Five Reasons why Bubba Loves Hockey

No sport has better noises … a slapshot smacking the glass, ice being shredded as a player stops on a dime, the rattle after a big bodycheck. I could go on and on.

This is fun, Bubba.

Here are five from me. Not sure if they’re “the” five from me, but the first five that came to mind instinctively.

5. Non-stop action – Not just the incredible speed of play, but the continuity – the quickness of the line changes, the limited interruption (which quite frankly has spoiled me for other sports.

4. Three Stars – Not one, not two, but three MVPs for each game. And if they’re from the home team they come out to acknowledge the crowd. A great reason to always hang around until the very end of the game.

3. Tuomo Ruutu – No further explanation needed.

2. The taste of silver polish – The coolest trophy in all of sport, with all its history and imperfections. And there’s only one that everyone gets to share. And I’ve kissed it.

1. The handshake line – Play your heart out like there’s no tomorrow, then congratulate those who come out victorious. The epitome of class and good sportsmanship.

1 – the speed of the action; it’s non-stop. (No standing at the free throw line, or interminable huddles, foul balls….zzzz) Just go and go fast and don’t stop. All contained with the boards; with no out of bounds. Roll those lines.

2 – It’s beautiful. That much athletic power moving so gracefully and with such precision – on thin strips of steel, no less. The jerseys are so rich. The vividness of the colors on that blinding white ice (LTD’s photos capture that so well). And the soundtrack (I agree with all those that Cory said).

3 – that there are “systems” not playbooks. It’s all about the players’ creativity and in-the moment reads and reflexes and instincts. When they asked Mo about calling some play that led to a goal that won the game during the playoffs he answered something like : Are you kidding? Hockey’s too chaotic for that. I just send the players out there.

4 – Willpower, courage, passion and hustle take you farther than most sports. The force of a great hit. See Chad LaRose. For that matter, see Carolina Hurricanes playoffs of 06, 09, .. 10?

5 – My sons: it was the first sport that they didn’t declare was “boring”. My older boy stepped on the ice at age 9 (June of 06) and was hooked in a heartbeat. He didn’t care if he fell down a gazillion times the first month – hockey was worth it. Learning to understand the pads – boxes of black nylon and velcro arriving from Hockeygiant.com. Tying skates for half-a-dozen 6 & 7 yr olds at 6am at the RecZone. Dressing my 8-yr old in full goalie gear – and getting good at it. A first goal, a first hat-trick, and first save on a break-away; powerplay goals, short handed goals, back-door goals; topshelf goals; cleaning up a rebound, game winning goals. First check; first penalty. Slapshots. The first win; first loss; first medal ceremony; learning to protect and respect your goalie; the teamwork of knowing and working with everyone’s skills; how to take a check and (better) how to give one. Hockey moms and dads at those early games in Garner – smiling with coffee, blankets wrapped around them standing on that dumb ledge. Team coaches from Canada who root for the Leafs, Habs and the Jets and pronounce “out” funny. No better fun have I found as a parent.

All great reasons and I will add I love sharing the fan experience. I enjoy seeing and talking to the same people at the games and hearing the moan or the exclamation of ‘ole crap!’ in unison after a just missed goal and the release of breath in unison after a goal from the oppossing team and the electricity that vibrates around you from a tingling “hit” on the ice and more importatnly the euphoria felt from a goal from the good guys.

5. Best Trophy in Sports, and it’s not even close!

4. The Flow of the Game-the way the players and the puck move around the rink end to end, side to side using every bit of the ice surface.

3. The sound of the puck hitting the crossbar or the post, especially on our goal!

2. A player on a breakaway-does anyone breath during this moment?

1. The grace, heart, and courage of the players. Remember seeing Hedican come to the bench during a playoff game in ‘06, he had just been run into the boards pretty violently, he takes a few steps toward the room and pukes his guts out, wipes his mouth with a towel, turns around and takes his seat on the bench. Within a minute he is back on the ice, never missing a shift. There are so many stories like this the demonstrate that hockey players are the world’s finest athletes.

Great stuff. I prefer some these answers to my own.

That anything can happen at anytime. Anyone who pulls for the Canes have seen their share of comebacks, some of which I still can’t believe. You can never count the Canes out of a game.

5. The Fans. They’re knowedgable, passionate and opinionated as heck. The Philly fan sitting next to me may be a bit of a tard, but we’ll also hit the bar after the game and share hockey stories. I don’t know any other team sport where fans are willing to look past their colors and hang out like that.

4. Goal Horns. I don’t know who’s idea it was, but it works for me

3. Diverse origins. I don’t care what any Canadian tells you – hockey came from all over the world. From ice games in the Netherlands to lacross on ice, to the first rubber puck – there is no sport with a vaguer and more diverse origin than hockey.

2. Dedicated blog writers. Seriously, Bubba and Cory, you guys rock for giving me something to read just about every single friggin day this summer. Thanks a bunch!

1. Those “holy sh**” moments. There is no other sport that gives me more “holy sh**” moments. Unbelievable bounces, passes, hits or goals – hardly a week goes by where i’m not blown away by our favorite game.

5. The noise- I have been to a lot of sporting events of all levels and types and never have I found anything close to the RBC Center during a Canes’ game. I love hearing the crowd explode after a goal or a bit hit. I love it when a low rumble starts in appreciation of a great shift and just gets bigger and bigger. I love the sound of an entire stadium collectively inhaling in concern and exhaling with relief. Sitting (or standing) in that arena during a game gives me goosebumps every single time.
4. Playoff beards-it sounds silly, but I love playoff beards. It’s the ultimate representation of a team (and its fanbase) coming together to do whatever it takes to win the ultimate prize. I hope we have playoff beards all the way into June this season.
3. The fans and the atmosphere-from the newest fan sporting the fresh off the rack t-shirt to the diehard fan who’s been wearing the same t-shirt for 11 years, I love them all. They come from different backgrounds and are as different as can be, but they all have something in common that binds them. For those three hours, everyone in that building is a family. We high five complete strangers after a goal and don’t think twice about it. We create friendships that extend past the admission gates. We laugh together, we cheer together and sometimes we cry together.
2. The players- Too many sports are colored by steroids, scandal, and arrests, but hockey has been able to avoid much of that, due in large part to the character of the people that play it. They have it all and are incredibly talented, yet they maintain down to earth attitudes and are, at the end of the day, just regular guys.
1. The game itself-just like there are no athletes like hockey players, there is no game like hockey. The power, speed, finesse, and just downright beauty involved in the game are spellbinding and I am captivated all over again every time I watch a game.

Where to start? Everything everyone else has commented is great.

5. The skating/speed. My first love of hockey, before I understood the rules, was just watching the grace and beauty of the skating. The speed and non-stop action keeps your attention.

4. Upstanding players. From all the charity work the players do, to their availability to the fans, to the vast majority of them keeping themselves out of trouble (compared to other sports).

3. Fans. Like Bubba said, driving around town and having complete strangers honk “Let’s Go Canes” at me when flying the Hurricanes flags… awesome. Driving through the parking lot and having tailgaters hand me food through the car window while waiting to park.

2. Playoff beard – what can I say, I like facial hair. (specifically facial hair on MEN!)

1. 2:00 AM welcome home parties at RDU

1. The pace of the game – how a great play can develop and strike in the blink of an eye. I love a good slow baseball game too, but the speed of a hockey game is a beautiful thing.

2. The combination of grace and skill + power that players have. Gliding on those thin blades, reaching those speeds, screeching to a stop on just one edge, even backwards.

3. Wrist shots, slapshots, saucer passes, drop passes, one-timers, hockey is as fun to practice as it is to play a game.

4. The niche. Echoing Bubba’s reason #2.

5. The live experience. The best sport to go see in person!

were can I start?…….you all covered the reasons I love this game except 1…. the feel when YOU score a “Hat-trick” or a Game winner!…….That is a felling all fans need to have at least once during you playing lifetime!

ITS THE BEST SPORT PERIOD!!!

ITS THE BEST SPORT PERIOD!!!

Amen to that! Long time reader, first time Poster… First I wanted to say thanks for such a fantastic Blog and network-branch of the Caniac Nation! Every time I see a new story, I feel like a kid on Christmas morning. Thanks!!

I think all the lists are great, I can’t really top any of them, but I would like to elaborate on one: I have taken 6 people who had never seen a hockey game before (3 of which were not fans of any kind of sport at the time) to six different Canes games in the last two seasons, and they are all Caniacs now. It only takes one game for the special connection that we Caniacs have to be established. That is amazing!

But the most satisfying part of intoducing someone to Canes hockey is their reaction to their first goal. I love to see how they take in the atmosphere of the RBC Center and it’s diehard fans, contained inside. That is truely special.

you know … no one mentioned Zambonis. Anything cooler??