The New Fan Guide to Hockey
Ice hockey is a sport derived from the much older sport of field hockey. Ice hockey is played by 2 teams of 6 players on rounded rectangular area of ice called the "rink." The players, using a bladed stick, attempt to knock a 3 inch (7.6 cm) circle of rubber, called the "puck", across a goal line and into a goal net which is located at each end of the rink. Easy right? Except the players are on ice skates, often traveling at speeds exceeding 30 mph (53 km/h), while the puck can travel at speeds in excess of 100 mph (160 km/h) as it slides from player to player. And professional hockey is a full-contact sport! Ice hockey is one of the fastest growing sports, both amateur and spectator, in North America. Until the recent popularity of indoor ice rinks, ice hockey has been predominantly a cold-climate sport dominated by the former Soviet Union and Canada.
Ice hockey was created in Canada during the mid-19th century. The first formal game was recorded in Kingston, Ontario in 1855 between two teams from the Royal Canadian Rifles, stationed at the local military garrison. Students from McGill University continued to develop the game in 1870s and William F. Robertson, a McGill student, wrote the first set of rules, adapted in large part from the rules of field hockey. An amateur league was formed in 1885, spreading throughout Canada and inspiring similar leagues in the U.S. Governor General of Canada, Lord Stanley of Preston, offered a trophy in 1893 to the best Canadian hockey team. This trophy, the Stanley Cup, continues to be the top honor in professional hockey, awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) champions. Ironically, given the recent number of U.S. teams dominating the NHL championship, the Stanley Cup award was created in Canada the same year that hockey was first played in the U.S. The first U.S. competition was between Yale and Johns Hopkins universities in 1893. In 1917, the NHL was formed by several Canadian teams and by 1920 ice hockey appeared in the Olympic Games for the first time. The Boston Bruins became the first U.S. team in the NHL in 1924 and were quickly followed by an expansion in the U.S. and Canada that continues to this day. The World Hockey Association(WHA) was formed in 1972, but dwindled by 1979 to four teams who were absorbed into the NHL. With the increased popularity of the sport in the U.S., an unpleasant migration of Canadian teams to U.S. cities developed in the 1990's.
Each team consists of 6 players: a goaltender, 2 defensemen and 3 forwards or offensive players (a center and two wings). In professional hockey, a referee and linesmen officiate on the ice. In amateur hockey, there are only two officials. Game begins with a "face off", which is the dropping of the puck by an official between two opposing players in a designated circle. Face offs can take place in the circle in the center of the rink or in either of the 2 circles located in each end zone. In professional hockey, there are also 4 red spots in the neutral zone as well as the center of the rink. It's this center spot where play begins for each period and after each goal.
Players wear considerable protective equipment: protective shoulder, hip, and elbow pads, shin and knee guards and heavy gloves. Most players wear helmets, some with additional face and neck guards, however, in the NHL, play without a helmet after signing a waiver. Goaltenders can thank the great Jacques Plant for inventing the goaltender's mask in an effort to protect his own, several damaged face prior to a critical game. Since then the goaltender's mask has evolved into a highly personalized, high-tech piece of equipment. Goaltenders also wear massive leg and chestpads as well as a baseball-like mitt used to pluck pucks from the air or cover them on the ice. In addition, goaltenders use hockey sticks are wider and heavier that the sticks used by the other players.
The standard players sticks can be a maximum of 55 in (1.4 m) long, 1.25 in (7.6 cm) wide and .75 in (1.9 cm) thick and usually have interchangeable blades which can be no longer than 12.5 in (32 cm) and 3 in(7.6 cm) wide. Many players have begun working with new materials that allow for more flexible shafts. Along with sticks, the most personal piece of equipment are a player's skates. Ice hockey skates have short, slightly curved blades to allow for quick turns and stops. Players may find themselves having to make sharp turns while skating at 35 mph -- backwards!
The standard for an International Hockey Federation (IHL) and the NHL rink is 200 ft. (60.96 m) long and 85 ft. (25.9m) wide. Around the rink is a wall 4 ft. (1.2 m) high, called "the boards." The rink is divided into 3 zones, 2 end zones and 1 neutral zone (although in professional hockey, you aren't particularly safe in the neutral zone). The surface of the rink is smoothed before and during the games by a machine called a "zamboni," often painted to promote a team or product.
Play during the three 20-minute periods is rarely continuous. The most frequent penalties called are icing and offsides. Icing is the result of the puck, shot towards the goal, crosses the center and goal lines without being touched by the defending players. Offside is called when a player precedes the puck into the attacking zone. the offside penalty is designed keep attacking players from hovering in front of the goal. Icing and offside penalties require a face off. Other penalties, such as tripping, hooking, spearing or holding, result in players being placed in the penalty box for 2-5 minutes. More serious penalties, such as fighting or boarding, can draw 5-10 minute penalties. During these penalties, the team drawing the penalty must play short-handed and the opposing team is said to have a "power play." In extreme cases, players may be ejected from the game or, on rare occasions, the referee may order a penalty shot in which an attacking player drives the puck toward a goal defended only by the goalie.
The winner is the team with the most goals at the end of the third period. In amateur hockey, a tie-game results in a 10-minute overtime to try and determine a winner. The NHL adopted the single 5-minute, sudden-death overtime rule in the 1983-84 during regular season games. During the playoffs, 5-minute overtimes continue until there's a tie-breaking score. This has led to some long, exhausting and exciting Stanley Cup games. Just ask a Penguins' fan about 1996!
Ice hockey is one of the fastest growing professional sports in North America and the expansion is expected to continue throughout the decade (despite skyrocketing ticket prices).
Goalie, Goaltender:
The player with the ultimate responsibility of keeping the puck out of the net. Easily identifiable by his padding and protective face mask.The goalie mask, made famous in innumerable psycho/slasher flicks, is a relatively recent invention by Hall of Famer Jacque Plante, who was goalie for the Montreal Canadians in the 1950's & 60's. To extend his career, after one too many serious facial injuries, Plante designed a hard-leather mask that was soon picked up by opposing goalies and aspiring junior goalies seeking to emulate their idol (to the delight of hockey parents everywhere). Currently, the most popular style of goaltending is called the "butterfly" in which the goalie defends with the knees close together, the feet slightly apart and the arms open wide. It is particularly effective against low shots, since it allows the goalie to quickly drop to his knees and spread his legs. Most goalies are quite agile, despite the padding, and dodge from side to side, pop up and down, and drop into splits, full-body extensions, and other contortions throughout a game. Montreal Maple Leaf's All-Star goalie, Felix Potvin, is called "Felix the Cat" because of his quickness and flexibility.
Center:
The middle player of the front line (composed of three forwards) and the offensive player closest to the opposing goal.Because of the central position, the center handles the puck more and is frequently the team's top scorer. Center is often considered a "glamour position" with famous centers like Gretzky and Lemieux getting a disproportionate share of the press coverage these days. Passing ability and positioning, as well as scoring skill, is critical in a good center.
Wings, Wingers:
The players on either side of the center; the other two forwards of the front line.The left-wing is usually left-handed or shoots left-handed and one of the wings is usually adept at fishing the puck out of tight spots (like between a couple of opponents' skates in a corner skirmish). Alertness and quickness is key in a wing. Formerly the "glamour" position in the game. The great Gordie Howe ("Mr. Hockey") and irrepressible Bobby Hull played the wing.
Defensemen:
Two players who play on either side of their own goal to support the goalie.While traditionally viewed as defensive players, they can score and some defensemen, such as hockey legend Bobby Orr, are "offensive" defensemen. Usually, at least one defenseman is a team goon. "Goon" is a term taken from the old Popeye comics and refers to the team's on-ice muscle or enforcer who uses his size and strength to physically defend his teammates or goal, for example, by slamming (checking) opposing players against the boards (the sides of the ice rink). Defensemen spend a lot of time skating backwards and in the penalty box! It helps to be big, powerful and fearless.
Captain:
Each team has a team Captain who's responsible for "conferring with the referees when there appears to be some question regarding the rules or a play" (i.e., the person designated to argue with the refs).The Captain is identified by the large letter "C" on the front of his jersey. There is an Alternate Captain, when the Captain isn't on the ice, identified by the large letter "A". The position is one of leadership and is perceived by some as identifying the team's most valuable player (outside of the goalie) and, therefore, highly prized. When the new head coach of the St. Louis Blues took away Brent Hull's "C" in 1995, many fans, as well as Mr. Hull, were outraged.
During a game, each team is allowed to play up to 18 players, not including goalies. Each team has two goalies ready to play, although a goalie usually remain on the ice throughout the entire game -- unless injured or pulled because the other team is scoring too many goals. All players must wear a helmet, unless they sign a special release form. After the development of the helmet, it was initially considered macho to play without one, now it's just considered stupid and an example of Darwinism in action. Even with a helmet the game is dangerous, as exemplified by LA King Tony Granato's crash, helmeted-head first, into the boards and subsequent brain surgery.
Stars of the Game:
At the end of professional hockey games, the three best players of the game are named as determined by select media representatives. Traditionally, true hockey fans remained in their seats to applauded these hard-battling stars, but beginning in the Yuppie years competition to beat traffic began overriding courtesy, support and respect with many newbies now fleeing for the parking lot even before the final buzzer! Relax. Sit. Cheer. Applaud. What? You're gonna miss a Seinfield re-run? You use Jay & David's monologues as nightly news?
Referee:
The guy with the striped shirt and orange armband austensibly responsible to ensure that the game rules are enforced. (Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge. Every season begins with strict enforcement of things like the interference rules, but by playoff time notice how the refs pretty much follow the "no harm, no foul" guide to enforcement.) The referee is also allowed to use television replay to review a goal or foul.Linesmen:
The other two officials on the ice. They assist the referee by primarily catching off-side and icing violations and periodically breaking up "physical disputes" (i.e., fights). Occasionally, a linesman gets caught in a crunch against the boards and you wonder why these guys don't wear more padding! You also wonder why, if these guys have to break up the fights, they aren't bigger!Goal Judges:
The two officials who determine if a goal is scored and switch on the red lights, however, it is the referee who makes the final decision about a disputed goal. If I can't be the zamboni or San Jose Shark blimp driver, I want this job!
- Assist - The player who touches the puck immediately before a teammate scores is given credit for assisting the goal.
- Breakaway - A player with the puck skates rapidly towards the opposing goal with only the goalie to defend it.
- Freezing the Puck - The puck becomes trapped against the boards among two or more opposing players.
- Hat Trick - Named for the habit of earlier hockey fans to toss their hats on the rink in salute of the third goal of game by a single player. A "pure hat trick" is three goals by a single player without anyone else scoring in between, a rarer sighting than Elvis at the Dairy Queen.
- Loose Puck - A puck on the ice uncontrolled by either team.
- Pass - When the puck is transferred to a teammate in some fashion, usually by hitting the puck with your stick to direct it towards a teammate. However, the puck can also be scooped up with the stick and tossed over an opponent's blade, kicked to a teammate, bounced off the boards, released so that a teammate following can gain control (drop pass) or, if in the defending zone, slapped from the air to a teammate (hand or glove pass). Passing to a teammate who is in position to score is called feeding the puck.
- Power Play - A team has more players on the ice than the other, usually due to a penalty on the part of the other team. This, naturally, provides greater scoring opportunities to the team on the power play. Or it should. The short-handed team will send out their penalty killers, that is, a special "team" or group of players who are particularly good a preventing power play goals.
- Save - A successful defense of the net by the goalie. The save is qualified by the equipment used to deflect the shot: stick, kick, glove, or pad save. The goalie may also elect to cover the puck causing play to be stopped and forcing a faceoff. A succession of saves by the goalie and rebound shots by the opposing team is often some of the most exciting play of a the game.
- Short-Handed - The team with fewer players on the ice, usually the result of a penalty call. If the short-handed team scores, it is called a short-handed goal. When a player returns to the ice after a penalty, the team is said to once again be at full strength.
- Shot - An attempt to score by hitting the puck towards the opposing goal. There are several kinds of shots. When a player shoots with tremendous force, it's called a slap shot. Since some players can shoot at recorded speeds of over 90 mph, slap shots can be intimidating to any between the puck and the goal -- like the goalie. A wrist or snap shot is a short shot close to the goal. Scooping the puck up and over an opponent or opponent's stick is a flip. When a player comes up from behind the goal and scores with a wrist, snap or flip shot, it's called a wraparound. Missing the puck entirely on a shot, or pass, is called fanning. Missing the goal crease entirely is called shooting wide.
- Shot on Goal - A shot of any kind that would go into the opponent's goal if not prevented by the goalie.
- Shutout - A game inwhich the losing team does score any goals.