Ice Hockey

Ice hockey is pretty much hockey played on ice. The sticks are different, and instead of a ball, ice hockey uses a ‘puck’. This is a hard plastic or nylon circular object, like a large coin. The rules in ice hockey are significantly different to normal hockey, as is the equipment needed to play. Ice hockey is a sport which is great fun, and it takes a lot of skill.

Ice hockey is an addition to Ice skating, which is another adventure sport that I enjoy a few times a year. Where I live, ice hockey and ice skating has to be done on ice rinks; we don’t have weather that is cold enough to have natural ice. I have never played professional ice hockey, but I have played around without full pads on.

Ice hockey equipment starts off with quality skates. These need to be relatively sharp, to allow for quick stopping and turning. The next main part of ice hockey is a stick. These are much longer than a normal hockey stick, and they have a long plastic part on the bottom, to allow for more room to control the puck. Also, they are the same on both sides, so you can use either side of the stick as you need to.

Other ice hockey equipment includes pants, shin guards, a box, body pads and a helmet. These are all needed because of the speed that the puck can travel. I have been hit by a puck when playing ice hockey, and believe me it hurts. It’s important when playing ice hockey to wear the correct equipment; you won’t regret it if you get hit.

Ice hockey is an extremely rough sport; there are fights very regularly, knocks between players and hits with sticks and other damage. This explains why there is so much equipment needed when playing ice hockey. Ice hockey is something that I have enjoyed only a few times. If you are serious about finding a sport which is fun, competitive and full on team work, ice hockey might be for you.