Student Opinion Column: Hockey Deserves Our Respect
Launch the media gallery 1 playerBy: Morgan Bunner, a freshman at Leigh High School
Hockey is a sport that is ruthless, fast paced and hard to win. But why doesn’t it get enough praise as it should?
Well one reason is because it is more of an international sport than baseball or American football, which are more common and loved in the U.S. But hockey is beloved in a lot of countries in Europe including the Czech Republic, Russia, Sweden and many more that celebrate this frigid sport.
In America it is still loved and supported, but has a much smaller following than baseball, football, and basketball. But I believe hockey in America is grossly underrated.
Why? Number one - the Rivalries - The rivalries in all sports are fun and exciting but none more than in hockey. It is one of the oldest sports in America and is still growing strong and so are the rivalries.
The Montreal Canadians, Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs have a hate triangle between them since the original 6 Era. Then there’s the Blues and Blackhawks rivalry, which is one of the bloodier ones considering the St. Patrick’s Day Massacre game. This game was an example of how years of intense games and bad blood can lead to dangerous hits, fights, penalties, and ejections.
But besides the rivalries, the strength and ability required to be a hockey player deserves appreciation. Hockey players are some of the toughest and strongest athletes out there. They play through lost teeth, broken ankles and torn muscles to ensure their team wins the game or even the Stanley Cup.
Where an NFL or NBA player would fall to the ground like they got thrown off a building, on a similar injury a hockey player would skate on a half-inch blade on ice and play through the pain. NFL players might be tough but NHL players are tougher.
And finally, the time of the game, the playoffs, and the trophy they all go after in every sport. The timing in a hockey game is amazing. With only 3 commercials per period and hardly stopping skating for long periods of time is fun to watch. Compare that to NBA games. Sure, there are the fast, exciting breaks, but mostly you just stand and walk around. It can also take 5 minutes to play the last 30 seconds of a game in some moments.
The playoffs in the NHL are high-paced, edge-of-your-seat games, especially the overtime games. Overtime games in the NFL are much less common and sometimes must even be decided by the single flip of a coin. 5 extra minutes in the NBA, whatever, it’s five minutes. In the MLB, extra, it’s snail-paced innings that drag the game on forever.
But finally, the trophy in the NHL definite deserves respect. The Lombardi Trophy, one of the most popular trophies in American sports, was first introduced in 1967, which was given in the first Super Bowl. So there is a lot of history behind it. The NBA’s Larry O’Brien Trophy was first introduced in 1977, so it is pretty recent. The MLB’s Commissioner's Trophy was also first introduced in 1967, which is pretty cool. But the Stanley Cup was first introduced in 1893! Presented and donated by Lord Stanley of Preston who was a big fan of the sport. This sport is rich in tradition and legacy!
From the history around the cup, to the teams, the players, and the rivalries, the all-around game of hockey itself is absolutely outstanding. I encourage everyone to watch a game of hockey and give it a shot. I promise you will be on the edge of your seat and develop a newfound respect for this sport!