What prompted me to make this list was Sportscenter’s Top 10 Plays of the day. They played a college lacrosse highlight, and no NHL highlight, on a night of THREE NHL playoff games. Now I know I’m a minority when it comes to favorite sports and I like baseball as much as the next guy (go cards!) but I’m sick of the way American’s treat the NHL. Hell, i bet more Americans would rather watch a mid-season, non-divisional baseball game, than game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Here are 10 reasons why Canada’s got it right:
10. It’s a contact sport
And before you even try, don’t even try to tell me that taking out the second baseman or the catcher is enough to qualify baseball as a contact sport. Hockey has one objective, get the puck into the other teams net…by any means necessary. If someones got your puck, its as simple as knocking him away from it. In baseball, you run away from the ball, until someone ‘tags’ you. Seems obvious to me.
9. Fighting is legal
Building on number 10, hockey is the ONLY sport where dropping your gloves and (consensually) beating your opponent doesn’t result in a league suspension. Hockey is a big ‘code’ game, you do something dirty, you better expect to pay for it… your victims teammate will undoubtedly beat your face in, completely legally.
8. Fast-Paced
Hockey, unlike baseball, is a very fast-paced game. The sway of a game can change in a matter of seconds. One monster 
save at one end, can lead to a rush the other way, which can lead to a goal. 10 seconds from stopping a point, to scoring one.
7. Hockey Players are Tougher
Hockey players not only take more physical damage than their MLB counterparts, they deal with what they get much better than baseball players. Hockey players don’t take ice-baths to nurse a sore shoulder, and they’ll take 10 stitches to the forehead, and be back on the ice 20 minutes later. Hockey players throw themselves in front of 100mph shots regularly to block them, whereas baseball players are awarded a ‘free base’ when they cant manage to dodge a curve ball.
6. Hockey players are actual athletes
Hockey players can be seen a third of the way through a game drenched in sweat..which, especially in a cold environment, can only be attributed to physical exertion. Now, on an average day, how many outfielders do you see sweating…in fact…how many outfielders do you see moving? You can actually complete an entire baseball game without breaking a sweat. How athletic! lethargic.
5. But baseball players get paid more…
More money for less talent. Makes sense to me.
4. No Pinch-Hitting
Everyone on a hockey team is an active member of both offense and defense. One slip up on either end of the ice can cost you the game. Now in baseball, if all you know how to do is throw the ball really fast, never fear! The American League has a job for you! Someone will the part of your job that you cant do, for you.
3. The Olympics
Hockey has been a part of The Olympics since 1920. The 6th running of the games. Baseball, on the other hand, wasn’t an Olympic sport until 1992. Hell, even ping-pong was an Olympic event before baseball. Not to mention “The Miracle on Ice” is one of the most well known sporting events in national history!
2. No rain-delays
Theres nothing I love more than paying $20+ dollars for a seat at a baseball game, only to get rained on, and forced to wait on the upwards of hours just to see the game I paid to watch. God, and to think they even cancel them if it takes too long. And what happens if you were winning when it got canceled? Oh…that lead is gone and you start over at 0-0. Tough Luck.
1. Video-Replay
Theres really everything to be said about video replay and why its a good addition to sports officiating. Literally every goal that is thought to be scored in the NHL is reviewed by a professional NHL source in Toronto. The league makes every feasible effort to ensure that the games are scored as accurately as possible. Baseball on the other hand puts its trust in the hands of older-males, charged with judging whether the foot touched the bag before the ball hit the glove, or whether or not that fan interfered. Something video replay would be VERY good at deciding. But no, the MLB leaves the fate of the World Series to, what sometimes seems like, pure guesswork.
This was called safe.
