What is a "hockey mom"?

It's a spinoff of the term "soccer-mom" which is used to describe mothers who are devoted to hearth and home: toting their children back and forth to soccer practice, ballet lessons, baking cookies and and volunteering in schools, etc. Alaskan children (for obvious reasons) play more ice hockey than soccer, hence the term "hockey mom".

It's a way of trying to make Mrs. Palin seem more like an average mother, less like a politician.

It is a takeoff on the term Soccer Mom.

Based on the way you worded your question, I am going to assume you are not a US citizen. So here is an explanation.

A Soccer Mom is a mother that participates in their children's soccer events, loading all the kids up in the minivan, making snacks for after the game and just being an all around cheerleader.

A hockey mom would be the same on her children participate in hockey rather than soccer, or football outside of the USA.

Hope I helped.

It is supposed to mean that she is an 'every' woman..just like the rest of us. It makes her seem folksy and middle class, average. Except hockey is not the most popular sport in America.

And what is further ironic is that Sarah Palin has one son, 19 (who is going to Iraq instead of college) and 4 daughters (who i am guessing didn't/dont play much hockey) Plus as mayor and governor and mother how much time did she really have to go to practice?

A mom that does hockey stuff