Question for people who don't ever watch NHL Hockey

I'm from Los Angeles, and I have to say the number one reason I don't like hockey is my lack of exposure to it. When I was growing up, I spent my weekends playing baseball, basketball, football and soccer. Nowadays I watch the first three (plus poker on ESPN, I'm sucked into the boom like everyone else), and I only watch soccer when the world cup comes along and gets tons of coverage here in the US.

There's not much coverage of hockey in my area on TV or radio. I think for the past month, it's either been USC and College Football BCS, NFL, Lakers or Clippers issues being discussed on the local ESPN radio show. Not one mention about hockey besides a score. Even baseball gets more attention in it's off season. It's difficult to start caring about a sport that gets next to zero broadcast time, and no players I can name besides a retired Wayne Gretzky. The only news I can recall about hockey is that the Anaheim Mighty Ducks were considering changing their Disney-based namesake.

As for the game itself, Drex nailed it for my basically. The game seems too fast paced and chaotic. It was hard to notice differences in athleticism and talent in the few games I watched.

Borg, you said it's a shots-on-goal sport. I feel this is why I enjoy soccer, because creating that shot-on-goal in itself is a magnificent feat to behold, an amazing sequence of plays that makes you want to stand up in anticipation to cheer for the rare shot-on-goal as you watch the decision making and athleticism of the goal keeper. In soccer you only need a handfull of these to win the game, but with hockey it seems like throwing rings at a carnival. All the exciting action leading up to the 60 shots happens within one or two seconds. A little break in the defense allows an opening, the shot is taken, and with a little flip of the arm, the goal is defended. Again, I know there are subtleties I miss, but this is the gist of the sport I get after watching a few games and highlights.

Jam it back in, in the dark.