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04072511
Guest
Recently I've started to get in to the NHL. I've started following the San Jose Sharks (Don't know why though, considering I'm from Ireland and have no links with San Jose at all). However there are a few things about the NHL that don't make sense to me.
I've looked at the structure for the regular season and have noticed that each team has to play 82 games!!!If a team was to go through the Playoff's and win the Stanley Cup, the could play an extra potentail 28 games, bringing the total of possible competitive games to 110. Add to this pre-season games plus whatever other games these players have to play. This adds up to a hell of a lot of games. I've noticed from the Sharks schedule that they play a game on average every 2 days. How is this possible?? I don't understand how players can do this taking into account that they have to travel to opposite ends of the country. Would they not suffer from Jetlag? Would players not suffer from fatigue from playing so many games. Ice-hockey is a gruelling sport which would surely cause even the greatest players to get tired. In addition to this, with the players playing all the time, do the get to do anything else in their lives, such as spend time with their families, go out on the beer with friends etc. When do players get time to train?
These are just a few things that have confused me a little. No sport over this side of the Atlantic has such a gruelling schedule. I was hoping that someone could clear this up for me. Thanks.
I've looked at the structure for the regular season and have noticed that each team has to play 82 games!!!If a team was to go through the Playoff's and win the Stanley Cup, the could play an extra potentail 28 games, bringing the total of possible competitive games to 110. Add to this pre-season games plus whatever other games these players have to play. This adds up to a hell of a lot of games. I've noticed from the Sharks schedule that they play a game on average every 2 days. How is this possible?? I don't understand how players can do this taking into account that they have to travel to opposite ends of the country. Would they not suffer from Jetlag? Would players not suffer from fatigue from playing so many games. Ice-hockey is a gruelling sport which would surely cause even the greatest players to get tired. In addition to this, with the players playing all the time, do the get to do anything else in their lives, such as spend time with their families, go out on the beer with friends etc. When do players get time to train?
These are just a few things that have confused me a little. No sport over this side of the Atlantic has such a gruelling schedule. I was hoping that someone could clear this up for me. Thanks.