There are so many reasons to love the game of hockey, and now that football season is coming to end here is why you should start to watch hockey.

1. The constant action.

During hockey games you will most likely always find yourself sitting on the edge of your seat, and that doesn’t come as a surprise. The speed of the game is so quick that if you blink, chances are you might miss the best play of the night.

2. The toughness.

Hockey players are one of the toughest athletes out there. They will get blasted in the face by a shot that’s likely close to 100 mph, and still finish the shift. There are guys who will break bones on the ice, but immediately be asked to be put back in the game. Rich Peverley died for a few seconds during his shift and after being revived by the paramedics his first question was if he could go back in the game.

3. The traditions and superstitions of hockey. My favorite.

Hockey has one of the strongest senses of traditions in sports. From growing up playing pond hockey outside with your buddies to playing inside an NHL arena with some of the best hockey players around the world, hockey is filled with traditions and superstitions. During the playoffs,  most of these guys will grow out their facial hair for good luck. Then we have the throwing of the random items on the ice. Detroit is notorious for throwing octopi, while Florida Panther’s fans threw toy rats during a playoff game which resulted in the panthers getting penalized with two penalties.

4. The History of the game.

Hockey has been around for a century, starting in 1917.  The league started with four franchises and currently have 30 with the addition of a brand new club, starting next year, Vegas Golden Knights. Players have gone from wearing wool sweaters and no helmets to high tech protective gear and thinner jerseys. One of the best things about the history of the game is the players. Almost every hockey fan, whether you are old or young know about legends such as Bobby Orr, Gordie Howe, and Wayne Gretzky.

5. 3 on 3 OT.

If you ever want to have a heart attack just watch your favorite team go into 3 on 3 overtime. Even though it’s the regular season, 3 on 3 overtime will most likely make your heart stop. During the regular season, overtime will give both teams an extra 5 minutes of play to end things before they are forced to go finish in a shootout. Shootouts are terrible and no hockey fan or team likes to lose one. That means during playoffs if both teams are still tied at the end of regulation, play will be followed with 20 minute periods of 5 on 5 hockey until someone scores.

These are just 5 reasons why hockey is the greatest sport on earth and if you didn’t believe that before you should now.