The Five reasons I love Hockey

#5. Scott Stevensy open ice hits: Speedy open ice bone rattling hits are among the most physical plays in all of sport. Even an avid football fan would not disagree when witnessing Paul Karyia nearly vegetized trying to cross Scott Stevens' blue line.

#4. The one constant: Growing up a military brat and moving around eastern Canada the first 10 years of my life there was only one constant, no matter where I lived there would be kids playing hockey, which would always make it easier to connect with new people. 

#3. Speed: Hockey is the fastest team sport in the world...It's so fast it makes Lindsey Lohan look like a prude.

#2. Stanley Cup Playoffs: The most intense, emotional, hard fought tournament in all of sport. I never played organized hockey, and can't even skate all that well yet many a night dreams of me skating around MLG with the mug up in the air danced through my head.

 #1. Game Six 2002 Eastern Conference Finals: This may seem strange to some, having the number one reason I love hockey as possibly the most disappointing loss in recent Leafs history,  yet in the last minute of this game when all hope was gone Mats scored the tying goal to extend it into overtime. At this moment I saw anything was possible if you just stuck with it and worked hard enough. This is the exact moment I went from a casual fan of a sport, to a lover of Hockey. And then Martin Gelinas gave me one of the swiftest kicks to the coin purse ever received.