[jerche]

1. Why Hockey is Special:
Hockey is special.
In no other sport do the players, the management, the owners and the fans treat “the Game” with such respect. That’s what they call it, too — “the Game.”
You hear it all the time in hockey — everyone’s actions are still guided by what’s good for “the Game.”
For the players, I believe, it’s because the game is the hardest sport in the world to play. You need great athletic ability. And, you need persistence and tenacity. You need to be fearless to play a full-contact sport at high speed.
You also need ice.
Hockey is not available outside for even one day a year in much of the world.
Most kids cannot just go outside and play. For other sports, every elementary school has outdoor fields and a basketball court. And those other sports — basketball, football and baseball — are offered in every kids’ gym class.
Not so with hockey. You have to seek this sport out, you have to chase it.
And once you make that effort and get out there, you find the game is elusive. In most sports, you can quickly attain a level of familiarity and competence that allow you to enjoy the game, at least a little bit.
You can skate 50 times and still be stumbling around, let alone handling a puck.
The Game is much harder to learn than most sports. And to excel at it — you are talking about years of commitment. It takes special young men and women to play the game.
The sacrifices they make turn them into unselfish, dedicated athletes.
The sacrifices their families make are without parallel in sports.
We are blessed in our Game. While our players are the greatest athletes in the world, they are also the greatest ambassadors in sports. They are gracious, courteous and accommodating with fans and the media, active in their communities and patriotic. They make the game special.

Read more at http://www.faceoff.com/hockey/teams/...613/story.html

I think this is a pretty good article. It's so true in some aspects how much more respectful/unselfish players are in the NHL than any other sports.