Hockey players pride themselves on their toughness. They are like the Black Knight in The Monty Python and the Holy Grail where they stick to the mug “Tis but a scratch!” A scratch that required 12 stitches and a pool of blood on the ice. These players are warriors wielding sticks and have sharp knives strapped to their feet, and hurtling all of their 200+ pounds into each other at speeds in which automobile collision testing is done. Hockey is a physical game, and just like people watch NASCAR for the wrecks, so too do people watch hockey for the speed, the skill, the goals, and yes, the hits.
The Wild and playing a physical, gritty game
