10 Things I Love About Hockey

**And now I present a blast from the past! I started composing this post last May at the end of the '05/'06 NHL season, and before I knew it the '06/'07 season snuck up behind me. It kicked off yesterday and I'm happy to inform you that the Oilers are now undefeated. So, in their honor, and as a special shout out to my favorite hockey fan, I give you 10 Things I Love About Hockey (which is actually only five at the moment, but I'll keep you posted as more come up):

As some of you know, Tim is just a little bit of a hockey fan, so this season I've become a little bit of a hockey fan. My favorite team is the New Jersey Devils. I didn't catch any of their games this year, but I love their backstory. The Devs (as I like to call them) didn't make it far into the playoffs, but luckily Tim's team, the Edmonton Oilers, is still going strong. They are actually in the final four (or whatever you call it in hockey) and we're watching them beat up on the Anaheim Ducks right now. Like, literally. They are just brawling out there on the ice. They had a cumulative total of 40 minutes of penalties in the first eight minutes! It's awesome. So I've been inspired to tell you ten of my favorite things about hockey (in no particular order):

The penalty box. Let's face it, most professional sports players are just little boys, so it's only right to give them a time out now and then. Although they do have this bullshit rule that allows you to sub somebody for you. How great would that have been when you got grounded in junior high?

The players fall down a lot. How often do you see that in professional sports? That would get you fired on most teams! I have to give them credit of course, because I can hardly chew gum while ice skating, let alone hit a puck and punch a dude. I'm just saying though, I rarely go sprawling across the floor at work. Let's be professionals.

The goalie's helmets. This protective headgear is a work of...well I can't exactly say art, but it is certainly airbrushing at its finest. You don't get quality like this at that booth at Great America. Somebody obviously spent a lot of time working on the design, and I would like to meet the fine craftsmen (or women) whose work we see here --->

It's played practically year 'round. See above re: this season sneaking up on me. '05/'06 ended like five minutes ago, and already they're back on the ice. Isn't this supposed to be a winter sport? But it's cool because the playoffs last like six months and all of the teams are in them, which I think is only fair.

Tim loves it. I just find it funny that a cute little boy from Anaheim, CA grew up loving this classic Canadian sport. Note that this was pre-Mighty Ducks, though neither the Disney movie nor the Disney-owned team did much to inspire. Somehow he got hooked, and he's still a fan right down to his garters. Oh that's right, all those tough guys are out there wearing lingerie. And somehow he sucked me right in too.

So as we look forward to the '06/'07 season, and the triumphant return of the Edmonton Oilers to the Stanley Cup finals, I urge you all to put on a scarf and catch a game. After a while you may even be able to see the puck!