THE OFFICIAL CREW
REFEREE: The official with the band around his arm, the supervisor of the game and the one in complete charge of all official decisions. The referee is the only official allowed to call penalties, but can seek the counsel of the linesmen. The referee also determines whether or not a goal is scored and coordinates the efforts of the on and off-ice officials.
LINESMEN: There are two linesmen who work together from opposite sides of the ice that call "Icing" and "Offsides" violations. They are also the primary husky built people who break up scuffles between players. Linesmen are not authorized to call penalties.
GOAL JUDGES: These officials sit on each end of the ice and determine whether or not a goal was scored. They sit directly behind each goal and turn on a red light when the puck crosses the goal line. Goal Judges do not have the final word in determining a legitimate goal, the referee does.
Assist-a point awarded to a player for helping set up a goal. Usually the last two men to handle the puck prior to goal scored.
backchecking - forwards in the enemy zone skate back to their own end of the ice to protect their goal and prevent the opponent from shooting
blueline-the pair of one-foot-wide blue lines that divide the ice up into attacking, neutral and defensive zones.
body checking - slowing or stopping an opponent with the puck by using hip or shoulder
breakaway - no opponent between the puck carrier and the opposition's goal except the goalie
buttending-hitting an opponent with the end of the stick, farthest from the blade (ILLEGAL, calls for penalty).
crease-the area in front of the goal marked off by a thin red line shaped in the form of a semi-circle. Players who do not have possession of the puck may not enter.
clearing the puck-when the puck is passed or shot away from the area in front of the net or congested area.
deke - a quick move or feint by the puck carrier,who attempts to evade and fake out the opponent
drop pass - puck carrier leaves the puck behind to be picked up by a tailing teammate
faceoff-to start play at any point in the game, the puck is dropped between two opposing players that are facing each other on face-off dots.
forechecking - hustling in the opponent's defensive zone by the forwards who want to keep the puck there and hopefully take it away
hand-manning - when a player passes the puck forward to an attacking teammate with his hands(ILLEGAL,calls for penalty)
head-manning-passing the puck ahead to a leading teammate.
five-hole - the position in between the goalie's legs
freezing the puck - pinning the puck against the boards with either the stick and/or skates
hat trick - 3 goals by a single player in a game
major penalty-a five-minute penalty.
Match Penalty: Called when a player deliberately injures an opponent, resulting in that player's ejection from the game and an automatic suspension. The player is ejected and the team goes shorthanded for a minimum of five minutes.
Misconduct Penalty: Assessed for abusive or vulgar language directed at an official. It can also be doled out in conjunction with a fighting major penalty. This penalty is only assessed to the individual and not the team; therefore the team which the penalized player is on does not become shorthanded.
minor penalty-a two-minute penalty.
neutral zone - center ice area between defending and attacking zones
one-timer - an offensive player accepts a pass from a teammate and attempts a slap shot in the same motion
penalty box-off-ice area at the center line where penalized players serve their time.
penalty shot - a one-on-one showdown between an offensive player and the goalie;called when a player is fouled from behind and denied a breakaway scoring opportunity;also called for deliberately displacing the goal post during a breakaway,or when a defending player other than the goalie falls on the puck. The offensive player taken the penalty shot can only score on the original shot. (no rebound)
point - a position just inside the opposition blue line usually manned by defensemen when their team is in control of the puck in the opposition's zone
poke check - to dislodge the puck from an opponent by stabbing at it with the blade of a stick
power play - occurs when a team has a one-or-two-man advantage because of penalties
pulling the goalie-a team losing by one or more goals takes their goaltender off the ice in order to add a forward to the line-up in an attempt to tie the game. This usually occurs in the last minute of the game.
screen shot - a shot the goalie has difficulty seeing because one or more players are between him and the shooter
slapshot-bringing the stick back, then quickly forward with full force, hitting the puck and the ice simultaneously.
slot - the area directly in front of the goal crease where many offensive opportunities take place
splitting the defense-when the puck-carrier goes between two opposing defensmen.
sweep check - to use the entire length of the stick with a sweeping motion while laying it flat on the ice in order to dislodge the puck from an opponent
top-shelf - placing the puck above either shoulder of the goalie in a scoring attempt
wristshot-propelling the puck off the blade of the stick with a flickering wrist motion.
Goaltender - The goalie's concentration lies in keeping the opposition from scoring the puck into the goal.
Defensemen - These player's try to stop the incoming play at their blue line. These players also cover and check the opposition forwards, block shots on the goal, and clear the puck away from the goal zone. When on the offense, defensemen retrieve the puck and carry it to their center and wings toward the attacking zone.
Center - The center controls the middle portion of the ice and leads the attack when carrying the puck on the offense, using the wingmen as back up. When on the defense, the center tries to break a possible attack from the opposition.
Wings (left and right) - The wing positions move up and down the length of the ice backing up the center on the attack to organize shots on goal.
Each game has a span of 60 minutes which are divided into three periods of 20 minutes each. If the game is tied after 60 minutes, the teams engage in a shootout. Each team selects 5 players to challenge opposing goaltenders in a 1-on-1 breakaway shootout.
A team scores when one of its players shoots the puck into the opponent's net with his stick. Players who help set up a goal get assists, but only two assists can be scored on a goal. A victory is worth two points in the league standings.
Icing is called when a player shoots the puck from his or her own - or defensive - zone across the opponent's goal line (but not through the goal crease). Icing is NOT called when a team is shorthanded, when a player could have touched the puck before it went across the goal line, or when a player from the icing team touches the puck first.
Offside Pass occurs when a member of the attacking team passes the puck from behind his own blue line to a teammate across the center red line. An attacking player may pass the puck over the center red line and the blue line to a teammate, as long as the teammate does not cross the blue line before the puck.
A team offsides occurs when a player crosses the blue line before the puck. The determining factor in an offside is the position of the skates; both skates must be over the line ahead of the puck to be considered offside.
Two Line Pass: occurs when a member of the attacking team passes the puck to a teammate across two lines. It is considered a two line pass if the puck crosses the blue line and center red line.
Odd Man Rush: Like a fastbreak in basketball. Odd-man rushes are usually either three-on-two, or two-on-one, which is where the term came from. Clubs that usually have more odd-man rushes than their opponents usually win.
Play Whistled Dead when: the puck is "frozen," meaning that the referee has lost sight of the puck and it is not moving in any direction. This is most common along the boards, when two players use their skates to lodge the puck against the wall. A puck is also considered frozen when a goaltender covers it up by either catching it or smothering it with his body. If the puck is shot over the glass and into the stands, it is also deemd a play ruled dead. After each stoppage due to a play ruled dead, play is resumed with a face-off.
Face-Offs - After each stoppage of play and respective line changes, the lineman will blow the whistle indicating that each team has five seconds to line up for the face-off. The puck will be dropped after the five seconds are up. Players not lined up in the face-off are subject to being removed from the face-off or may even be given a delay of game penalty by the official.
Each team plays six men at a time (unless a player has been accesed a penalty and is required in the penalty box). A roster can ibe composed of up to 20 players. Substitutions are made when play is whistled to a stop or "on the fly" while play is in progress. Each and every player must react from instinct to a variety of situations, some of which they can anticipate from experience. Like any sport, teamwork is an essential element that determines victory and defeat.
"PLUS-MINUS:" -when an even strength goal is scored, a statistician notes the players who are on the ice at the time for each team. The players who are on the scoring team get a "plus one," and the players who are on the allowing team get a "minus one." Shorthanded or power play situations are not counted in the plus minus statistic.
BACK-END BATTLESHIP: A hulking player who seems to get in opponents' way. Goons (or, to be more polite, "enforcers") are usually back-end battleships, but not all back-end battleships are goons. Philadelphia's Dan Kordic (6-5, 234 pounds) is the
BAG SKATE: Hockey's version of windsprints. Done in laps, and the number of laps usually depends on how mad the coach is - or how out of shape the team is. Usually done more early in the season than late.
BISCUIT: The puck. You hear it all the time on ESPN: "He put the biscuit in the basket." John Halligan, an NHL executive who does a hockey trivia column for the league's website, says that the term probably was invented by a sportswriter in the 1940s. "Certain newspapers were reluctant to overuse the word puck," he said. Biscuits were often called "wafers" in the old days, too.
BARN: What Canadian players call an arena.
BLACK ACES: These are the reserves who usually don't dress for games.
BUILDING: See barn.
CHICLETS: Teeth. A player who takes a slapshot in the mouth could soon be "spittin' Chiclets." Because of the advent of mouthguards, though, most players nowadays have almost all their Chiclets.
GRINDER: A tough, unspectacular player who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. This is usually meant to be a compliment; a "grinder" is usually an overachiever.
MELON: Head. As in, "Use your melon!"
MUCKER: See grinder.
PIPE-FITTER: See grinder
PINCH: Defensemen usually hang out at their team's blue line. A "pinching" team sends its defensemen past the red, or center, line, to put pressure on the opponent's defense. A team thwarting a scoring chance can put the pinch on its opponent by "pinching" its forwards into the boards.
PLUMBER: See pipe-fitter. Detroit Red Wings coach Scotty Bowman often refers to these hard-working players as having a lot of "sandpaper," because they display a lot of grit.
PUCK BUNNIES: Groupies. (normally not lyal fans) This term has been around for a long time.
STANDING ON HIS HEAD: An acrobatic goalie who makes several saves in a row, or has a spectacular night
SWEATERS: Jerseys. Until the advent of nylon mesh in the mid-'70s, hockey players actually wore wool sweaters. You can see them at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.
TAPE-TO-TAPE: Adjective describing a perfect pass. The centers of the blades of hockey sticks are usually wrapped in black tape.
TIC-TAC-TOE: Three tape-to-tape passes that lead to a goal. Tic-tac-toe goals are usually scored on odd-man rushes or power plays, because opponents don't have enough defenders to break up passes.
TOP END: the upper echelon of players. "The players in maybe the top 10 percent. Each team has one or two 'top end' players." Modano is a top end player. Top end also can refer to the best players in a particular skill.
THE ROOM: There is a saying among hockey players: Nothing leaves the room. The room is a hockey team's dressing room (never locker room or clubhouse). The room also loosely refers to a team's chemistry, or aura that surrounds the team, or a team's camaraderie.
Everything that is said in a team's dressing room among the team stays within the team. Reporters and even coaches are invited into the physical room after games and practices, but never into the emotional inner sanctum of the room. |
