By Jacob Messing

Hockey is a continuous whirlwind of dekes, highlight-reel goals, fluid tactics, and heart-stopping drama.

But if all that stuff fails, there’s still sure to be some roughhousing — and who doesn’t love to watch a massive hit?

While they doesn’t win awards at the end of the season or get added up and discussed by five guys on TV, body checks are one of the purest elements of the game.

Ahead of this week’s awesome slate of live action, FloHockey has accumulated the best hockey hits from around the world in the last couple weeks. Take a look at these moments of mayhem from the NHL, KHL, and college.

Tampa Bay’s Dan Girardi sends Matt Calvert’s bucket flying.

Big hit by Girardi on Calvert pic.twitter.com/1gKMTlZmcF

— HighLight Hockey (@HILITINGHOCKEY) November 5, 2017

Philadelphia’s Brayden Schenn with a big hit on ex-teammate Sean Couturier.

BOOM ! Blind sided hit by @Bschenn_10 on ex-teammate Sean Couturier #flyers #blues #nhl pic.twitter.com/aWPZfuSgo4

— PeepSports (@PeepSports) November 3, 2017

Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb crushes Colorado rookie Alex Kerfoot.

Huge hit by McNabb! #VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/gMjX9Y7FlO

— Knights Hockey Bible (@KnightsBible) October 28, 2017

Toronto’s Leo Komarov lays a questionable hit on Philadelphia’s Shayne Gostisbehere.

Unreal that Leo Komarov wasn't penalized for this hit that injured Shayne Gostisbehere pic.twitter.com/Jp8i0DIdgW

— Flyers Nation (@FlyersNation) October 29, 2017

Los Angeles’ Nic Dowd catches Toronto’s Dominic Moore.

Dowd absolutely trucks Moore with a huge hit https://t.co/QxWrmkSwnw #Moore #Dowd #NHL #TMLTalk #TOR #LAKings #LAK #Toronto #LosAngeles #Hit

— Dva Experta (@Dva_Experta) October 27, 2017

Los Angeles continues to play L.A. hockey.

MacDermid's hit on White #NHL pic.twitter.com/MOgyg8TOJC

— Ronson A. Davidson (@Ronson_Davidson) October 21, 2017

Philadelphia’s Radko Gudas does what Radko Gudas does best with a big hit on Ottawa’s Chris Wideman.

Hope Chris Wideman is okay after this hit from Radko Gudas. pic.twitter.com/WSAiiU3otL

— Sens Prospects (@SensProspects) October 27, 2017

Chicago’s Brent Seabrook goes to the wrong bench, courtesy of Marcus Foligno.

Foligno huge hit tossing Seabrook out of the play #NHL#mnwild Vs. #NHLBlackhawks pic.twitter.com/bVxG3rfNyT

— Ronson A. Davidson (@Ronson_Davidson) October 20, 2017

Arizona’s Nick Cousins Gets Kronwall’d by the man himself, Niklas Kronwall.

Kronwall lowers the boom on Cousins. #RedWings pic.twitter.com/dW0OaFlgBr

— Stefan Kubus (@StefanKubus) October 31, 2017

Detroit’s Gustav Nyquist hit by Steven Stamkos.

Stamkos huge hit! Nyquist #NHL#TBLightning Vs. #DetroitRedWings
Oct 16, 2017 pic.twitter.com/oKXjQfhZAt

— Ronson A. Davidson (@Ronson_Davidson) October 20, 2017

Nyquist was on the receiving end again.

No, this is not the Virtanen-Kronwall hit.

Granlund's hit on Nyquist last night was just as awesome pic.twitter.com/MVrQNOrUC0

— Omar A (@omarcanuck) October 23, 2017

Rookie Nolan Patrick left the fame after Anaheim’s Chris Wagner caught him up high.

Nolan Patrick was helped off the ice after taking this hit. #Flyers #NHL pic.twitter.com/flCTNQj6Yv

— MassDG (@Mass_Insight) October 25, 2017

A heavy college hit that leads to a goal.

Selfless hockey 101; Take a hit to make a play! pic.twitter.com/z3ZKnMh2rj

— Salisbury Ice Hockey (@SUGullsHockey) November 5, 2017

Here’s a collection from around the KHL. The first is on former Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings defenseman Alexey Marchenko.

BOOM! This crunching Nikolai Prokhorkin hit during the Army Derby with CSKA Moscow is in the KHL's top ten! Video: https://t.co/G8nyvnj6HZ pic.twitter.com/daPPXjCqTK

— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) November 1, 2017

Bikmullin hit on Kondratyev https://t.co/Io1VeUJz9e #Нефтехимик #Бикмуллин #Кондратьев #КХЛ #Амур #Kondratyev #KHL #Bikmullin #NHLDraft

— Dva Experta (@Dva_Experta) October 31, 2017

Hartikainen counter hits Timashov https://t.co/LFvWclpEbz #Автомобилист #КХЛ #СЮЛ #Тимашов #Hartikainen #Timashov #HcSalavat #KHL #HIT #NHL

— Dva Experta (@Dva_Experta) October 30, 2017

Have a question or a comment for Jacob Messing? You can find him on Twitter @JMessing23.