Aside from cheering for your favorite team, what draws you into the game of hockey? Is it the fighting, speed, or goal scoring? Are you a casual fan or a hardcore fan? Hockey has been around for years and the fans, as well as the game, changes. We evolve and change along with the sport to keep up, develop and adapt just like the game. For fans is it a game you love or is it a game that you just watch causally?
For me the game became a love for me in the late 80’s after the Wayne Gretzky trade to Los Angeles from Edmonton. I became a fan slowly but started to appreciate the game and studied the rules to know the game better. The game of hockey, for me, is a game to love for the little things. The sound of a nice one timer. The sound the puck makes on the stick after a nice hard pass. Watching the players communicate not only with each other but with the coaching staff. The way the players are constantly moving and adjusting on the ice. The breathtaking designs on the goalie masks. The respect after a good fight. The swooshing sounds of a players skate as he stops or skates faster. These are the little things about hockey that has made me a fan.
The game of hockey is one to admire because of the obvious – highlight reel goals, fights, etc. however, the next time you watch or attend a game notice the small things that make this game great. The fan or casual fan might be amazed how many little things there are in the game of hockey, and those things make this the greatest game on earth. The game of hockey is one to truly appreciate, because it gives us so much in return. These athletes give their all, not only on the ice but in the community. This is the game I love and the reasons are many but it all started to be a love and not just an event in 1992. That’s the year I attended my first game in person and that day the game made me a fan.
Photo: SB Nation
