2010-03-23 » Sledge Hockey FTW!

The Olympics are all over! I managed to go and see Sweden defeat Belarus in the men’s hockey. It was pretty exciting going to see some big NHL stars playing some pretty good hockey. I also managed just last week to see USA vs. Japan in sledge hockey (no, not the gold medal game) during the Paralympics, and I have to say that I think the sledge hockey was a much better value.

I’d never seen sledge hockey before. I read a bit about it before I went, enough to know that the rules were pretty similar to regular hockey and that the guys playing it are pretty tough. Actually watching it is pretty incredible. Some of these guys have no legs but they’re in way better shape than the average Joe. Their upper bodies are huge and they really smash each other into the boards. I watched some video afterward where one of the athletes was talking about how they get hit all the time with the ice picks on the end of other players’ sticks and it really hurts. Yeah, I bet!

Anyway, I have a whole lot of respect for those guys who go out there and go like mad. The NHL players I watched in the Olympics are amazing athletes but it felt different watching players who get paid millions of dollars to play hockey and the Paralympians who I can’t imagine are getting paid as much as they deserve. They really are an inspiration and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to experience watching them play. Even though team Japan didn’t manage to score a goal against team USA.

Is it possible to watch sledge hockey when the Olympics aren’t on?