阿利·贝克 宋文君 贺莺

If you’re reading this， you’re probably already aware that hockey is the undisputed best sport on the planet. But if you really need some extra convincing， here’s a list of ten things （in no particular order） that make hockey the greatest sport on Earth：

Football， basketball， baseball—what do they all have in common？ They’re played on the solid ground， not a slippery sheet of ice. The athletes that play those sports wear shoes， not sharp blades of steel on the bottoms of their feet. I’m not saying basketball， baseball， and football players aren’t serious athletes， I’m just saying they’re not as talented as hockey players. Hockey players have to combine all that speed and agility on top of managing to stay upright on a large ice-cube. If that’s not skill， I don’t know what is.

In other major sports， the majority of games are usually decided by the referees or umpires1. In hockey， it is to a certain extent， but the players definitely have the ability to control the game on a different level. They can speed it up， slow it down， or shake things up with big hits or fights. In this sport， the athletes truly have control of the game， which makes it much more entertaining to watch.

Some sports， even though they’re considered “team sports，” are sometimes monopolized by an individual athlete. Football has quarterbacks， baseball has pitchers， hockey has a team. Although it’s possible for one hockey player to be the superstar of the team， this sport makes it impossible for a team to win unless they play together. Everybody needs to be on the same page if things are to work in this sport and that makes it all the better. After all， there’s no “I” in “hockey.”

No other sport even comes close to hockey in terms of speed. Everything about this sport is fast-paced： the slap shots， the game pace， the players. Every other sport moves at a glacial pace2 in comparison to this one. There’s no time for dozing off in hockey—something is always happening and if you blink， chances are you’ll miss it. Constant action is one of the many reasons hockey is the greatest sport on the planet.

You can argue every other point on this list， （except six; that’s a fact， too） but you can’t argue that the NHL playoffs are， without a doubt， the most grueling of all the major sports. In order to become champion in this league， you must survive four rounds of grueling， backbreaking play， on top of the seven months of the brutal regular season games that have already been completed.

There’s no stopping nor breaks for these boys—Only twenty-eight games to prove that you deserve Lord Stanley3. Good luck finding another sport that requires that much work and devotion to win the title.

There’s no doubt about it， hockey players are the toughest athletes out there. They get blasted in the face with a puck and keep playing. They break bones on the ice， but finish the shift. There’s just nothing that stops them.Rich Peverley4 literally died for a few seconds on the ice and after being revived， asked to be put back into the game. Classic hockey player.

Basketball players sit out for the season with ingrown fingernails. Baseball players refuse to play because of blisters. Hockey players ask to play more after having their faces stitched back together. If that’s not a warrior， I don’t know what is.

If you’ve ever spoken to a hockey player， you know very well just how hilarious hockey lingo is. From “beauty” to “bender，” hockey has a language of its own. No other sport requires a dictionary to decode what’s happening. This hockey jargon makes things a bit complicated at times， but it also adds to the greatness of the sport.

If you feel the desire to learn how to speak like a hockey player， read up on the ultimate hockey dictionary.

In most sports， scoring requires some sort of celebration. However in hockey， scoring means a celly is coming and that is much more than your average celebration. That’s an all-out-spin-in-circles-flail-around celebration of awesomeness and the goal that was just put in the net. Not every goal requires a celly， but when they happen， it’s definitely worth watching.

From playoff beards to pre-game rituals， hockey is a sport bursting with traditions and superstitions. Other sports have their customs， but none come close to hockey. These men grow facial hair for good luck or insist on eating the same exact meal before every game.

Some guys get really strange with their superstitions： Max Talbot boxes with Marc-Andre Fleury before every game， while Karl Alzner used to tap his stick 88 times and outline the Canadian maple leaf during the National Anthem. Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall used to vomit before every game， believing he’d lose unless he lost his lunch before taking the ice.

Although they’re odd， these superstitions and bizarre traditions set hockey apart from all else.

This may be a generalization， but hockey players seem to be the nicest of the professional athletes. They may act tough on the ice， but they’re giant teddy bears off the ice.

It’s common to hear of players from across the league performing little acts of kindness. Last year a group of Boston Bruins players dressed up as characters from Disney’s Frozen and visited the Boston Children’s Hospital. The Colorado Avalanche’s Matt Duchene purchased a jersey for an 11-year-old girl who was bullied at school. Charlie Coyle of the Minnesota Wild made a young boy’s day just by waving at him during warmups.

Both on and off the ice， hockey players make this sport the greatest of them all. If you didn’t believe it before， you should now： Hockey is the greatest sport on earth.

读者愿意阅读此文，或许已经知晓冰球毫无疑问是这个星球上最棒的运动。不过如果真想找点令人信服的理由，下面列出的是冰球成为世界最非凡运动的十大理由（排名不分先后）可作参考。

足球、篮球、棒球的共性是什么？这些运动都在坚实的地面上比赛，而非在光滑的冰面上竞技。这几个项目的球员脚穿球靴，而非锋利的冰刀。这不是说这些球员不是真正的运动员，只是说冰球运动员更有天赋。冰球运动员除了要在巨大的冰面上保持平衡，还要追求速度与敏捷度。要是这都算不得技巧，那真不知道什么可以算。

其他主要运动的赛事大多由裁判员掌控。在冰球运动中，一定程度上说也是如此，但从另一层面看，运动员绝对有能力掌控比赛。他们可以加快或放缓比赛节奏，可以剧烈撞击或打斗震撼全场。在冰球运动中，运动员能够真正掌控比赛，这使得赛事极具观赏性。

3. 团体项目

有些运动尽管称为“团体项目”，有时却被个别运动员控制，比如美式足球有四分卫，棒球有投手，而冰球则是靠整个团队。虽然某位队员也会成为团队中的超级巨星，但如果没有整个团队齐心协力，比赛是不可能打赢的。所有队员都要高度一致，比赛才能顺利进行，这使得冰球成为一项更好的运动。毕竟，在“冰球”中，没有 “我”这个概念 。

在速度方面，没有什么运动堪与冰球相提并论。冰球的一切都是快速的：击射、比赛节奏以及球员。相比之下，其他运动的节奏实在太慢了。在冰球比赛中，根本没有打瞌睡的时间——情况瞬息万变，稍纵即逝。不断行动是冰球成为世界最非凡运动的众多原因之一。

本文所列的任何一条都可以接受质疑（第六条除外，那也是事实），但唯独本条不会，北美职业冰球联赛季后赛毫无疑问是所有主要运动中最令人精疲力竭的。为夺得联赛冠军，球员须鏖战7个月完成残酷的常规赛，然后在四轮艰苦卓绝的季后赛比拼中胜出。

这些冰球男儿们从来没有停歇。唯有用28场比赛证明自己配得上斯坦利杯。要想再找一项需要如此投入、如此付出才能赢得冠军的运动着实不易。

毫无疑问，冰球球员是最坚强的运动员。他们面部被冰球击中，照样继续比赛。他们在冰场上骨折，照样完成场上位移。他们不可阻挡。里奇·帕维利曾的的确确在冰场上死过去了几秒钟，抢救过来后他立刻要求重返赛场。堪称冰球运动员的典型代表。

篮球运动员会因嵌甲休赛整赛季。棒球运动员会因水泡而拒绝参赛。冰球运动员则在面部伤口缝合后要求打更多比赛。如果这都不算是战士，真不知道什么算得上。

和冰球运动员交谈过的人都十分了解冰球行话有多么有趣。从“帅崽”到“软脚鬼”，冰球运动有自己独特的语言。其他运动不需要字典来解读赛场上正在发生的事情。这种冰球行话有时会把事情搞得有些复杂，但也使这项运动更加伟大。

要想学会像冰球球员那样说话，得读一下终极冰球词典。

大多数体育运动都会以某种形式庆祝得分。在冰球运动中，得分意味着马上庆祝而且比一般庆祝热烈得多。所有队员绕圈滑行，尽情挥舞，庆祝刚才的入网。并不是每粒进球都会庆祝，但如果有，那绝对值得一看。

从为季后赛蓄须，到赛前仪式，冰球运动中充满着传统与迷信。虽然其他运动也有着自己的習俗，但没有哪个像冰球这样。冰球球员会蓄须以求好运或坚持在每场比赛前吃一样的饭。

一些球员的迷信十分独特：马克斯·塔尔博特每场比赛前都要与马克·安德烈·弗勒里来场拳击;卡尔·阿利兹纳习惯在加拿大国歌声中轻拍自己的球杆88下，并勾画加拿大枫叶的轮廓;名人堂门将格伦·霍尔每赛前须得呕吐，他认为踏上冰场前必须将午餐吐掉，否则就会输球。

虽然这些迷信和传统十分古怪，但也使得冰球运动变得与众不同。

这种说法或许有以偏概全之嫌，但是冰球运动员似乎是职业运动员中心肠最好的。他们在冰场上坚韧不拔，在冰场下可爱如泰迪熊。

人们时常听到联盟球员的各种小善举。去年，一群来自波士顿棕熊队的球员装扮成迪士尼动画《冰雪奇缘》中卡通人物，访问波士顿儿童医院。科罗拉多雪崩队的运动员马特·杜贤买了一件运动衫送给在学校受到欺凌的11岁小女孩。明尼苏达荒野队的查理·科伊尔热身时，向一个小男孩挥手打招呼，让他开心不已。

无论是冰场上还是冰场下，冰球球员们都使得这项运动成为最非凡的运动。如果你以前不相信，现在总该相信：冰球是地球上最非凡的运动。

（译者单位：西安外国语大学）