The art of being a Goon in the sport of hockey –NHL Special
Being known as a goon in the world of hockey can at times be the most beautiful thing for true, diehard hockey fans but for the other people, you are just a guy who loves to fight for a living and play some hockey while you are at it.
Also known formally as an “enforcer”, the word goon is typically used as slang for the same type of player who loves picking fights, sometimes apparently for no reason at all. These players might not be always as famous as the leading scorer or hot goalie
but without them, most teams would not be able to function properly or at all.
Throughout history, the world might not have ever seen a sport so violent as hockey but for Canadians and a lot of Americans, it is all about the fighting that makes the sport what it is today.
It might seem to be a little inhumane to most people but realising that when you are flying at immeasurable speeds on the ice and are in intense situations where scoring becomes a matter of life and death for either team, goons work their magic and become
the catalysts that leads their club to a win.
Fighting in hockey or even watching it is not for the light hearted. It is an art, just like boxing, but you are on the ice with no gloves and going face-to-face with someone you actually hate for the moment instead of it being a fixed contest.
Goons do what they do with passion. Their fists are like paint brushes for them and they treat the face of their opponent like a paint board and try to rearrange the features according to their will.
There have been a number of notable goons in the NHL so far with one of the most well known being Tiger Williams, who at just 5-feet-11, registered over 4400 minutes in penalty time along with fighting those who people thought could easily down the player,
but he proved to be a fighter in all meanings of the word.
Today, some of the biggest goons are known to be the Boston Bruins as they play extremely physical along with teams like Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues. All teams in the NHL have some famous goon at one point
or another but how they fight is what makes it all special.
Many have gotten hurt, faced injuries and have even had to end their careers, but when someone chooses hockey as their way of earning a living, fighting out for glory is just part of the process.
The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and in no way represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
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