Hockey is like a disease, you can't really shake it.

The only way you can check Gretzky is to hit him when he is standing still singing the national anthem.

Goaltenders are 3 sandwiches shy of a picnic. From the moment primitive man lurched erect, he survived on the principle that when something hard and potentially lethal comes toward you at great velocity, get the hell out of it's path.

Call them pros, call them mercenaries -- but in fact they are just grown-up kids who have learned on the frozen creek or flooded corner lot that hockey is the greatest thrill of all.

It has everything a sport should have � relatively simple rules, speed, collisions, skill, athleticism, strength, acrobatics, sticks, heroics, concussions, blood, broken bones, lost teeth, organ music, jumbo beers, raucous fans, body paint, hot dogs, nachos, and even the occasional fist-fight � all wrapped around action that never seems to stop.

No athlete is tougher than a hockey player, who will lose three teeth, take 30 stitches, and barely miss a shift. Players hit speeds of 30 mph, and there's no out of bounds and no crash cages.

What's the difference between a hockey game and a prize fight? In a hockey game, the fights are real.

When Hell Freezes over, I'll skate there too!