The Ice Hockey Player

Ugly. Toothless. Mullets. No teeth. Stink. Ice hockey players get a pretty bad rap. Being the number four most popular sport in the United States, we usually only get the best of the worst from the hockey world. Not many people know the up and coming young stars, or the older veterans. What we see on Sportscenter are usually the big hits, crazy goals, and of course, the fights.

If you search for 'hockey' on almost any video page, there are going to be a lot of fight videos that show up. Hockey is the only major American sport that allows fighting without fining the players tens of thousands of dollars. Hockey players get five minutes in the penalty box and then they are right back on the ice.
People like to watch conflict, and a hockey fight easily satisfies that craving. The amount of hockey fights available to watch contributes to the stereotype that hockey players have more brawn than brains or teeth combined.

The Mighty Ducks movies are a great example of America's perception of hockey; all it takes to be successful is to have a unique play and a better mascot than the other team.


(I love the movies, but this play always bothers me because it looks like they go into the zone offside. I don't think they would get a lot of love from the refs. It should be whistled dead before they can even get a shot off)


The perception is that hockey players are thugs. Big brutes that care more about a large silver cup than their own personal hygiene. The only real media coverage that hockey gets is during the Stanley Cup Finals. Usually the time when players are going a hundred miles an hour and blocking shots with whatever body part they can get in front of the puck. In this video, Gregory Campbell blocks a shot from Evgeni Malkin that breaks his leg. And he continues to play for over a minute. With a broken leg. That takes guts. And a very high pain tolerance. But he is a hockey player. This is all he knows.

Hockey players are known for their brutality. But the players that get into the pros because of their fighting ability don't get the right kind of attention. They are praised by fans and the media for their physical dominance. But little is known about these players after they get out of the NHL. Too much attention goes to their activities on the ice.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/racing/article-2038880/The-brutal-toll-ice-hockey-NHL-skating-ice--Martin-Samuel.html

The media in the US portrays hockey as more of a battle of barbarians than a difficult sport. But most of it is true. It is portrayed fairly accurately, minus the Mighty Ducks movies. Though there should be more media coverage because hockey is easily the most difficult and skill-oriented sport, the portrayal of it's players is right on the money.

A perfect summation of what it means to be a hockey player.