The Fun of Watching Hockey Games

Keep Calm Watch HockeyBeing a die hard hockey fan means that there are certain elements that one experiences when watching hockey games.  A number of hockey players are superstitious and hockey fans can be just as superstitious.  That is part of the fun of watching hockey whether you are live at a game, at a sports bar or from the comfort of your home.  Ever wonder why hockey fans enjoy watching hockey games?  The Hockey Fanatic has come up with twenty reasons why its fun to watch hockey.

Ever ask your husband or your boyfriend why they love to watch hockey (no we are not suggesting that only men watch hockey…)  There are just so many great things that make watching hockey fun.  Whether it is the trade deadline, opening week of the season or the playoffs watching hockey is a heralded past time throughout the world but especially here in Canada.

20 Reasons Why Its Fun to Watch Hockey

  1. Hockey is the fastest sport on ice – hockey is a fast sport and there is nothing like end to end action to get hockey fans up out of their seats.  Watching the speed of the players as they skate back and fourth, make line changes on the fly is something to behold.
  2. Hockey has cool rules – there are a lot of rules in hockey.  Where else can a team play one or even two players short (due to penalties) giving the other team an opportunity to score a powerplay goal?  What about icing and having the faceoff go into the offensive zone?  Of course there are some lameo-O rules, but there are a number of unique rules in the game that makes it fun to watch.
  3. Hockey Sticks – Hockey is the only team sport that allows all active players to use a piece of equipment to engage in the play.  In baseball you have batters hitting one at a time, but in hockey all players have a stick in hand which can be used to score, save, poke check, cross check or take a slapshot with.
  4. Team Rivalries – as in any sport, hockey has its share of rivalries.  Like the Battle of Alberta or the New York vs New York matchup.  How about Philly vs the Pens?  Come playoff times rivalries heat up making it even more fun to watch.
  5. Great Play by Play – at least in Canada, the play by play of NHL and CHL games is exceptional.  TSN have some great and veteran hockey announcers and some of the best in the biz which makes it very entertaining to watch hockey games.
  6. Hockey is a contact sport – if you get the chance to attend a live hockey game and get to sit up close to the glass you will know what we mean.  There is a certain element of toughness with the game.
  7. Outdoor Games are fun – hockey originated outside in frigid temperatures on lakes and ponds.  The NHL’s Winter Classic and stadium series have proven that hockey fans love out door games.  It’s an experience like no other.
  8. Hockey Arenas have great atmospheres – the smell of popcorn or hot chocolate.  Ice girls, mascots, 50/50 draws, you cannot beat attending a hockey game whether it is in small town Saskatchewan or in the heart of New York city.
  9. Hockey has a great history – whether you are a Toronto Maple Leafs Fans, Montreal Canadiens fan or a fan of the Ottawa 67s, the history of the game of hockey is rich and epic.
  10. Hockey is a skilled game – you have to skate, shoot, check and skate some more to be able to play the game.  Those lucky enough to play in semi-pro and pro leagues are some of the best athletes in the world.
  11. Hockey players are classy – sure there are a few bad apples, but for the most part, hockey players are classy and give great interviews and are very personable and respectful of fans.
  12. Hockey Fights – ok we need to state clearly that we do not condone fighting in hockey, in fact the time may come to remove fighting from the game, but have you seen how the crows reacts to a classic hockey tilt?  The fans get excited, the players get pumped up and the level of excitement gets amped up.
    Here’s a peek at the top hockey fights of all-time courtesy of TSN via YouTube )
  13. Penalty Shots – where else can you find a good ol’ fashioned one on one, mano o mano play in a team sport?  Penalty shots make watching hockey games even more exciting.  The penalty shot is often referred to the most exciting play in all of hockey, maybe in all of sports, especially if it is in Overtime… and speaking of OT…
  14. Sudden Death Overtime – are you kidding me?  There is no nail biting in hockey, but there is nail biting during sudden death overtime as the next goal wins.  Especially in the playoffs as OT periods can sometime go three or four periods before a winning goal is scored.  That’s pretty exciting especially if your team scores the winner.
  15. You get to wear your teams’ jersey and colors – there are some cool jerseys in hockey.  Watching hockey allows you to throw on your teams colors and cheer on your team.
  16. Best of Seven Playoff series – the first team to win four games advances or wins the Stanley Cup.  How cool is that?
  17. Shootouts – players try some pretty crazy moves in the shootout.  Love them or hate them, shootouts can lift the fans out of their seats.
  18. Playoff Races – with 16 of the league’s teams entering the post season (we are speaking of the NHL here), the playoff races heat up in the final few weeks of the season and often come down to the final week or final day of the season which makes for some great scoreboard watching.
  19. The Stanley Cup – by far the coolest trophy in all of sports.  The quest for the Holy Grail ends with the captain of the winning team hoisting the Stanley Cup overhead and passing it to his teammates after a long hard battle of winning 16 games over a two month battle for hockey supremacy.
  20. Parity – while I personally long for the return of the dynasties, there is parity in the NHL like never before.  On any given night any of the 30 NHL teams can beat the others.  Take the 2006 Stanley Cup final, a seven game series between the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers with the Hurricanes prevailing.  Neither team was expected to get out of the first round that season.  Fans were excited for the Cinderella run of both teams.

Watching hockey is fun, but you know what is even better?  Playing hockey.  You are never too old to start.  Whether it is road hockey, ball hockey, ice hockey or other give it a try, you too may just become a hockey fan.