As you probably know, hockey pucks are little vulcanized pieces of rubber that slide very ably around the ice. They are not usually humans. However, a few hockey players decided that they could be humans and proceeded to play around pretending to be the pucks themselves. The result was a weird hybrid of hockey, luge, and horizontal bungee jumping. The players use a bungee attached to the side of the rink to propel themselves into a makeshift inflatable goal.

While the game doesn’t really bear any resemblance to actual hockey, it still looks like a huge amount of fun, particularly if you’ve ever wondered what it;s like to be a penguin sliding around on the ice. At one point, the players get what looks like some sort of all-terrain four-wheel vehicle in on the action, using it to help build up momentum before a “shot”, and that’s when the human hockey pucks reach peak potential.

Almost any display of skill in hockey is hugely impressive: the sport involves skates and sticks and other implements that require a lot of expertise and talent to use. So when we see a player at either the amateur or pro level manipulate the puck and his body in such a way that the puck sails into the net against all odds, we are all the more awed and amazed.

Here are five awesome hockey trick shots.

Spin and Shoot (Player)

Watching kids play hockey is kind of a surreal experience. Because they’re smaller and more compact, they almost look like little sedans gliding around the ice. That is, until they demonstrate some unbelievably skillful display of stick work or skating and you’re reminded that hey, this kid would actually destroy me if we were on the ice together. The guy in the video above is in a one on one situation with a goalie, and out of nowhere he unleashes a shot of ballet-like, almost choreographed grace, whirling around and somehow taking the puck with him. The shot is so confusing – and surprising – that the goalie hilariously doesn’t react at all; he just stands there, because what else can you do in the face of a shot like that? You’re certainly not going to be able to stop a puck you can’t even see.

Spin and Shoot (Goalie)

Here’s a pretty similar display to what the kid in the first video pulled off, except, in this case, it’s done by a goalie during practice. Somehow, the goaltender manages to control his huge stick – designed to stop pucks, not control them – and spin the puck around his body as he turns. As impressive as that is, what might be the most dazzling aspect of what he’s doing is how he manages to keep the shot on goal when he finishes his maneuver. It would be incredibly easy for the puck to slip just before or just after he wanted it to, and considering the way his body is moving, that would mean the puck flying off in the direction of the boards.

Slide And Shoot

This player may only be 11 years old, but that doesn’t stop him from scoring a goal while he is lying on the ground. As he makes his way to the net, the defender manages to trip him up, legally, and he ends up still in possession of the puck as he careens toward the goal. While sliding on the ground, he is just able to push the puck away from him, and it slides slowly – you might think harmlessly – in the direction of the goal. But because the goaltender is so distracted by the player’s body sliding the other way, he misses the puck, and the kid manages to score.

Lacrosse-Style

It’s a good thing they slow this video down at the end, because without that closer look, you’d probably have no idea what was happening. The announcer describes it as, “between the legs, 360, lacrosse-style, top-corner.” To translate, that means the player takes the puck between his legs with his stick after reaching around himself; then spins in a full circle while still moving toward the goal; then picks the puck up off the ice like a lacrosse player cradling the ball in his net; then tosses it into the upper right corner of the goal, where it’s almost impossible for the goaltender to get to. Lacrosse-style is particularly impressive: hockey sticks aren’t exactly designed for that type of movement. Yet, this player makes it look incredibly easy.

Overhand Toss

Part of the charm of hockey is the fact that, in every game played in a proper ice rink, you see echoes of the way the sport started: on frozen ponds in the backyards and backwoods of little towns, where kids get together and create their own impromptu arenas. Here, one kid manages to successfully interpret and recreate a goal accomplished by one of his heroes, and its a doozy: lacrosse-style as well, except in this case, he basically turns the stick upright and twirls it around his head, then tosses the puck overhand into the net. This shot defies both gravity and common sense, and yet, it happened in a real hockey scenario and could then be replicated by a kid in his backyard. That’s pretty much the perfect representation of hockey.

Cover Photo Credit: Eric Kilby – Flickr.com

Ice hockey is difficult. The puck is small, the ice is slick and your competition might not be afraid to lose a few teeth.

Underwater hockey is a different kind of difficult. As you might have guessed, it takes place underwater. Humans, as we all know, can’t breathe underwater. Where breathing is impossible, movement is exhausting. Underwater hockey might bonk you out five minutes into your first game. By the halftime whistle, you might be hyperventilating on the sidelines, dripping and begging for mercy.

Equipment and rules are straightforward. Teams of six wield foot-long wooden sticks and push lead pucks across the pool floor toward 9-foot wide goals — all while submerged in 6 to 8 feet of water.

In ice hockey, speed and power are paramount. Underwater, where contact is usually forbidden, teamwork and stamina take precedence.

If you think you’re ready to try underwater hockey, call up your local aquatic center and start a league of your own. You might even be surprised to find out someone has beat you to the puck.

Very soon now, the NHL’s Stanley Cup will be awarded to either the Los Angeles Kings or the New Jersey Devils. The 2011/2012 pro hockey season will come to a close and fans of the puck-slinging team sport will have to occupy themselves with other pastimes until the 2012-13 season kicks off in the fall.

For the summer sun-loving Adrenalist, the end of the cold weather sport’s pro season is no reason to give up on hockey. Field hockey, roller hockey and even pick-up games of street hockey offer plenty of opportunities to get outside and mix it up among friends on a hot summer day. Don’t forget, however, you’ll need to gear up properly to get the most out of these hockey alternatives, and that’s what we’re going to help you with today.

Lacing Up For Roller Hockey

Roller hockey offers the closest, ice-free alternative to the popular winter sport, but you’re going to need a proper pair of roller skates in order to compete. Mission offers some of the best options, particularly the new Axiom T.10 Revolt. They’re very bright and colorful all-white skates with yellow, metal-tipped laces. They’re also priced for serious pros, at $649.99.

That price might seem a little steep if you’re a newcomer to the sport. Luckily, there are amateur-friendly options for the more budget-minded buyer. Reebok Hockey offers a number of inline skates. The 3K Inline Hockey Skates are the cheapest they’ve got at around $150, but you’re better off spending $50 more (if that much) on the step-up 5K Inline Hockey Skates. It’s a higher-end build that’s good for amateurs and pros alike for a price that isn’t really too far beyond what the entry-level kicks offer.

High-End Sticking

Those fancy new skates aren’t going to do you any good on the court unless you’ve also got a proper hockey stick in your hands. Bauer is one of the top names in hockey gear and the company’s Supreme TotalOne easily rates as one of the best. It’s a lightweight piece of gear, weighing in at just a hair under one pound. The blade is built with dual density foams that offer a softer feel on puck impacts. It’s a solid choice for power players who would happily spend all day nailing slap shots, though bear in mind that it’s also on the pricier side at $230. More finesse-minded playmakers will want to opt instead for one of Bauer’s Vapor models, like the Vapor APX GRIPTAC composite stick which are designed handling more so than power.

There are plenty of cheaper sticks, though bear in mind that roller hockey is very hard on stick blades. You’ll definitely want to avoid picking up a lower priced one piece option, since you’ll want to have the ability to replace broken blades.

Gearing Up

Once you’ve got your skates and your stick squared away, there’s one final concern to be dealt with: protection. You really can’t go wrong with protective gear from any of the established names in hockey, your Bauers and Eastons and CCMs of the world. You won’t need as much protective wear as you would for ice hockey, but definitely count on spending some cash on the following: a helmet with a cage, mouth guard, and neck guard, a padded shirt or some other sort of upper body protection, and padded roller hockey pants. Expect to spend $500 or more on this gear once it all adds up. Just be sure that your shopping list also includes the ever-important protective groin cup as well.

The Adrenalist wants to send you and a friend to watch the New York Rangers face off against Washington at Madison Square Garden this Monday, May 7th, but how do you win?

We’re giving away 2 tickets every 2 hours from 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM EST. One entry per drawing, per person.

Six pairs of tickets to Game 5 of the NHL Playoffs can be won by 6 lucky Adrenalist fans age 21 and over. Keep your eyes peeled here and on Degree Men’s Facebook and Twitter pages for more information.

Rules can be found here:

Degree Men: Madison Square Garden Sweepstakes Rules

We’ll announce the kick off to the giveaway on The Adrenalist and on our Facebook page. To enter, you’ll have to follow @DegreeMen on Twitter and ReTweet our giveaway announcement with the hastag #DegreeMSG. Simple as that.

We’ll pick a lucky Adrenalist fan from the followers who have ReTweeted the message.

Check back here often, and don’t forget to follow @DegreeMen on Twitter!

Being shorthanded in hockey — what’s called penalty killing — is never an advantageous situation. What, you want to play down a man?

But when you’re like Detroit high-school player Alex Mason, it doesn’t much matter how many other players are on the court: when he gets on a breakaway, his stickhandling is good enough that the puck is going in the net, even if he has to gravity-defyingly pick it up and drop it above the goalie’s head.

Hockey is trickier in Russia. Check out this shot from the KHL All-Star game, in which our fair hero uses his magic powers to totally destroy the goaltenders’ faith in how a hockey puck moves.

That’s brain-destroying stuff right there. So, what do we think? Mind control? The puck came alive? Or it’s just tied to his stick by a string? Definitely not that last one.