In August I played in the 1998 Gay Games in Amsterdam. Since then I've been playing in a few league teams and pickup hockey. I had no interest in them, and being forced to play them in school did not help. Where football is a game of stars, hockey, like soccer, requires and rewards coordinated team play. But that's not really the reason.
Hockey has cool equipment.
In fact, now when I go skating without my gear, I feel naked and vulnerable. He has the last chance to stop a goal, and he is often the first person to start a breakout play. When the action is hot and fast in front of the net, it's the goalie's spectacular saves that people remember. It requires some strength, a measure of endurance, and a lot of skill. I may look like the wimp I was in high school, but physically and mentally I'm far from it.