I have been dating a hockey player for a little over two years now, and it definitely has its perks. Dating a hockey player is like a full time job with the most amazing benefits. From making new friends and family, to traveling and seeing new places, dating a hockey player will change how you live your life.

1. Traveling

One of the best things about dating a hockey player is going on "roadies," or away tournaments. When we were still in high school, my boyfriend played for the Crown Point Bulldogs. Most of our tournaments were either in Fort Wayne, South Bend, or Indianapolis. Roadies were always exciting. We got to stay in a hotel with all of our friends, staying up late (even though the boys were supposed to go to bed early,) the team dinners, and the bonding. I loved the long car rides to the cities. I loved seeing new things. We may have gone to the same three cities for all of the roadies, but I always saw new things, ate at new places, and met different people. The roadies may have been expensive, but it was always well worth it.

2. Family

Hockey families are absolutely crazy. The craziest thing about them are the mothers. Hockey moms are the craziest women you will ever meet. But they are also some of the best people you will ever meet. I honestly thing the parents are what I miss most about high school hockey. I didn't play on the team, but the players and their parents still treated me like I was. They included me in things, made sure I was taken care of, and made me feel like part of the family. The bond that a hockey family has is unbreakable. I don't just mean individual families, I mean the players, the parents, and the coaches. They are all one big family. I was lucky enough to be apart of that. If you mess with one person, you have to deal with everyone. I remember a hockey tournament in Indy. My friend and I were sitting in the stands watching the game, and some of the moms noticed a man watching us everywhere they went. They also noticed the weird looks he gave us. Not only did the moms stay by us to watch us, but one of the mothers even said to him, "I don't appreciate the way you are looking at my daughters." I will never ever forget the feeling of being apart of that family. The amount of love and support is amazing.

3. Friends

The friends I made during the hockey seasons are some of my best friends. One of my closest friends is the girlfriend of another hockey player on the team. She went on all of the roadies with us as well. It was nice to have another girl there to hangout with when they guys had to do their own things. I will always remember sitting in the stands, screaming our heads off at the other teams players, yelling at the reffs (one of our goals was actually to get kicked out of a game for yelling at the reffs. It never happened), and fighting with the parents who tried to tell us to stop yelling. I will also always cherish the friendships I made with my boyfriends teammates. Most of them became brothers to me. I still see and talk to a lot of them. I love knowing that they will always have my back and be there when I need them.

4. Celebrations

Winning was always the best. Celebrating with the parents and players was so fun. Sometimes we had team dinners and sometimes we had parties with some of the players. We won the most games my boyfriends senior year. I have never seen a team that wanted to win more than them. They were undefeated in the semi-finals, and I have never seen a team celebrate the way they did. They all threw off their helmets and gloves and were hugging and crying on the ice. The same was going on in the bleachers; all the moms were hugging each other and crying. We were all so proud of our boys.

5. Memories

Dating a hockey player has given me so many memories that I will cherish forever. We went on so many adventures and did so many things together. From wandering around in Indy with some of the guys, to my boyfriend teaching me how to play hockey, these will always be some of my favorite memories.

Through the wins and the losses, the disappointments and the surprises, dating a hockey player has been an amazing experience. It honestly becomes a lifestyle. There is always a practice to go to or a game to watch. You will never have free time. But it is all so worth it. I have made so many friends and become part of the most amazing family ever. I wouldn't trade any of it for all the money in the world. I will always love my hockey playing boyfriend and my hockey family.