You’ve probably seen the expression “final score” on the box score in the corner of your TV screen when there is a hockey game. It is common practice for sports journalists to refer to the final score of a game as the final so it would be accurate to say that the final score is the final outcome of the game. However, while the score might be final, the game is certainly not! There are usually several periods, or “frames” as they are known in hockey, and a game can go on for a long time. So, while it might be accurate to say that the final score is the final outcome of the game, it would not be appropriate, since the game is not yet over! Here is a list of terms that you might come across while watching hockey and how they are defined.
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Puck Drop
One of the exciting parts of a hockey game is the moment the puck is dropped and the action starts. This is also known as “hockey night” in Canada and the US. In Europe, the equivalent moment is known as “kopiing”, which means “kick-off”. The action literally starts when the puck is dropped and that is when the fighting for pucks, shots on goal, and wins and losses occur. It is common practice for ice hockey games to start at either 10 pm or 11 pm ET depending on the time zone so that the majority of the audience is concentrated and has the most interest in the game. This is to guarantee the biggest audience and to make sure everyone who wants to watch the game can. The period of time from puck drop to the end of the period is referred to as the “frame”. Each frame is five minutes long. During this time, players are allowed to have one “five-minute major” per frame.
Power Play
If you are playing a team that has a lot of offense, you may have the option of “going mano a mano”, which literally means “man against man”. In this situation, you can either choose to play a “power play”, in which they have the man advantage, or you can choose to play a “man short”, in which they have the advantage with only five players. Regardless of which team you choose to play, once the puck is dropped, both teams have five-minute advantages in terms of how many players can attack the puck. This means that you can score a goal at any time during these five minutes. Once the five minutes are up, the power play reverts to its regular formation and the team switching ends. A power play in hockey stands for the following:
- One player from each team is positioned in front of the net, in the corner, or in the middle of the ice, depending on where the goal is
- There are two players, a left and right-handed player, positioned near the middle of the ice to take the shot from
- The middle of the ice is where the puck is when both teams have the ball, so this is where the majority of the scoring happens
- There is also another central player who controls the front of the net and the puck is held in this area to enable the team to establish a defensive stance in front of the net
A power play in hockey can either be “manual”, which means that the referee blows the whistle to start the five-minute time limit; or “automatic”, which means that the referee does not have to blow the whistle to start the time limit. Automatic power plays are usually called “short” because they only last for five minutes before reverting to the standard formation.
Penalty Kill
If you are playing a team that is very good at stopping goals than you may be in for a long night. In this situation, you can either choose to play a “power play” or a “man short”, as described above, or you can choose to play a “penalty kill”, which means that they have the man advantage yet they are trying to avoid giving up a goal. In a penalty kill, the five-minute advantage is awarded to the team whose players are positioned in the neutral zone closest to the opponent’s goal. Once the puck is dropped for the penalty kill, play stops and nobody can legally interfere with the play, which means they cannot touch the puck or line up a shot. In this situation, the only “forbidden” actions consist of:
- Raising your stick in an attack-like manner (this includes flicking or swiping, but not just hitting or tapping the puck with your stick)
- Grabbing or batting at the puck (this includes, but is not limited to, hooking, holding or slapping at the puck with your hand)
- Diving at the puck to try and prevent a goal (includes skates, but not skis; feet must remain on the ground when making a diving attempt)
- Interfering with the goaltender while he is handling the puck (includes punching, but not just hitting with your hands)
- Running around the perimeter of the rink (to prevent a goal, you must stay in the immediate area in front of the opposing team’s net)
- Rocking or twitching, which are also known as “dancing”, while the referee is calling a foul (the referee’s whistle must be frozen in order for you to be considered to be dancing)
After the five-minute time is up, play continues and the team in the penalty box is allowed to enter the rink. However, they must play very tight defense or else they will give away a goal. A power play in hockey can either be “manual”, which means that the referee blows the whistle to start the five-minute time limit; or “automatic”, which means that the referee does not have to blow the whistle to start the time limit. Automatic power plays are usually called “short” because they only last for five minutes before reverting to the standard formation.
Goalie Hit
If you are playing a team that puts a lot of shots on goal than you may have the option of “going goalie crazy”, which means that you can attack the opposing goalie instead of just the puck. Typically, if a team goes “goalie crazy” than they will either go a “hockey school” on the goalie or they will just keep shooting at the goal until they start falling into the net.
This is usually the strategy if you are playing against a good defensive team that is preventing many goals. In this situation, you have two options. The first option is to go for the “glove tap”, in which you hit the glove of the goaltender to knock the puck loose, or pull down the mask to block the shot. This is an old Hockey East strategy and can still be seen today. The second option is to shoot the puck at the goalie’s blocker as he is sitting in the net. This is another way of going for the “goalie” and can be very effective, especially if the blocker is not covered up. A goalie hit in hockey stands for the following: