Glossary of ice hockey terms
This is a list of common terms used in ice hockey along with explanations of their meanings.
0-9
- 2-man advantage
- See five on three.
- 2-on-1
- See odd man rush
- 3-on-2
- See odd man rush.
- 500
- (also known as .500) 50% or even, usually referring to a team's overall record when their number of wins equals their number of regulation losses.
- 5-on-3
- See five on three.
- 5-on-5
- See full strength.
A
- Attacking zone
- The opposing team's end of the ice; extends from the blue line to the end boards.[1]
B
- Backhand
- A pass shot that is taken from the backside of the blade.
- Backchecking
- Rushing back to the defensive zone in response to an opposing team's attack.
- Blocker
- The rectangular pad that a goaltender wears on the stick-holding hand. (See waffle pad.)
- Blue line
- The lines separating the attacking/defending zones from the neutral zone.[1]
- Boarding
- Checking a defenseless player causing them to violently fall/impact into the boards. This typically leads to the face/head of the unaware player to hit first causing greater chance of injury. Usually a penalty.[2]
- Boards
- a wall that surrounds the playing surface[1]
- Body checking
- Using the hip or body to knock an opponent against the boards or to the ice (also known as hip checking).
- Breakaway
- When a player has possession of the puck and there are no defenders other than the goalie between him and the opposing goal.
- Butterfly
- A style of goaltending wherein the goalie tends to drop to their knees to cover the lower half of the net with his or her leg pads.
- Butt-ending
- The act of jabbing an opponent with the knob of their stick. A double-minor penalty or greater.[3]
- Bar Down
- when the puck hits the crossbar and goes in
C
- Cage
- Metal grid that attaches to the front of a helmet to protect the face; occasionally also refers to the goal.
- Catcher or Catching glove
- The webbed glove that the goaltender wears on the hand opposite the stick. (Also known as the trapper.)
- Centre (or Center)
- A forward position whose primary zone of play is the middle of the ice.
- Change on the fly
- Substituting a player from the bench during live play, i.e. not at a faceoff.
- Charging
- The act of violently hitting an opponent as a result of speed and distance traveled, or by leaving their feet to deliver a hit. A penalty.[4]
- Check to the head
- A hit where the primary contact is made to an opponent's head. A major or match penalty in the NHL if such a hit is made from a lateral or blind side position.[5] In other leagues and organizations, any check to the head can be a minor or major penalty, often including an automatic misconduct or game misconduct penalty.
- Checking from behind
- The act of hitting an opponent from the back when they are unaware the hit is coming. A penalty.[6]
- Cherry picking
- When a player stays near their opponent's defensive zone waiting for an outlet pass in order to receive a breakaway.
- Clipping
- Hitting an opponent below the knees. A penalty.[7]
- Coincidental penalties
- When both teams are assessed an equal amount of penalties at the same time, usually on the same play or incident.
- Crashing the net
- Players head with full steam to the front of the net, into the goalie's space and/or straight into the goalie. Also known as crashing the crease.
- Crease
- See goal crease or referee's crease
- Cross-checking
- The act of checking an opponent with the shaft of the stick held in both hands. A penalty.[8]
D
- Defensive zone
- The defending team's zone; extends from the blue line to the end boards.[1]
- Deke
- When a player handles the puck or himself in such a manner to fool the opponent into moving out of position, allowing the player to get past. Originated from the word decoy.
- Delay of game
- Deliberately causing a stoppage of play; player is penalized with a minor penalty.
- Delayed offside
- If a player enters the attacking zone ahead of the puck but does not touch it, the play is offside but no whistle is blown immediately, thus creating a delayed offside. When all players from the offside team leave their offensive zone and go into the neutral zone the linesman cancels the offside infraction. Conversely, if the offending team touches the puck before leaving their offensive zone the whistle is blown for the offside infraction.
- Delayed penalty
- When a penalty is called, the referee will raise his or her arm to indicate that one is being called, but if the team who committed the infraction is not in control of the puck, no whistle will be blown until a player from the offending team controls the puck.
- Delayed whistle
- An official waits to blow his whistle, usually due to a delayed offside or delayed penalty call.
- Dive
- When a player embellishes contact made against him in order to entice the referee into calling a penalty against the opposition; however sometimes this ends up in a "unsportsmanlike conduct" penalty being called against the embellishing player.
- Drop pass
- When a player passes the puck behind himself to a teammate.
- Dump and chase
- An offensive strategy used to get the puck over the opposing team's blue line and into the corners where players can race to get it, thereby moving the play into the attacking zone.
E
- Elbowing
- The act of using an extended elbow to make contact with an opponent. A penalty.[9]
- Empty net goal
- A goal scored when the opposing goalie is not on the ice.
- Enforcer
- A player quick to fight who defends his teammates against violent members of the other team.
- Extra attacker
- A player who has been substituted for the team's goaltender on the ice.
F
- Faceoff
- The method used to begin play at the beginning of a period or after a stoppage of play. The two teams line up in opposition to each other. One player from each team attempts to gain control of the puck after it is dropped by an official between their sticks onto a face-off spot on the ice.[10]
- Faceoff spot
- One of nine painted circles on the ice where a faceoff may occur. Two in each attacking/defending zone, two each near the corners of the neutral zone, and one at centre ice.[1]
- Fighting
- When two or more players punch each other repeatedly. A major penalty, and results in a game misconduct in many leagues.[11]
- Fight strap
- A strap inside the back of the jersey that loops through the belt, so that the jersey may not be pulled over a player's head during a fight.
- Five on three
- (also called a two-man advantage) is when one team has had two players sent to the penalty box. This leaves the opponent with five skaters (i.e., not including the goaltender) to penalized team's three.
- Five on five
- See full strength.
- Five-hole
- The gap between a goaltender's legs.
- Forechecking
- Checking in the offensive zone in order to gain control of the puck and set up a scoring opportunity.
- Freezing the puck
- The act of trapping the puck so it cannot be played.
- Full strength
- When both teams have five skaters and one goaltender on the ice.
G
- Game Misconduct
- A penalty that results in a player being ejected from the game. For statistical purposes, a player receiving a game misconduct is often credited with 10 or 20 penalty minutes
- Goal
- A goal is scored when the puck crosses completely over the goal line within the goal frame.
- Goal crease
- An area of the ice that extends from the goal line and out around the net, often shaped like a semicircle and painted in a different colour.[1]
- Goal judge
- An off-ice official who signals when a goal has been scored, usually by turning a red light on above the net.[12]
- Goal line
- The line that the puck must completely cross in order to be considered a goal.
- Goon
- See Enforcer (usually refers to an enforcer that plays for the other team).
- Gordie Howe hat trick
- A Gordie Howe hat trick is when one player scores a goal, notches an assist and gets into a fight all in the same game (a natural Gordie Howe hat trick occurs when a player does all three in one period.
- Grinder
- Hockey grinder
- Gross Misconduct
- A game misconduct penalty for gross unsportsmanlike conduct. Obsolete.
H
- Hack
- see slashing
- Hand pass
- The act of passing the puck using one's hand. This is legal inside a team's defensive zone, but illegal in the neutral zone and attacking zone, even if the pass originates from another zone.
- Hash marks
- The straight lines from the faceoff circles in front of both nets. Used to line up faceoffs.[1]
- Hat-trick
- When one player scores three goals in one game.
- Head-butting
- The act of deliberately hitting an opponent when leading with one's head. A penalty.[13]
- High stick
- (i) (high-sticking) The act of hitting a player in the head or shoulders with a stick. A penalty (a single minor if no blood is drawn; a double minor if blood is drawn).[14]
- High stick
- (ii) Contacting the puck with a stick that is raised above the shoulders. If the puck is subsequently contacted again by the offending player or a teammate before an opponent touches it, the play is blown dead. A goal scored as a result of a puck being contacted by an offensive player's stick raised above the crossbar shall be disallowed.[14]
- Hip check
- Using the hip to knock an opponent against the boards or to the ice.
- Holding
- The act of impeding an opponent by grabbing onto them. A penalty.[15]
- Home-ice advantage
- The ability to make the last line change.
- Hooking
- The act of impeding an opponent by placing the blade of a stick into their body. A penalty.[16]
I
- Icing
- Icing occurs when a player shoots the puck across both the center red line and the opposing team's goal line without the puck going into the net or being able to be touched by an opposing player in their neutral or defensive zones. When icing occurs, a linesman stops play. Play is resumed with a faceoff in the defending zone of the team that committed the infraction. In the NHL and many professional leagues, icing can be negated if a player from the team committing the icing touches the puck before a defender, in which case play continues (the linesman nearest the puck will indicate this with a "washout" signal). In many amateur leagues, the no-touch icing rule is used, meaning play stops as soon as the puck crosses the goal line. The NHL adopted a rule where the team that committed the infraction is unable to make a line change during the stoppage to discourage teams from icing the puck to "get a whistle" and change lines; this change has been adopted by many pro and high-level amateur leagues, but not all.
- Ice Resurfacer
- A vehicle that reconditions ice before play and between periods of a game to smooth out and clean the ice for optimal glide of both puck and skate. Many may know this from the developer and brand name, Zamboni.
- Interference
- The act of impeding an opponent who does not control the puck. A penalty.[17]
J
- Jock
- A jock (or for females, a jill) are simple devices used to protect the genitalia of an ice hockey player.
K
- Kicking
- (i) The act of propelling the puck using the skates. A goal may not be scored by kicking a puck into the opposing team's net.[18]
- Kicking
- (ii) The act kicking an opposing player. A match penalty.[18]
- Kneeing
- The act of making contact with an opposing player when leading an outstretched knee. A penalty.[19]
L
- Left wing
- See Winger.
- Left wing lock
- The left wing lock is a defensive ice hockey strategy similar to the neutral zone trap. In the most basic form, once puck possession changes, the left wing moves back in line with the defensemen. Each defender (including the left winger) play a zone defense and are responsible for a third of the ice each. Since there are normally only two defensemen, this tactic helps to avoid odd man rushes.
- Light the Lamp
- It means to score a goal.
- Line brawl
- A series of fights involving most, or all, players on the ice at the same time.
- Linesman
- An official responsible for conducting most faceoffs and for calling off-side and icing infractions. Can call some penalties. Usually two linesmen on the ice during a game.[20]
- Long change
- In the second period, the goaltenders change ends, meaning that the players' bench is closer to the offensive zone rather than the defensive zone. The "long change" can be a factor when a tired line is stuck in the defensive zone and cannot come off due to the increased distance to the bench.
M
- Man advantage
- When one team is penalized, and one of its players sent to the penalty box, the second team maintains a man advantage for the duration of the penalty (Major penalty) or until a goal is scored (Minor penalty). If two penalties are called on one team there will be a two man advantage. If more than two penalties are called on one team the man advantage is limited to two men.
- Major penalty
- A five-minute penalty
- Match penalty
- a five-minute penalty that carries an automatic game misconduct penalty. Often called for attempts to deliberately injure an opponent, official or fan.
- Minor penalty
- A two-minute penalty.
- Misconduct
- A ten-minute penalty. See also game misconduct, gross misconduct
N
- Natural hat-trick
- A player scores three goals in a row without any player from either team scoring a goal in between them.
- Neutral zone
- Area of the ice between the blue lines[1]
- Neutral zone trap
- A defensive strategy focused on preventing the opposing team from proceeding with the puck through the neutral zone (the area between both blue lines) and attempting to take the puck from the opposing team.
O
- Odd man rush
- When a team enters the attacking zone and outnumbers the opposing players in the zone.
- Offensive zone
- See Attacking zone.
- Official
- A person who regulates game play. See also: linesman, referee
- One timer
- The act of shooting the puck directly off a pass without playing the puck in any way.
- Overtime
- An extra session of play added on after the full regulation time has concluded in order to resolve a tie. The first team to score in overtime wins the game.
P
- Paddle
- The wide portion above the blade of a goalie's stick.
- Penalty box
- The area where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty.[1]
- Penalty kill
- See shorthanded. Also refers to lineups, tactics and play by a team during the shorthanded period. Icing is not enforced on a shorthanded team.
- Pepper pot
- Player with great speed and quickness.
- Playmaker
- A fast player who usually scores more assists than goals. A Playmaker has the speed and balance to make plays, and frequently relies on a sniper to finish them. (e.g. Joe Thornton)
- Playoff beard
- The superstitious practice of a hockey player not shaving off his facial hair during the playoffs, consequently growing a beard.
- Plus-minus
- A hockey statistic that can apply to a player or an offensive or defensive line indicating whether they were on the ice when the opposing team scored (a minus) or on the ice when their team scored (a plus). Goals scored when on a power-play or a penalty kill do not count for a player's plus or minus, respectively.
- The point
- A player in the opponent's end zone at the junction of the blue line with the boards is said to be at the point.
- Poke checking
- Using the stick to poke the puck away from an opponent.
- Pond hockey
- A form of outdoor hockey similar to shinny. A fan might state that their team 'looks like they're playing pond hockey' if the players are not displaying the heart or concentration upon the game that their elite professional level demands.
- Post-game handshake
- A handshake between opposing players, who line up parallel to each other, at centre ice, after a game. Usually, after a playoff game.
- Power forward
- A power forward is a large, muscular offensive player (6'0" - 6'5", 210 to 240 pounds), with the mobility to track a puck to the corners of the rink, the physical toughness required to dig it out, and the puck-handling skills to get it back to anyone in front of the net.
- Powerplay
- A powerplay occurs when one team has more players on the ice than the other team as a result of penalties assessed to the shorthanded team.
- Puck bunny
- A puck bunny is a female ice hockey fan, often one whose interest in the sport is primarily motivated by sexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself.
- Pull the goalie
- Removing the goalie from the ice in order to temporarily replace him with an extra skater (attacker).
Q
- Quarterback
- Generally, an offensive defensemen that plays one of the points on the power play, and is adept at skating and handling the puck.
- Quick whistle
- A stoppage in play that occasionally occurs when an on-ice official view of the puck is obstructed while the puck is still moving or playable but the official stops the play with a whistle. The most common example of this is a goaltender appearing to have trapped the puck underneath his catcher, yet the puck is still freely moving and within legal striking distance of the opposing players. The official will whistle the play "dead" with the puck still visible to others. This often draws an unfavorable reaction from hometown crowds when the whistle negates a perceived scoring chance for the home team.
R
- Rebound
- A rebound occurs when the puck bounces off a goalie, a player, or the net (or occasionally, the back boards) after a shot on goal.
- Referee
- The official in charge of the game. Responsible for maintaining the flow of the game, calling penalties and starting and stopping play. Can be one or two referees on the ice during a game.[21]
- Referee's crease
- The semi-circular area at the red line along the scorer's bench into which a player may not follow a referee.[1]
- Rink
- the playing surface[1]
- Right wing
- See Winger.
- Roughing
- The act of contacting an opponent with the hand or fist when making a punching motion. A penalty.[22]
S
- Saucer pass
- An airborne pass from one player to another. It is called a saucer pass because the puck resembles a flying saucer in mid air.
- Screened shot
- A shot that the goaltender cannot see due to other players obscuring it.
- Shaft
- The long part of the stick that is straight and is held by the player.
- Shorthanded
- A team is said to be shorthanded when they have fewer players on the ice than the opposing team as a result of penalties.
- Shortside
- The side of the goal closest to the shooter.
- Shot on goal
- A shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save (shots that hit the main pipes of the goal are not counted as shots).
- Shutdown player
- A player skilled at defensive play.
- Shutdown pair
- Two forwards or defensemen working together, fundamentally to stop the opposing teams offense players.
- Slapshot
- A slapshot is a hard shot, usually with a big wind up, wherein the player bends his stick on the ice and allows the energy stored in bending the stick to launch the puck forward.
- Slashing
- The act of contacting an opponent's body or stick with one's own as a result of a swinging motion. A penalty.[23]
- Slew foot
- Sweeping or kicking out a player's skate or tripping them from behind, causing them to fall backwards. A match penalty.[24]
- Spearing
- The act of jabbing an opponent with the blade of the stick. A double-minor penalty at minimum.[25]
- Slot
- Slot is the area on the hockey rink directly in front of the goaltender between the face-off circles on each side.
- Slow whistle
- When an official is slow to blow his whistle compared to when the whistle would be blown under similar circumstances.
- Snap shot
- A snap shot is a like an abbreviated slap shot. The purpose of the snap shot is to combine the main advantages of the wrist shot (shot accuracy and quick delivery) and the slap shot (puck speed). The stick should start at your hip when shooting.
- Sniper
- A player with a powerful, accurate shot skilled at finishing plays. Snipers frequently score more goals than assists. Snipers can be either forwards or defensemen.
- Spin-o-rama
- A phrase coined by sportscaster Danny Gallivan to describe a player completing several tight circles with the puck fully under control of his stick, eluding pursuing opponents who cannot keep up or intercept the player.
- Split the D
- When an offensive player confuses or out maneuvers two defensemen in order to get between them.
- Stack the pads
- A save wherein the goaltender drops to one side and makes the save with his leg pads.
- Standup goalie
- A goalie that often stays on their skates when a player shoots, as opposed to a butterfly goalie.
- Stay-at-home defenseman
- A defenseman who plays very defensively. He doesn't skate with the puck toward the offensive zone very often but will look to pass first. Usually the last player to leave his defensive zone.
- Stick checking
- Using the stick to interfere with an opponent's stick.
- Stickhandling
- The act of controlling the puck with one's stick, especially while maneuvering through opponents.
T
- Tag up
- The act of returning to the neutral zone after a delayed offside is signaled by the linesman.
- Toe drag
- Dragging the puck along the ice with the end (toe) of the stick blade on the ice as opposed to pushing with the bottom edge.
- Trap
- Also called the "neutral zone trap", is a defensive-style hockey strategy in which a team loads up the neutral zone with players so that the opposing team has a difficult time crossing the blue line and gaining the zone.
- Trapezoid
- In the NHL, the trapezoidal area behind the goal line and net where the goaltender may touch the puck. A minor penalty (delay of game) is assessed if the goaltender plays the puck behind the goal line outside of the trapezoid.[1]
- Trapper
- See Catching glove.
- Tripping
- The act of knocking an opponent down by taking their feet out from under them using a stick or part of the body. A penalty.[26]
- Trolley tracks
- Coined by Don Cherry, the trolley tracks are two 'lanes' in the neutral zone, located midway between the center face-off dot and the boards, spanning from blue-line to blue-line. They are named this due to the common occurrence of a forward receiving a pass from his defense-man during breakout, and then getting completely demolished by an opposing player, usually because they are still looking back at where the pass had originated. This pass is often referred to as a suicide pass. It can be blamed on either the defense-man for setting up such an obvious pass, or the player receiving the pass for not keeping their head up.
- Twig
- Another name for a hockey stick.
- Two-way forward
- A forward who handles the defensive aspects of the game as well as the offensive aspects..
V
- Video goal judge
- An off-ice official who reviews a goal by video instant replay.[27]
W
- Waffle
- The goalie's blocker. This term stemmed from the visual appearance of the blocker in the pre-modern ice hockey equipment era (also refer to waffle-boarding).
- Waffle-boarding
- A quick save with the goalie's blocker, usually a sideways-sweeping motion. Play-by-play announcer Mike Emrick often uses the term in his broadcasts.
- Wheel
- Typically referred to when there is time and space to skate with the puck, sometimes is said to tell someone to skate faster.
- Winger
- A winger is a forward position of a player whose primary zone of play on the ice is along the outer playing area. A right winger is responsible for the right-hand side of the ice and a left winger is responsible for the left-hand side.
- Wrap around
- Scoring from behind the net.
- Wrist shot
- A type of shot that involves using arm muscles (especially those in the wrist and forearm) to propel a puck forward from the open-faced, concave part of the blade of a hockey stick.
Z
- Zamboni
- See ice resurfacer.
- Zone
- One of three areas of the ice as divided by the blue lines. See attacking zone, neutral zone or defensive zone
See also
References