Hockey Is Back! And You Should Be Excited About It.

10 Reasons Why You Should Like Hockey As Much As, If Not More Than, All The Other Sports

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Yes, hockey has finally returned. Last season's lockout cut the season in half, but this year it started right on time. Let's take a moment and go over why hockey is pretty much the coolest sport ever.

1. Patrick Roy is the New Coach of the Colorado Avalanche

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He used to be their goalie. He's a badass. And he has a bit of a temper.

2. Hockey Teams are the Best at Social Media

Twitter feeds that consist of links to the team's website and current scores are boring. And the NHL knows that. Hate sarcasm? Steer clear of the Los Angeles Kings' Twitter page.

3. The Stanley Cup is a One-Of-A-Kind Trophy (Literally)

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You win the World Series, you get your very own Commissioner's Trophy. You win the Super Bowl, you get your very own Lombardi Trophy. But if you win the Stanley Cup, you just get to hang on to it until somebody else wins it. And it's been around since 1892, longer than any other trophy currently awarded by any major North American sport.

4. Each Winning Player Gets to Leave Their Mark on the Cup

Each player of the winning team takes turns keeping the Cup for one day, to do whatever they want with it (with NHL approval). Some of them drink beer out of it, others eat cereal out of it, some bathe their infants in it. Dustin Brown's kids got to blow chocolate milk bubbles in it (above). They also leave their mark on it literally, when their name is permanently engraved into one of its tiers.

5. Jason F*ckin' Voorhees

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Can you imagine a serial killer in a football helmet? Or a catcher's mask? That's almost as ridiculous as a fencing mask . He wasn't an athlete, but I still count this as a win for hockey in general.

6. The Goalies' Helmets are Awesome Works of Art

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Speaking of hockey masks, each goalie usually has a couple different helmets in his rotation, and no two are alike. Some make sense in relation to the team . Others make no sense at all, but are still super cool . I'm a bit partial to this classic St. Louis Blues homage to Jake and Elwood.

7. Hockey Players are the Toughest Guys on the Planet

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You may have already known that there's 30 teams in the NHL, each consisting of 23 players (20 of which suit up for each game). You may have also noticed that there's approximately 79 teeth total amongst all of them. That's because hockey players get hit in the face a lot. With pucks, sticks, other players fists, shoulders, etc. And while MLB infielders are benched for two weeks with a shoulder cramp, hockey players ain't got time for that. Sometimes a player will take a slap shot to the thigh that breaks his femur, and just keep playing . There's also the injury that almost claimed goalie Clint Malarchuk's life in March of 1989. WARNING: Watching the video may give you nightmares forever. Seriously. It's bad. Okay, fine, here . But I warned you.

8. Michael J. Fox Loves Hockey

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I shouldn't have to explain why this is important. It's Michael J. Fox. Duh.

9. Hockey Movies are the Best Sports Movies

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Slap Shot. Goon. Miracle. All winners, from beginning to end. And if you need to get a group of people pumped up for pretty much anything, all you have to do is start chanting "Quack. Quack. Quack..." If they don't start chanting along with you, they are losers, and you're never going to succeed with that team.

10. Zambonis

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Sometimes they're decorated to look goofy and fun like the goalies' helmets. And it's totally one of the funnest words ever to say.

Note: The driver is not called the "zamboner."

So hockey may not be one of the OG American sports (since it's Canadian), but it definitely doesn't deserve the ire it receives from other sports fans. And it certainly deserves a bit more television coverage. I mean, c'mon ESPN, we already know how awesome Peyton Manning is doing. He played four days ago, and won't play again for three more. Change it up a bit.