By Caitlyn Turner

Speed, energy and excitement. Those are some of the most common words used when talking about the intense and enticing sport of hockey. The winter Olympics and Paralympics have recently come to a close and the USA men’s, women’s and paralympic hockey teams have all won the gold medal. The men’s and women’s games were both agonizingly close and went into overtime. The paralympic games were all blowouts, leaving no question about who was winning the gold. 

In the women’s game, Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) player Megan Keller scored the goal to win Olympic gold. She is a phenomenal player with an amazing personality who is loved within the hockey world. The golden goal in the men’s game was scored by the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Jack Hughes, known for his skillful play and often comedic media persona. Declan Farmer was named MVP of the paralympic hockey team, recording 26 points total in the games and scoring 15 goals. 

The women’s Olympic team has medaled all eight times since the sport was first featured in the Olympics (woot woot!). The men’s team has not medaled since 2010, so this was a landmark win for them. This win had mixed reactions because of the inappropriate behavior the men’s team exhibited shortly after their win. The controversial joke made by President Donald Trump to the team making fun of the women’s team as well as the way the team was partying with the director of the FBI, Kash Patel, caused an uproar among people who lean left on the political spectrum in the hockey community. Hilary Knight, the captain of the women’s Olympic team and the Boston Fleet, a PWHL team, handled the joke made about her team with class and charisma that highly impressed almost everyone tuned in to the response. While this controversial behavior from the men’s team needs to be addressed and they should be held accountable, it is important not to let it overshadow the amazing accomplishment of winning a gold medal.

As for the paralympic team, they’ve gone on a five-peat since 2010. The paralympic team is extremely impressive and very fun to watch, but the sport is often overlooked because people tend to underestimate the phenomenal things people with physical disabilities can accomplish. Just recently, I showed a friend what paralympic hockey looks like and how they play and he said it is almost even more impressive than traditional ice hockey. If you have yet to tune in, I suggest you watch a few videos of sled hockey to see how awesome it is.

Hockey is a great sport to get into if you are not a traditional sports person. It is action-packed, entertaining and has one of the best sports communities! The professional leagues are amazing. I think the PWHL is the best, but I’m biased because I want to be one of the players on that ice some day. Also, don’t overlook paralympic hockey because it’s awesome! Everyone should watch at least one hockey game from each league; it is extremely easy to fall in love with the sport. I know I did the first time I stepped on a sheet of ice and watching these incredible players has kept me in love with the sport.

Courtesy of Getty Images

Courtesy of NPR News via Getty Images