Hockey Terms

"+/-"  - If you are on the ice when your team scores, you get a "+", if the other team scores while you are on the ice, you get a "-", so if at the end of the year a player has been on the ice for 30 goals for his team and only 10 for the other teams, his "+/-" would be "+20". 

ASSIST - Point awarded to a player for helping set up a goal. 

BLUE LINE - The pair of one-foot wide lines which extend across the ice at a distance of 60 feet from each goal.  These lines break the ice up into attacking, neutral, and defending zones. 

BODY CHECK - Use of the body to slow or stop an opponent with the puck or immediately after the opponent has passed or shot the puck. 

BREAKAWAY - An offensive rush when there is no opponent between the puck carrier and the opposition's goalie. 

BREEZERS - Hockey pants. 

CHERRY PICKER - A player who hangs out near the center ice and doesn't come back into his own defensive zone to help on defense. 

CREASE - The area immediately in front of the goal, which is marked by a shaded blue area in the shape of a semi-circle. 

DEKE - A fake move by a puck carrier to stick-handle his way around an opponent or to make the goalie move first. 

DIVE - When a player exaggerates being hooked or tripped to try to draw a penalty. 

FACE-OFF - The dropping of the puck to start or resume play. 

FIVE HOLE - The opening between a goalie's leg pads. 

GOAL LINE - The red line which runs between the goal posts. 

GOON - A player whose role is to physically intimidate the opposition. 

GORDIE HOWE HAT TRICK - A goal, and assist, and a fight in the same game. 

HAT TRICK - Three goals scored by a player in one game. 

HOMER - A referee who favors the home team. 

ICING - To shoot the puck from behind the center red line over the opponent's goal line. 

MINOR PENALTY - An infraction that calls for two minutes in the penalty box. 

MAJOR PENALTY - An infraction that calls for five minutes in the penalty box. 

MISCONDUCT PENALTY - A 10-minute penalty called against a player. 

NEUTRAL ZONE - Center ice area between defending and attacking zones. 

OFFSIDES - A situation that occurs when an attacking player precedes the puck into the attacking zone.  Play is resumed by a face-off. 

PENATLY BOX - Off-ice area where players serve their penalty time. 

POWER PLAY - When a team has more players on the ice due to penalties to the other team.. 

PRIME TIME - The first and last minutes of each period. 

SLAP SHOT - A shot in which the shooter brings the stick back, then quickly forward, hitting the ice and the puck at the same time. 

SUCK HOLE - See cherry picker. 

SUCKING WIND - Gasping for air.  Occurs when a player stays on the ice too long and runs out of gas. 

WRIST SHOT - A shot that propels the puck off the blade of the stick with a flicking motion of the wrist. 

ZAMBONI - The ice resurfacing machine.