Toughest Hockey Player Research Paper

The perception of being tough is one of the most sought out things many men try to achieve the title of. Men are told that from a young age that they must be tough. One of the biggest insult for a man to get is that he is a wimp, or weak. No one likes that. Some of the toughest people out in the world are hockey players. No other athletes play through more pain. Soccer players are know for flopping and faking injuries, hockey players do not do that. Basketball players have missed games because of cramps. While players like Patrice Bergeron has played, in the playoffs, with a punctured lung. Without a doubt, hockey players are the toughest athletes. Gregory Campbell is one of the toughest players I have had the pleasure of watching.

Malarchuk was a goalie for the Buffalo Sabers in the 1980’s and the 1990’s. Malarchuk had one of the most gruesome injuries in the history of the game of hockey. Malarchuk was playing in goal in March of 1989. The Sabers were playing against the St. Louis Blues. Blues player Uwe Krupp was crashing the net during the game and collided with Malarchuk in the crease. Krupp went into the boards and Malarchuk huddle down in the crease bent over. He was grabbing his neck. After Malarchuk removed his mask, seconds after the collision, blood spewed on to the ice. His jugular in his neck had been cut. The reason why Malarchuk is still alive today is because of the Sabers trainer. The trainer ran out on to the ice and stopped the blood from coming out of his neck. It is rumored that after going to the hospital and getting stitched up, Malarchuk asked if he could go back and finish the game. Just a week after the injury occurred, Malarchuk was back skating on the ice, however, he was not in goalie pads (Adams 1). Malarchuk had a near death experience and wanted to play again that night. He is a classic example of what it means to be tough. He also showed the love of the game. It did not matter to him that he almost just died, he wanted to go back and continue