Hockey, sometimes simply referred to as ‘o’, is a very popular sport around the world. It is often considered to be a combination of ice hockey and soccer, which have both been massively popular in recent years. Just this past season, for example, the NHL saw its share price increase by 12% owing to the popularity of the sport.
But what does ‘ot’ mean in hockey?
Table of Contents
Outsider
Perhaps the most well-known and most-used abbreviation in hockey is ‘ot’. Most people will recognize it as ‘out’ or ‘offside’, used in the rules of the game. The term ‘outsider’ is also often used to refer to someone who is not a part of the sports establishment, whether that be an outsider in a social sense or an outsider in terms of class, gender, or race. An outsider can be anyone who is not a part of the social or traditional establishment, or the ‘blue-collar’ work class in particular, which often refers to men.
This use of ‘outsider’ is similar to the use of ‘outsider’ in other sports. For example, in English football, an outsider is anyone that is not named Robinson, Taylor, or Dixon. In golf, an outsider is anyone not wearing a green sweater. In American football, an outsider is anyone not named Tom, Dick, or Harry.
In other words, just like in other sports, in hockey the term ‘outsider’ can be used to denote someone who does not conform to the accepted ways of the sport. Or, to put it another way, someone who does not play the game the way it is traditionally played.
Over-Under
The other widely recognized and commonly used term in hockey is ‘over-under’. The over-under rule in hockey is one of the most important rules in the sport and is responsible for some of the most exciting hockey matches that you can watch. The rule is sometimes referred to as the ‘point-counterpoint’ rule, as the concept behind it is to have both sides make the same number of attempts on goals. This way, the game will remain highly competitive and exciting, as there is always the possibility that a team could score a goal and then win the match because of the over-under rule.
The over-under rule was first introduced in the NHL in 1939, and is one of the most important rules in the history of the sport. It was originally inspired by a bet made by Jimmy Dolan, the owner of the New York Rangers, and Jack Barry, the owner of the Montreal Canadiens. This bet was made because Jimmy Dolan’s Rangers were losing a lot of games at the time, and the thought was that if the rule were in place, they would start winning games and the bet would prove to be lucrative. Over the years, the rule has proven to be an incredible success and there is a good reason why it is still used today even though the game has changed so much over the years. The point-counterpoint rule was influenced by rugby, which was also a popular sport in North America at the time. The point is that both teams have an equal number of time to score a goal, and if they do, then the other team gets a point.
Offensive
Speaking of equal numbers of attempts on goals, what is the difference between a ‘power play’ and an ‘advantage play’ in hockey? The difference is how the teams utilize these attempts. In a power play, a team puts more players on the ice than the other team, usually meaning more shots on goal. This strategy is often used by a team in order to ‘break through’ the opponent’s defense and score a goal. For instance, if a team is defending a 2-0 lead, they might choose to engage in a power play in order to find the one or two goals necessary to win the match. This strategy also allows for more offense in general, as more players are on the ice and this leads to more opportunity for a team to score a goal.
On the other hand, if a team chooses to play an advantage play, they will usually put fewer players on the ice than their opponent. This strategy is often employed when a team is trying to protect a one-goal lead or when they are trying to extend the match, as in the later stages of a hockey game. In an advantage play, the strategy is to keep the puck out of the net as long as possible, utilizing the elements of speed and skill that one would expect from the game. For instance, an advantage play might see two players from each team racing for the puck, with only one or two players on the ice at a time. This allows for fewer players and therefore fewer injuries, keeping the game cleaner and more exciting.
Fights
Hockey has always been a physical sport, more often than not revolving around a heavy reliance on hits and blocked shots. This aspect of the game has not changed much in recent years, although the NHL has tried to make the sport more ‘family-friendly’. That said, there is still plenty of fighting and intimidation going on, which is why the word ‘hockey’ is often associated with violence. There is also a culture of toughness surrounding the sport that is partly to blame for the uptick in brawls and fisticuffs that one sees in the NHL every season. The league has certainly tried to tone down the use of violence in recent years, introducing new initiatives like the ‘HRM’ or ‘Headless Human Rejection Machine’, which is an animatronic robot goalie that fights as the players score goals. But the culture of hockey, for better or worse, has not changed much over the years.
Physical Play
In addition to the above, there is also a lot of ‘clobbering’ in ice hockey. This is a term used to describe when one team hits another team so hard that the other team’s players are unable to continue for a certain amount of time. Typically, this will result in a whistle being blown and play being stopped for a few minutes, while the players from both teams tend to be a little more physical than usual. This kind of play is often to be expected in the NHL, even in the early days, when there was a lot more hitting and bodychecking going on than there is today. But the fact remains that hockey is a very physical sport and it shows no signs of slowing down.
Ticket Sales
It is well-known that hockey is a very popular sport and this is also true in the United Kingdom. The National Hockey League saw its popularity rise from a standing start to an all-time high in the UK during the 2010s, with crowds flocking to see the sport. The sport enjoys a good reputation among the British public, partly because of its connection to Canada and the United States, but also due to the fact that it is a really exciting game to watch. This was reflected in the fact that the NHL saw its share price increase by 12% in 2019 as a result of the sport gaining popularity in the UK. The sport continues to grow in popularity and many people already consider it to be a part of their cultural heritage. This is mainly thanks to the above-mentioned point-counterpoint rule, whose success inspired the UK television show Grand Designs, which was based on home renovations and set in the English countryside. We can only hope that one day the point-counterpoint rule will be used in the same manner in Britain as it is in North America, as the above statistics would suggest that it is time for the country to start winning lots of hockey matches!