Hockey Terms

Here are definitions for commonly-used terms in ice hockey.

• Assist: Players are awarded assists for helping set up goals. The last two players to handle the puck prior to the scoring of the goal are usually credited for assisting the goal scorer.

• Boarding: A penalty given to a player for flagrantly knocking another player into the boards.

• Boards: The wooden and glass walls that surround the rink.

• Body check: Using the hip or shoulder to impede the progress of a player or knock into a player.

• Breakaway: A one-on-one scoring opportunity between the puck carrier and the opposing goaltender.

• Butterfly pad save: A save the goalie makes by dropping to his/her knees and pointing his/her toes out, creating a "V" shape with the goal pads. This style of goaltending is effective because of the ability to cover a larger area of the crease.

• Changing on the fly: Substitution of the players without stopping the play.

• Charging: An infraction in which a player deliberately checks another player after taking more than two strides or steps.

• Crease: A semicircle in front of the goal known as the goaltender's privileged area. No players are allowed inside the goalie's crease. Goals usually are disallowed if a member of the offensive team is in the crease.

• Faceoff: The puck is dropped between two opposing players who face each other. Faceoffs occur at the beginning of each period and after any stoppage of play.

• Five hole: The space in between the goalie's legs. Many goals are scored in the five hole because of the way the goalie must shuffle to cover the entire net.

• Forechecking: Pressuring the opposition when it controls the puck in the neutral zone or its defensive zone.

• Hat trick: Three goals scored by one player in a single game.

• Interference: Impeding the progress of an opponent who is not in possession of the puck.

• Neutral zone: One of the three areas of the ice surface, the zone located between the two blue lines.

• One-timer: An immediate shot off a teammate's pass. One-timers are very effective in surprising opposing goaltenders.

• Poke check: A check in which a defender or goalie uses the blade of the stick to push the puck off the stick of an opponent.

• Power play: A situation in which a team has more players on the ice because of a penalty (or penalties) called against the opposing team.

• Pulling the goalie: In an attempt to tie the score, a team trailing by one or two goals may take its goalie off the ice and send out an extra skater. This usually occurs in the closing minutes of a game.

• Short-handed: A situation in which a team is forced to play with fewer than six players because one or more have been sent to the penalty box.

• Slap shot: The slap shot is the fastest of all hockey shots. Players make a sweeping motion with an accentuated backswing to shoot the puck. Wrist shot.

• Wrist shot: More of a finesse shot players shoot when the puck is directly against the blade of the stick with a flick motion of the wrist.

• Zamboni: A machine that cleans and resurfaces the ice. The zamboni is run before and after the game, as well as in between periods.

Hockey Links

NHL.com
The official NHL site. They've done a good job with it. There are separate pages for each team with hockey jerseys, collectibles, hats, t-shirts, etc.