As parents, my wife and I always wanted a daughter. So you can well imagine our delight when Jenny came along. In no time, she had us wrapped around her little finger and my wife often jokingly pointed out that I was paying more attention to the new girl in my life than I did to her. Which was true actually; as she grew up, I found I just had to allow her to have her way in most things. Of course, there was a line I would not cross but a ‘pleeeease daddy’ often had me drop all that was doing to get down on my hands and knees pretending to be a horse while she sat on my back and laughed deliriously. I quite enjoyed watching her feminine side evolve as she grew, except when it came to sports.
This might be a first in Puck Bunny blog history. For the first time ever, this blog post isn’t about hockey. It’s about something similar to hockey… but also pretty different. It’s something that’s become my newest obsession, and is now taking over every Wednesday evening after I finish work and most of my Sundays! It’s a sport with skates, helmets and women with kick-ass team names. Have you guessed what it is yet? If not the photo below might give you a clue…
While ice hockey is a game loved by people in the colder regions of the world, it has a cousin in the warmer climes of the world. Hockey in these regions came with the British colonisation. The British regiments played it as a pastime and passed it along to the local regiments, who in turn found eager players in the local populace. It was adapted to the prevailing conditions and soon found a fan following.
Many friends of mine ask me why I am interested in watching a violent sport like ice hockey. Well, there is absolutely no violence in this sport when it is played on the international level or at the Olympic level. Hence, to simply conclude that ice hockey is a violent sport does not make sense. I like this game primarily because it is the fastest game on the planet. Of course, there may be other sports where things or objects may move at a higher speed. However, that is not what I am referring to when I describe this as the fastest game.
I often wonder how the game of Ice hockey survived its early years. No, I am not talking about the money. People probably played the game for fun and joy; a concept we can no longer understand. What I wonder about is how people managed with the equipment. Whacking a round object with a stick is not a big deal. Even a roundish object will suffice if you know what I mean. On the other hand, the puck in the ice hockey game must be completely flat.
There was a time when ice hockey was just a sport. Anyone who has this opinion today obviously needs to get his or her head examined. It is a business. It is a commercial enterprise that is designed to take money out of the pocket of the fans into the pocket of the administrators and players. This may sound very cynical but that is the way the game is managed today.
My parents may have no choice but to accept the fact that their child will never spend time on changing room benches of major ice hockey teams is simply because their child happens to be a girl. However, my interest in this game has helped reduce their disappointment. They too are coming around to the fact that a girl who follows ice hockey is actually more interesting than a boy who does so.
Ice Hockey has been termed by many as a fight on ice where the occasional game breaks out; it is a hard hitting fast paced game, where injuries can arise from a number of mediums. Skate blades, sticks and even the puck which can travel at an astonishing 100MPH can be the cause of some nasty on-ice injuries. The highest or most common injury is caused via player contact and generally account for around 80% of all reported injuries to players.
An enforcer is an unofficial position in ice hockey. The enforcer’s duty is to block the tackles made by the opponent against the really talented players of the team. Simply put, the job of the enforcers to resort to every single dirty trick in the book as long as it helps the team score the goal. If it means the crashing into the opponent, so be it. If it means punching him in the face, so be it. If it means committing a foul to break the flow of the game, well you now know how it goes.
Enforcers are very popular amongst crowds as they fight and indulge in violence. The enforcer is an unofficial position in National Hockey League in America. There is no such thing as an enforcer or his dirty tactics in ice hockey when played at the Olympic level. It is seen only at the club level in America.
Is it advisable for teams to employ person just to resort to dirty tactics? What sort of a message does that send out to the viewers? Of course, there are many who love the idea of fighting but should the game focus on such viewers?
The issue has become a crisis as enforcers suffer from permanent injuries and even death. While death due to on field injuries has not yet occurred, the violence has led to psychological problems leading to suicide.
The worst part is that the enforcer is expected to indulge in violence every single time. Even a policeman will enjoy a few days where there is nothing wrong in his or her precinct. Life is normal and the job seems routine. Of course, it does not last but still the peaceful gap exists. This is virtually nonexistent as far as an enforcer is concerned. Would this person fight daily had he opted for care home manager jobs instead? Certainly not. That the enforcer is assigned violent duties is begin to worry critics and followers of the game.
I don’t understand why ice hockey is not a global game. There was a time when ice hockey could be played only in those countries where certain places were covered with ice throughout the year. Of course, it is not essential for the game to be played in subzero temperatures at all times. If a particular place receives snowfall for one or two months a year, ice hockey games can be arranged at such places without any difficulty.
