NHL Donation Solidifies Ties With U.S. Military

The NHL recently donated street hockey equipment to the United States Army to celebrate the U.S. Army’s 235th anniversary and to kick-off the first NHL Street Hockey League at Camp Victory in Baghdad.

This generous donation from the NHL couldn't have come at a better time, just a week after the United States acknowledged the service men and women on Memorial Day.

We are also at the most epic times in the National Hockey League: the Stanley Cup Final.

I'm sure all NHL fans have seen the commercials for the United States Marines when tuning in to a game on Versus or NBC.

They probably have also seen the videos featuring "Hockey's Finest," sponsored by the U.S. Army.

Coming from a family that has seen many of its members serve in the United States Armed Forces, from World War II to Operation Enduring Freedom, I understand how the U.S. Military and the NHL have found each other in partnership advertisement and service.

By no means do I want to compare the job of NHL players to the job of our troops; clearly they are quite different.

After all, players in the NHL do not sign a contract to fight insurgents that are trying to hurt him and his country.

But despite their differences, they really are quite similar in nature.

Like the military but unlike many sports, hockey requires a very specific fitness level that requires tremendous physical and mental strength along with agility and endurance.

Another glaring similarity is the amount of attention brought to both groups.

I obviously cannot make assumptions about every one of the troops, but these are men and women who try not to bring to much attention to themselves.

They do their job without much lip service and they get it done with utmost discipline that comes from intense and repeated training.

This lack of a need to be showy in what they do comes from the satisfaction of knowing that few understand what is required of our troops.

They know what they do, and that's all that matters.

Hockey players seem to be cut from the same meat.

They are the least recognizable among all North American athletes in terms of both the media and sports fans.

In a way, this is a bad thing because they aren't receiving the credit they deserve for all the work required to be successful in the NHL.

On the other hand, they aren't receiving face time because they aren't getting into trouble. I would argue that hockey players are among the most disciplined in terms of staying out of media because of off-ice trouble.

In the end, do they really care that sports like baseball and football are the epicenter of sports in the U.S.?

No, because they know that no other team sport demands more from its participants than hockey.

We also have to remember that both the troops' and hockey players' lives affect their family members because of the time spent doing their jobs.

They also both sacrifice for the good of the unit, the team.

Every day, our soldiers risk their lives not for personal glory, but for the man beside him. It's the team first mentality and unselfishness that brings success to the troops as a whole.

In hockey, a "me first" mentality guarantees failure for the team.

When it comes to a power play, penalty kill, or the last minutes of the game, the team has to play like a team and make sacrifices for each other in order to win.

These sacrifices come in the form of blocking a shot, creating traffic in front of the crease, or taking a hit.

What I came to learn about both of these special groups is that there is an appreciation for each other, especially the NHL for the troops.

The NHL has made it a habit to say thanks to our troops, like sending special invitations and showing tributes during games, sending care packages and postcards to those serving overseas, and raising money for organizations like Operation Homefront and Walter Reed.

I want to reiterate that there is ultimately no comparison between professional athletes and our troops because their duties are totally different.

One thing I am certain of: both players in the NHL and our troops understand what it takes to be successful in a way that is unique from others and will do whatever it takes for the betterment of the team.

Charitable acts like the NHL's donation of hockey equipment are a wonderful way to remind us of that partnership while thanking our troops for their sacrifice.

Photo courtesy of ABC News.