So, if you watched ESPN late Thursday night and probably well into this weekend, you might have heard some chatter about the Stanley Cup. Namely, that the Washington Capitals won it for the first time since their formation in 1979. They won against the Vegas Golden Knights, who were just formed this year.

Wow.

If you’re a hockey fan, you’re probably just as flummoxed as I am. I don’t think anyone expected these two teams to be here, let alone a final being over in game 5. Most experts thought this one was going to game 6 for sure. But here we are. No Sunday show down. No Vegas scrapping up a win one more time. Just a hungry D.C. team finally getting a chance to hold that big old cup.

I’m also hearing things from the fans and experts that this was the best Stanley Cup playoffs in a long time, possibly ever.

So I’m gonna take a moment from trying to wrap my brain around this Stanley Cup playoff to present my case to why those who aren’t hockey fans should be fans, or at least, give hockey a fair shot as an American pastime.

1. Hockey is all about fast-paced action with great payoff.

Compared to football, baseball and basketball, hockey is short game. In the National Hockey League (NHL), a game is made up of three 20-minutes periods, plus a 17-minute intermission between the first and second period to reset the ice and give players a rest. Add this together, plus all the stops you need to reset the puck, deal with penalties, take time-outs, etc, NHL hockey only lasts about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, depending if you go into overtime or not.

Yet, even two hours zooms by because the pace of the game is just fast. It’s pretty much drop the puck on the ice and go.

The whistle blows and suddenly your eyes have to go from the center of the rink to down at the end toward a goal in a matter of seconds. Hockey players can hit a puck at speeds up to 100 miles per hour. It’s incredibly hard to keep up with the puck once it gets going, so often I end up watching player and fan reactions.

This actually makes the game more enjoyable, because it feels like anything can happen. A player can sneak a puck down behind a goalie and score just as quickly as that same goalie can shove that puck away to where it’s sent back down to the other side of the rink. The back and forth between sides is exhilarating. I’ve never ever seen a game that I thought went on for too long.

2. There is no “I’ in hockey.

Recently, ESPN released an article about the nature of the teams in the NHL and how NHL hockey players never say “I” when responded to questions about a game, and don’t like to talk about their personal game. From day one, hockey is taught as a team sport. A player is just one part in a metaphorical machine that does its best to win. Although some players will always be more popular than others and maybe make more money than the rest you don’t get the sense that one hockey player can make or break a team. Everyone is important, everyone matters.

A great example of this is the Vegas Golden Knight. As an expansion team, the league required each of the other 30 NHL teams to give a player. As expected, these players were carefully picked by the other team, so they didn’t have to get rid of someone whose absence would jeopardize their own chance for winning.

After the selection, experts gave the Golden Knights a 500 to 1 chance of making to the finals. They were true underdogs. But the team pulled together, and then came win after win, until they were first in their division and facing down the Capitals for the Stanley Cup. They might have lost it in the end, but I don’t think anyone can discredit that the Golden Knights have shown what true teamwork can do, especially when no one expects you do to well.

3. Even if you don’t have a NHL team in your area, chances are you have a minor league team that you can support.

One of the greatest things I’m finding is hockey is more widespread than you think. While there are only 31 NHL teams in the United States and Canada, there are dozens of minor league teams that have sprung up in nearly every major city in the United States.

The Atlanta Thrashers may no longer be a thing, having flown up to Canada to reform the Winnipeg Jets, but you still have a team in Atlanta, the Gladiators (which is actually the team that got me into hockey in 2008) and even Macon, which now hosts the Mayhem. (The history of hockey in Macon is long and pun-filled, and worth a search on Google, trust me.)

There are also several minor league teams in Florida, including the Jacksonville Icemen, the Orlando Solar Bears, and the Florida Everblades.

Plus, games are relatively cheap to attend. You can get a front row seat on the glass to watch Mayhem in Macon for $22, while general admission is $16.

In contrast, if I wanted to see my favorite NHL team, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on the ice, a general admission ticket is probably gonna run me at least $50, depending on who they are facing and if they are the home team or not. The better the opposing team, the more it’s gonna cost me. Plus, I have to drive or fly somewhere, so add in travel costs, and I’m glad television and radio broadcasts exists.

However, the low cost of admission in the minors can be a double edged sword. Prices are cheap so that more people are attracted to attend, but if you don’t make enough, you risk having to fold. Ice rinks, especially where there is no natural snow or ice, aren’t cheap to build and to maintain.

I encourage you when fall comes around and the major and minor leagues start up again, to spend a few hours and watch a match, especially if it’s going out and supporting a local minor team. Hockey isn’t for everyone, but with easy to understand rules, fast play and presence, it makes itself accessible to everyone.