When it comes to professional sports, one thing that matters is home advantage. After all, there is something exciting about teams performing in front of their adoring fans. It can make players give a little extra, and this is how the NHL is making the bubble feel like home for its stars.

The Missing Touches

As NHL teams are gearing up to begin playing games once again, the hockey world feels a little different. With games being played inside the bubble, teams can no longer enjoy all of the home arena advantages they once had.

Now every time the Blue Jackets score, there won’t be the ear-splitting cannon going off, and mascots won’t be parading around the stands with the fans. Many of the entertaining elements of the NHL’s franchises are going to be missing, but there are some things that are going to make it feel like home for players.

It’s The Little Things

Sometimes it’s the little things in life that can make the difference. The NHL wants its players to feel like it’s business as usual. The league will provide the familiar sounds of goal songs and national anthem performers.

Although the players aren’t going to be playing in their home arenas, they are going to hit the ice to their own fight songs. The added bonus of pumping goal sounds into the arenas is that it will bring a sense of energy to the place. We can imagine there is nothing more anticlimactic for a professional hockey player than scoring a goal that is met with nothing but silence from the stands.

Added crowd noise that reacts to the plays are being tested, with the NHL expecting to improve its ‘performance’ as the season continues. It might be unfamiliar, but the NHL is doing what it can to make its players feel at home on the ice.

The MLS has had some great players over the years. From home-grown talents to foreign imports, these are the greatest MLS players in the history of the league.

Landon Donovan

Quite simply, there hasn’t been an American player quite like Landon Donovan. The forward showed he could play in pretty much any league in the world and was the great hope for the United States National Team for years. During his time in the MLS, Donovan collected four MLS titles and two Supporters’ Shields. Donovan made the MLS Best XI seven times in his career and became the all-time assist leader with 136. The player did so much for American soccer that in 2015 the MLS renamed the MVP award to the ‘Landon Donovan MVP Award.’

David Beckham

There was no denying that bringing a star like David Beckham to Los Angeles made the MLS much more popular. Beckham joined the league in 2007 and won two MLS Cups. Although he was criticized for returning to Europe whenever possible, Beckham’s time with the Galaxy was nothing but a success. The English midfielder had 40 assists and scored a bunch of trademark unforgettable free-kick goals.

Robbie Keane

David Beckham might have been responsible for raising the profile of the MLS, but Robbie Keane might be the best foreign import the league has ever seen. He joined LA Galaxy with one aim, scoring a ton of goals. In just 125 games in the MLS, the Irishman scored 83 goals, winning three MLS Cups during his short time in the league. Keane was at the end of his professional career but proved he still had what it took during his MLS seasons.

There were many MLS players to choose from, but these are the guys who had the biggest impact on the league. Their skills with the ball brought millions of eyes to the MLS, helping it become what it is today.