Hockey: As Observed From The Outside

For those embedded deep in the hockey culture we seemingly instinctively know hockey. We take much for granted, resist change, and tend to be oblivious as to why other people may not love the sport as passionately as we do. So it is always good to get an “outsiders” perspective. Alistair Potter provides us with this fresh perspective in his article simply titled “Ice Hockey” in the inthenews.co.uk. The article can be found here, and i urge you to check it out. Here are a few highlights…

“Ice hockey players tend to be pretty big, pretty intimidating and minus at least one or two teeth.

The game can be brutal and the players reflect that. Almost exclusively they will have a mean streak, which comes out when you see one man batter another into one of the sideboards or get involved in a fight with an opponent. It says something when there is a specifically well-known and well-used set penalty for having a scrap on the ice.

What I find interesting here is the stereotypical attitude towards a hockey player - mean - and that a standard bodycheck into the boards is seen as brutal. The body check is a way of separating the player from the puck, and of potentially removing the player from the play of the moment. The author’s impression of brutality and mean is quite different from mine.

Players are gentlemanly however and, in much the same way as rugby players tend to leave their differences on the field, shake hands at the end and have a drink together afterwards, ice hockey players will socialise within their sport a good deal.

Ahhh…. now he’s got it!

The sport is fast and furious and while a live game may make it difficult to follow the puck at times, the action is unbelievable up close.

There is nothing quite like the sound of skates scraping against the ice as player twist and turn at break-neck speed and the atmosphere inside the arenas of the NHL is unlike any other sport in north America, especially when it is one of the well-worn rivalries in Canada or the northern states.

I couldn’t have said it better myself, but would have perhaps added the exhilaration of stepping on that clean sheet of ice and experiencing the game first hand.

Thank you Alistair for the perspective.