(Photo from notionscapital.wordpress.com)     

If anyone doubts that hockey moms are the most special breed of moms they need only take a look the hundreds of memes out there.

There are, without question, more social media memes created for hockey moms than any other type of mom, giving hockey moms very special status indeed. No doubt you’ve heard…

“Hockey moms choose their cars on the number of hockey bags it will hold.”

“A hockey mom will spend more on a hockey stick than she will spend on shoes for herself.”

“You know you’re a hockey mom when asked when your son was born and you reply “He’s a ‘96” 

“On a scale of one to Hockey Mom, how crazy are we talkin’ here?”

Not all hockey moms are totally crazy, though. It is agreed we pull off some pretty crazy stuff during the hockey season. There are some hockey moms out there who are quite sane and rational - normal, even.

In my sixteen seasons as a hockey mom, I’ve met some pretty special women – and I can now spot an exceptional hockey mom from across the parking lot.

But what is it about her that makes her so special?

1. She helps flood the backyard rink and she make hot chocolate and cookies for the team (and she doesn’t swear at the kids who walk through her mudroom with their skates on!).

2. Not only does she tell her own kid what a great game they played, she tells your kid what great game he or she had. I don’t know how she does it. (I didn’t even watch your kid, by the way!)

3. She is very happy to carpool but doesn’t actually mind doing most of driving because she can’t imagine missing a single game or practice.

4. She helps fill team water bottles (in fact, she even occasionally takes them home to wash them). Fast track to sainthood, if you ask me.

5. She says thank you to the game officials after each game (and she doesn’t yell at them during the game).

6. She carries Advil, Band Aids, Polysporin and Benadryl – and hockey tape – in her purse because ‘you never know’.

7. She makes healthy food choices available for the team at hockey tournament (and not just dill pickle chips, like I do).

8. She says a cheery good morning to all the housekeeping staff at the tournament hotel. In fact, she always says a cheery good morning to everyone. (Even though she shut down the party well after I went to bed!)

9. She does the dishes … at your house … (even the ones you left there before the party started).

10. Before going to Tim Horton’s for her habitual pre-game double-double, she asks who else needs a coffee (knowing there’s always at least one taker in a hockey crowd!).

She’s the Martha Stewart of hockey moms (minus the felony charge) and you can’t help but love her.

Three cheers to the best of the best of hockey moms out there – when I grow up I want to be just like her!