I love hockey. If you’ve been around the blog  much, you’ve probably figured that out.

My favourite team is the Vancouver Canucks.

A couple of weeks ago, BuzzFeed Sports wrote up a fun little post called “24 Reasons Why Hockey Players Are Actually Big, Cuddly Sweethearts“.

I’ve heard this from so many people – on the ice, these guys may be hard-hitting and tough, but off-ice they are really, really nice guys.

My Canucks were featured a couple of times in the BuzzFeed list. Of course they were… they’re the BEST!

#18: Hockey players are actually big, cuddly sweethearts. In fact, they’re perfect husband/dad material.

Is that not totally cute and totally cool?

Like I needed any more reasons to love hockey… Melt my heart, guys!

My favourites on the 24 Reasons list are:

• 20 (shows that, inside, Charlie Coyle is still a humble little boy who gets to play his favourite game – love that little smile on his face, nearly as sweet as the little fan’s!),
• 19 (Tim Thomas cracks me up! Front row at an NHL hockey game and you’re gabbin’ on the phone, lady? Yup, you’ve been mocked by the best!),
• 18 (see above! I seriously LOVE every one of those guys, even though a couple of them aren’t Canucks anymore.  I have a serious crush on Kevin Bieksa, and these guys are just plain awesome!),
• 16 (giggle! Just a shy guy caught up in the hype! *blush*),
• 14 (there’s a unicorn and a rainbow involved – what’s not to love!),
• 11 (Kesler and Luongo, awwwww!),
• 10, 9, 8 (these three seriously had me ROLLING with laughter)
  • 10 (SMOOCH!),
  • 9 (they aren’t trying to stop the fight, or even keep each other out of the fight… they are just hanging out, holding each other, watching the fight?? Yup, I STILL crack up when I watch this one!),
  • 8 (Of course, if the teammates aren’t going to step up to the occasion, the Captain has to be the leader, right? Red Wings former captain, Steve Yzerman, knows what’s good for his team and good for the fans – a big ol’ smackaroo on the Kiss Cam. Gotta love it!),
• 7 (I’ve heard of so many hockey players making wishes come true for sick kids, and it really warms my heart!),
• and last, but not least, 6 (a ‘big burly hockey player’ getting his nails done in bright pink, with a sick little cutie at the hospital? oh yes, please!)

It’s a great list overall, and I agree with all of them. Hockey guys are good guys, great guys even, with big hearts.

Do you know any hockey players (at any level, from TimBits to pro)? Would you agree that they are really big cuddly sweethearts?

Which reasons on the 24 Reasons list are your favourites?