There is one country artist who’s extremely happy that the NHL has reached a settlement in the labor dispute, especially because he enjoys playing hockey, as well as being a spectator. When Dierks Bentley isn’t on the road or in the recording studio, you can often find him slicing and skating and making goals on ice! He gets his aggression out while playing hockey in an amateur league in Nashville when he’s in town.

For Dierks, it’s mainly about getting together with a bunch of guys who enjoy playing hockey as much as he does. He says he really excels in the fourth period (there are only three periods in an actual game of hockey, by the way). “If you’ve ever played it, like you get done and you lie in the house at night and your ribcage hurts from over-expanding it, ‘cause you breathe so hard, ‘cause you’re having so much fun. You think that you’re dying, but you keep going ‘cause you’re having so much fun,” says Dierks. “It’s just that camaraderie of the guys. One of the periods, I really excel in the fourth period. I do good work in periods one, two and three, but the fourth period over at the Brewhouse or Sam’s Club, I’m a good team player there. It’s one of my favorite parts of the game.”

Dierks is closing in on the Top 10 with his latest hit, “Tip It On Back,” which he’ll definitely perform when he hits the road with pal Miranda Lambert on the Locked and Reloaded Tour January 17th in Columbia, South Carolina.

AUDIO: Dierks Bentley talks about his love of playing hockey.

Dierks Bentley (hockey) OC: …the road. :31
“If you’ve ever played it, like you get done and you lie in the house at night and your ribcage hurts from over-expanding it, ‘cause you breathe so hard, ‘cause you’re having so much fun. You think that you’re dying, but you keep going ‘cause you’re having so much fun. So, literally the bones ache from being like stretched out because you breathe so deeply. It’s just fun, man. It’s just that camaraderie of the guys. One of the periods, I really excel in the fourth period. I do good work in periods one, two and three, but the fourth period over at the Brewhouse or Sam’s Club, I’m a good team player there. It’s one of my favorite parts of the game. I just love playing it. It’s just totally opposite from the road.”