Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Ice Hockey for Life - The Good and The Bad

Ice Hockey is the National Sport of Canada, and there are many parents that give their boys an ice hockey stick and a pair of skates as early as age 5. They live in the hope that their son will grow up to be an enormous mountain of a man that spends his days speeding about an ice hockey rink, and banging the puck into the back of a goal.

It's doubtful anyone reading this will not know how demanding this sport is. The mere fact that players only spend between 40 to 60 seconds on the ice at any one time is proof enough this sport is not for the faint hearted.

Anyone who has been to a live ice hockey game will know how hard it is to keep up with what's going on (unless they've been watching all their lives). Keeping up with the players who are whizzing about on the ice is hard enough, without having to figure out which member of the team has just scored.

For spectators, this sport is exhilarating and very exciting to watch. This is one of the reasons it's so popular, and of course, there is also plenty of ice to be found in Canada, so finding somewhere to practice isn't a problem. In fact many ice hockey players start learning the game in their own backyards.

So, yes, ice hockey is a great spectator sport simply because it's such a quick game, and there is always plenty of excitement (not to mention the odd bloody nose here and there). My question is, do these guys think about what toll playing this game will take on their bodies? The answer is possibly not.

Playing ice hockey does have its financial rewards for those that play at the top level, but believe me they pay for it later in life. The one part of the body that takes the most battering is the legs, players have immense problems when they get older, and in the most extreme cases, they find it hard to walk. Some players have even been confined to a wheelchair as a result of playing the game regularly.

It's actually very rare for an ice hockey player to escape some sort of knee surgery, and for most of them, they spend hours with a physical therapist after a game to help with their knees and ankles. Skating is an art form in itself, but if you take into account these guys have to be able to not only skate quickly, they also have to be able to turn or stop in the space of a millisecond.

All of this puts a lot of stress on the legs in general, and this is possibly why ice hockey players have to retire at a pretty early age. Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For instance Gordie Howe was famous for playing his last game at the ripe old age of 51 back in 1980, and Chris Chelios comes in at a close second who was 47 when he played his last game.

It's doubtful however, that either of these players managed to escape knee surgery either throughout their careers or after they had retired.

Leading Sports News Outlets Ignore Many Leagues

If you are a sports fan, you know most of the sports news outlets available for your viewing or reading pleasure. What you may not know is that each of the outlets that broadcast live games tend to be biased towards the properties in which they have a direct stake.

Most recently I was watching an NFL game on Fox. In the score ticker at the bottom of my screen I noticed that they were showing scores from the English Premier League. Earlier in the day, Fox had broadcast a replay of the Liverpool vs. Manchester United game. Clearly these scores are designed to increase interest in the property that they broadcast. I can't remember CBS or NBC ever showing EPL scores in their tickers. Clearly only the EPL's broadcast partners see fit to display these scores.

Furthermore, in the US, ESPN doesn't give much attention to the NHL. Coverage dropped considerably after the NHL moved their games to Versus, now renamed NBC Sports. Rarely will you find a big NHL story at the top of the headlines on their espn.com homepage. One could argue that hockey is simply not popular enough in the US to warrant the coverage, but the lack of coverage has been significant since they stopped broadcasting NHL games. Similarly, in Canada, the Canadian Football League (CFL) moved their game broadcasts exclusively to TSN (The Sports Network). Games used to be shared with the nationally subsidized Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC). Subsequently coverage on TSN's sports broadcasting competitor, Sportsnet, and other competitive Canadian outlets has been drastically reduced.

These news outlets will of course report a score, but they won't dedicate time otherwise in their daily schedules to discuss or analyze the previous week's results or upcoming matches. Here's why: if ESPN or Sportsnet don't have the rights to broadcast a certain sport, they view that any time they spend covering that sport or league as free advertisement and promotion for their broadcasting competitors. Why devote time during your evening or late night highlight show or develop 60-minute show to focus on a sport that is the exclusively broadcast live by another network?

Unfortunately, if you like several sports, it means that you likely won't be able to get all the coverage you want in one place. You need to pick and choose the outlets that cover your favorite sports best. If you want NHL coverage, you'll likely have to look beyond the ubiquitous ESPN properties. If you want CFL coverage in Canada you'll need to go to TSN. Of course if you are online, you can just go to the websites of the given league of interest.