Any hockey fans want to explain the sport to me?

[UTK]

I know there are Canadians registered here, so...

I'd like to get into hockey, but I know nothing about it. Can anybody explain the sport and most of the rules in a simple way? Looking up rules through Wikipedia is daunting. I know the easiest way to learn the basics of a sport is to play that sport's video game (I did that with FIFA) but I don't own a gaming console and my friends who do don't have any NHL games.

[Daz]

Hockey is a wonderful sport. Hockey during the playoffs is easily the most excited I get for any sport. Especially for series like the Ducks and Blackhawks last season.

The rules are pretty simple. Offsides (the player in possession of the puck has to cross into the opposition's zone ahead of his team mates, or he's offside) and icing (which is basically when the puck is played across the centre line and the other team's goal line) are pretty much all you need to understand to follow what's going on in my opinion.

The rest of the rules are pretty much little things you're not necessarily gonna notice. Plus the NHL has a tendency to tweak them all the fucking time. There's a lot of different penalties and whatnot, like slashing, hooking, tripping etc. which are all pretty much how they sound. I think the hardest thing for most people I've tried to introduce hockey too, is keeping track of the puck when it often moves at such high speeds.

[UTK]

Alright, I'll try and watch some games. I'll update this in the future. Or I'll forget to update it. I guess only time will tell.