Is Hockey Hard?

"If I wanted to play hockey I could easily do it."

If you know me, you know that I hate when people claim that hockey is an easy sport. Now, you may be thinking "Why does she care so much?" and well...

I like hockey more than the average person, I know this. If you have something you're passionate about, you know where I'm coming from. I feel like it's my job as a hockey fan to stick up for this sport.

Skating:
If you're going to play hockey you need to know how to skate. Skating is not simple and takes quite some time to master. I'm not talking about going around the rink 20+ times at public skate, I'm talking about skating like hockey players. They have to move on the ice at top speeds with a stick in their hand chasing a little rubber puck around while the opposing team is waiting for the opportunity to check them. I'm also not talking about rollerblading. Just because you're great on roller blades, doesn't mean you'll be that good on ice skates. They're two totally different things.. example: one is on ice, the other isn't.

The Physicality:
Do you think you can handle the physicality of hockey? You probably answered yes especially if you're a guy. I'm not doubting you, but I'd like to see it happen. People who aren't hockey fans tend to think hockey is super easy compared to their sport. In my opinion, most sports do not compare to the physicality of hockey. ESPN Sports Science says, "NHL hit is 17% harder than an NFL hit, even though NHL players are 20% smaller." Anyway, I'm not here to bash other sports so I'll just give you some pictures to look at of hockey injuries.
p.s. I couldn't bring myself to upload the Pronger injury

Hockey is not an easy sport. Maybe it's not your favorite, but you have to admit it's not easy. If I haven't convinced you, just watch a game and see for yourself. I leave you with this quote from Brendan Shanahan

“Is hockey hard? I don’t know, you tell me. We need to have the strength and power of a football player, the stamina of a marathon runner, and the concentration of a brain surgeon. But we need to put all this together while moving at high speeds on a cold and slippery surface while 5 other guys use clubs to try and kill us, oh yeah did I mention that this whole time we’re standing on blades 1/8 of an inch thick? Is ice hockey hard? I don’t know, you tell me. Next question.”