I believe it is true I heard something similar before... There is a reason hockey players can play 2 to 3 games in a week and 82 games a year...football players wouldn’t even survive it... Football is a far more brutal and physically demanding sport.
More brutal in the trenches, but not more physically demanding for the specialists of the game: W/O, DB's.
A number of studies have been done and evaluated using the following criteria: Hockey always comes out ahead of Football.
ENDURANCE: The ability to continue to perform a skill or action for long periods of time.
STRENGTH: The ability to produce force.
POWER: The ability to produce strength in the shortest possible time.
SPEED: The ability to move quickly.
AGILITY: The ability to change direction quickly.
FLEXIBILITY: The ability to stretch the joints across a large range of motion.
NERVE: The ability to overcome fear.
DURABILITY: The ability to withstand physical punishment over a long period of time.
HAND-EYE COORDINATION: The ability to react quickly to sensory perception.
ANALYTIC APTITUDE: The ability to evaluate and react appropriately to strategic situations.
Football is the most intense anaerobic sport that involves quick bursts of energy and is performed at maximum effort for a short time. Hockey is a combination of aerobic (endurance) with anaerobic features.
Both a great tests and can be equally loved!