As extreme force environments go our atmosphere is mighty roughneck. Rogue stars colliding and holes that eat up galaxies are common galactic occurrences. As real in the high speed universe of the NHL, two hundred pound plus athletes orbit at 30 miles plus per hour in ice dimensions of 200 x 85 feet.
Speed is effortless, impact unforgiving.
With screaming approval, fans are fueled by adrenalin absorption watching illegal plays and intent to injure hits. And, that's just a commercial intermission viewed from computerized scoreboards. Officiating seems a diversionary side attraction rather than enforcement of the rules. The boards feature nationally recognized corporations like Wendys and Pepsi-Cola, leaders in public consumption who have teamed with the NHL for profit maximization. I think it's a terrible product if we don't have hitting.