Ice hockey doesn’t get enough respect these days. Even though it boasts the oldest trophy in North America and has managed to bring a winter-centric sport to areas of the United States that have never even heard of snow, people just don’t seem to understand the appeal of the sport. The National Hockey League’s poor marketing skills might be to blame for the general lack of interest but the sport itself should stand up on its own. Some of the toughest guys on the planet play ice hockey and they aren’t getting the credit they are due.

Over the years hockey players have proven themselves worthy of the attention of the masses yet for some reason they don’t get the play in the press like they should. Broadcasters from ESPN barely even recognize the going on’s in the NHL and will only try to bash the sport when the tough guys show their worth. Here are only a few examples of why the toughest athletes in the world wear ice hockey skates.

Fights:

Hockey is the only sport where fighting is expected. When you have to have specific penalties in a game revolving around fights (“5 minutes in the box for you two”) you know that it’s a regular occurrence. In no other team sport do you see athletes beating the snot out of each other on a regular basis. One of the greatest players to ever grace the rink, Bobby Orr, coined the phrase the “Bobby Orr Hat Trick” for his fighting prowess because he would manage to score a goal, make an assist, and get into a fight all in one game.

Injuries Be Damned:

Injuries are serious business in every sport but in hockey they get shrugged off a little bit more often. Just watch an NHL play off game and you will see at least five guys get peppered with 90MPH slap shots to the exposed body only to limp off and come roaring back five seconds later. The bench doctor will often stitch up player’s faces on the bench in between shifts just so they can continue tearing it up on the ice.

If you’re a fan of tough guys and you’re not watching hockey I don’t know what you’re doing with your life. For more information on sports, sports equipment, and everything in between, check out the Sports Bag Blog.