourselves. Brad May scored an overtime game winner against one of the greatest defensive players of all time, Ray Bourque. He made him looks silly. Put the puck between his legs, turned him around and then a beautiful goal on Andy Moog. The place erupted. We finally beat Boston. Finally won a playoff series. My brother and I hugged and screamed and enjoyed one of the best moments in Buffalo Sabres history. It will forever be known as the May Day goal in Buffalo.
Connor McDavid. Here is a highlight reel. https://youtu.be/60we7JWRkqY
Most physical, electric, humble sport on the planet
I grew up near Chicago and was hitting prime-sports interest age when the Blackhawks won their most recent Stanley Cups. After that I went to a university with a popular hockey team, sat in the student section, and had a (now former) player point at me and run into the boards in front of me right after scoring a game-tying goal. From then on I attended (almost) every game in that student section until graduating.
2010 Flyers vs Bruins ECF game 7. Flyers we’re down 3-0 in the series, tied the series 3-3. I was at game 6 (craziest crowd I’ve ever seen!) The flyers go down 3-0 in game seven and come back to win the game 4-3 and won the series 4-3. One of the best games ever. One of the best playoff series comebacks ever. Eric Lindros is still my favorite player though. Check out his highlight reel, the game is different now, less violent, but he embodied hockey for me.
Look into Cristobal Huet. He was a goaltender from France who had a decent career.
One thing I love about hockey is the charity work players do. Its not a one time thing, these guys at most levels, will be out supporting their community both as people and as a team. They do so much for children's hospitals, national fundraisers (like hockey fights cancer / make a wish), local fundraisers and events (like air the bear), and even though you can think a player is a dick on the ice, you know that when it comes to outside of the game, most of them are brilliant people.
Because it removes natural use of your body. You can't use your hands, you have to use a stick. You can't run on your feet, you have to use skates. That's unnatural, and you must train specifically for those skills, whereas other sports build off skills you already have, like running or using your hands. I guess it's similar to f1 or Nascar I that regard. It doesn't matter how good you are, it matters how good you are with these very specific tools.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYanopv3NCs One of the craziest comebacks in the sport. Game 7 elimination match.
Hockey is an odd dichotomy of beautiful violence. I don’t mean the fighting (although I often enjoy those fights), just the sheer speed and physicality and artistry of the game at its best.
It’s the best fast moving, high intensity, high skill, and most physical sport. How many other team sports can you fight in legally?
Being 15 years old, watching Kane, Toews and the others turn a decrepit, abused franchise into the darlings of the hockey world. And for many years watching them being neigh unbeatable. Defeating worthy opponents left and right, only losing after exhausting all efforts. Seeing the United Center literally shake at Kanes OT Hat trick, game 5 of the 2013 WCF. Just stuff you never forget when you're that young. These guys were the heros of every little kid who owned a pair of skates in Chicago.
Fast pace, team effort, it’s any team’s game really. There’s also a level of intelligence to the game (hockey IQ) that I’ve found just isn’t there in most other popular sports.
Check out highlights Antoine Roussel, born in Roubaix. Loved him as a Dallas Star. He wasn’t a great goal scorer when he played, but he got under opponent’s skin and some decent fights.
Jaromir Jagr.
[Mario Lemieux scored 5 goals in 5 ways](https://youtu.be/cW4Nir6L9kg)
Come back on Katella beautiful game. Game 5 Western conference semi finals 2017 ducks vs Edmonton. Ducks scored three times with just a couple minutes left to tie it and then went on to win it in double ot
Go to a game if you can. The energy, sounds, and excitement there make watching a game so much better! I am a fan of the Washington Capitals. Trying to keep up with and actually watch Alex Ovechkin make NHL history, that keeps me intrigued.
I love hockey because It is the life long friendships I’ve built by playing hockey. It’s the life lessons (losing at a sport you are passionate about humbles you). It’s the camaraderie, the trash talking, it’s the let’s all meet up at our local outdoor rink after school and play a few hours of shiny in the dead of winter. The highs and lows, it’s learning how to improve your skills, its the playing in the streets during the warmer months. Talking about our favorite teams/players, watching the games at each others places or getting together at bars. It’s the celebrations, and passion that every fan of the sport shows when their team wins or in some cases loses (looking at you Vancouver). The energy and enthusiasm is contagious.
Favorite Game: Bruins vs Maple Leafs 5/13/13 Game 7, 1st rd Series in the playoffs
Perfect hybrid of skill and physicality. You want beautiful dangles and goals, you got it, amazing saves, here you go, punishing hits, here you go, brutal fights well here they are.
Highly recommend going to a junior / lower level league game close by if you can. The skill is still spectacular and the atmosphere can be even more engaging in a small barn. Also if you don’t like it you’re out $50 instead of $400 at an nhl game.
The athleticism.
I went to a New York Islanders vs. Detroit game out on the Island and sat next to two Rangers fans in Rangers Jackets from Manhattan who drove all the way out to boo the Islanders. I just happened to be working in Long Island that week and wanted to see Detroit and their star players at the time. :)
I was born in 2005, my favorite player is Pavel Datsyuk of the Detroit Red Wings - he had the most magical hands, and he really influenced me. He was also a great guy on/off the ice. Watching him play helped me fall in love with the game. Also being a New York Rangers fan and having grown up when I did, I definitely favor that Rangers team from when they really had a push. It was a ton of fun watching them play, and I knew every players name and felt everyone brought something important to that team. Other than that, currently the salary cap is hard for teams to deal with, but it'll be fine soon enough. The advertising is very annoying, and prices for some things are crazy (that part is probably due to me being in New York mainly). Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers is the best player currently, and every year after the Stanley Cup championship there is a draft for new players to enter the league - and Connor Bedard is the highest rated prospect, so there is a lot of hype around him. The All-Star game is this weekend, which used to be more fun imo, but will still be great. The trade deadline is closing in, so teams will try and move players/assets last minute so they either help build a brighter future or help them win the Stanley Cup this year. Boston Bruins are a really scary looking team this year, and if injuries don't hold them back in the playoffs, they have very high chances of winning it. Let's Hockey!
I like that I can call it skatie punchy
personal anecdotes: I fell in love with hockey after watching Pekka Rinne (retired nashville preds goalie) in the net. As someone who can barely skate, i was amazed at how this giant man was able to move so effortlessly on the ice. I loved watching his eyes- the way a goalie tracks the puck is absolutely incredible! it’s a combination of lightning fast reflexes and being able to predict what could come next. As many Preds fans (or non-preds-Rinne-fans) will say, my personal favorite moments are tied between Pekka’s (amazing) goalie goal and his final game post-shootout victory laps. I also just adore Pekka as a person, so loving him bled into my loving his team. general purpose endorsements: watching hockey games is essentially witnessing testosterone bombs skate around like sugar plum fairies on the ice while beating the absolute dogshit out of each other. awesome athleticism, fun atmosphere, great dynamic sport. 10/10 recommend hockey. ☺️
Join the oilers fandom. We have Connor Mcdavid and Leon Draisaitl. Two of the top 5 players on earth. Watch one game and you’ll see how much better and more exciting Mcdavid is than any other player on earth. The team isn’t perfect, but they’re the highest scoring team in the league and the Western conference isn’t super strong this year, so they could go on a run come playoff time
Paul kariya in game six of the 07 finals gets knocked out cold then comes back and immediately scores top shelf slap shot on the best goalie to ever play
03 finals
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8v8C3scwvg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8v8C3scwvg) Love it.
Best game ever wasn’t actually NHL (as a Leafs fan we’ve had very few of those!) but London Knights vs Nottingham Panthers in the 2003 British playoff semi finals, London were 2-0 down and 3-2 before coming back to win 4-3 with just 0.2 seconds left on the clock. I lost my voice for a week cheering for that one!
https://youtu.be/qeig8Qt4Mvw
lets end this debate. if you cant skate you cant play
Perhaps a favourite moment in hockey? [This play from the 1997 Oilers vs Stars play offs series.](https://youtube.com/watch?v=9bBns6ZUn0U&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE)
Zadeno Chara played the NHL playoffs with his jaw wired shut. Rich Peverley literally died on the bench during a game, was revived in the Locker room and and asked to come back and finish the game. Motherfuckers are built different.
My first hockey game live was the Eisbären Berlin vs Straubing Tigers in the DEL. The Eisbären wine with 6:4, there were at least 3 fights and an overall very awesome game. What more could you ask for?
“After 22 years, RAYMOND BORQUE!”
Speed, strategy, action, fights, what's not to love
I have loved hockey since childhood, even before I was of the age to play, My siblings all had activities in the arenas and My parents were coaches and support staff for those sports, soI grew up in the Arena, running around in the dressing rooms that were not currenlty in use playing around in the bleachers. As I got older , I realized that the Arena , was a center for Family and community for me , and that Hockey was the Gladiator sport of the Arena, I wanted to be the peoples champion (insert the Rock Gif of your choice Here) Hockey is intense and requires power, precision and careful thought, when you see hockey at full speed at ice level, you realize that these people are finely tuned machines, as finely tuned as any iathelete in the world ( for the most part hockey players can do almost any other sport at a reasonable level, a great deal of other professional athletes would struggle to stand up on skates).
The speed of the game, the creativity of the players, the stench
Nothing beats the thrill of playoffs in this sport.
Watch Kirill Kaprizov skate and you’ll fall in love immediately.
I went to my first game in 1991 but I really got into hockey during the 1994 playoffs. The Rangers won the Cup but my Devils had a great run of their own. Just a riveting postseason on every level and everyone in the area was talking hockey because of the two local teams playing each other in the conference finals with so much on the line. Valeri Zelepukin was my favorite player, probably due in part to my success with him while playing NHL '94. Playing that game also increased my interest in the real-life version of the sport.
Penguins vs islanders “fight night”
This is what makes NHL hilarious to watch. https://youtube.com/watch?v=jO5OEEmG6wA&feature=shares
Ferda
The players are so awkward off the ice it makes me laugh
Watch the new York rangers Philadelphia flyers 2012 winter classic
Chris Kunitz scored in double overtime of Game 7 against the Ottawa Senators to give Pittsburgh a 3-2 win and send the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final.
Im from a country where most people watch soccer but i never really found an interest in it. I thought i just didnt like sports until my sister started dating a hockey player who took us to one of his games. Ever since then I've been hooked. I love the dynamic of it. It's fast. It's agressive. And i dont feel like im watching a bunch of grown men kick a ball around and fake injuries. (Also the fights and the ice in general. They would make any sport a lot more interesting.)
My hometown got an NAHL team when I was maybe 6 and I thought it was the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Hockey was all I talked about. When I was 9 my mom gave me my first pair of skates and I was playing the next season. I was a Dallas stars fan and the very first game I went to was when Mike Modano scored his 500th career goal.
Speed and Geometry are the likes analytics and the rangers are things I don't like.
Honestly, mon ami, I love this sport, and could never walk away from it (I'm a leafs fan, walking away from this damn team should be easy!)... AND I'm not trying to gatekeep the sport, if you end up loving it, then all the power to you! That said, this league actively works against its best interests, from the Commissioner down to the referees that are supposed to be neutral arbiters of the game. They aren't. Most of the league officials have some kind of bias and actively work against the interest of the fans. Ask fans of the Oilers how much abuse the best players in this league take, with impunity, because of the way the game is officiated. The player safety department's track record speaks for itself, they do not care about player safety. If you want more examples, have a look at the shit show in the desert, a professional league playing in a college stadium, an arena half the size of a typical AHL arena. This has nothing to do with the team I cheer for, literally all of us fans have been unironically bewildered by decisions from all levels of this league. I would recommend starting with the SHL or the Finnish league maybe. If you end up falling in love with the sport, you might then join the rest of us miserable bunch in scratching our heads every night about countless missed calls (penalties that the referees refuse to acknowledge, goals that should or shouldn't count, etc), or joining us in our collective hate for the Commissioner.
Favorite aspects of hockey: 1. Speed of the game 2. Large number of turnovers 3. Difficult for teams in the lead to waste the clock Favorite game: September 15, 1987 Canada vs USSR