Hockey Vocabulary

Hockey Lingo
  • Backcheck - Attempt by a forwards on his way back to the defending zone to regain the puck
  • Body Check - Using the hip and/or shoulder to slow or stop an opponent with the puck
  • Breakaway - The puck carrier getting in front of all opponents except the goalkeeper
  • Breakout - When a team comes out of its defensive zone and starts up the ice toward the opponent's goal
  • Drop Pass - Puck carrier leaves the puck behind for a trailing teammate to pick up
  • Forecheck - Keeping opponents at their end of the rink while attempting to regain possession of the puck
  • Freezing the Puck - Holding the puck against the boards using sticks or skates
  • Hat Trick - Three goals scored by one player in one game
  • Headmanning - Passing the puck forward to a leading teammate
  • Neutral Zone - Center ice between attacking and defending areas
  • Penalty Box - Area off ice at red line where penalized players serve their "sentences" and feel much shame
  • Pokecheck - Stabbing at the puck with the blade of the stick to take it away from the puck carrier
  • Power Play - While an opponent is shorthanded due to a penalty, the team with the manpower advantage has a power play
  • Slap Shot - Bringing the stick back and quickly forward, slapping the puck ahead
  • Splitting the Defense - Man with the puck goes between two defenders
  • Stickhandling - Carrying the puck along the ice with the stick
  • Sweep Check - Using the entire length of the stick while laying it flat on the ice in order to take the puck away from the carrier
  • Wrist Shot - Flicking motion of the wrist to propel the puck off the blade

Hockey Chatter

Justin Shugg and Riley Nash
  • Barn - Hockey arena
  • Biscuit - Hockey puck
  • Biscuit in the basket - The puck hitting the back of the net on a goal
  • Cherry picking - When a player, generally a forward, stays behind the play and does not defend while waiting for a outlet pass so that he can have a breakaway
  • Chicklets - Teeth
  • Chippy - Players are getting irritated with one another
  • Coast to coast - When a player carries the puck from his own end into the offensive end
  • Deke - To fake an opponent out of position with a movement of the head or body
  • Dump and chase - A style of hockey where a team shoots the puck into one of the corners of the offensive zone and then pursues it. This is opposed to carrying the puck into the zone
  • Five hole - Placing a shot between the goalie's legs
  • Freezing the puck - To hold the puck against the boards with either the stick or skate, or keeping the possession of the puck as a goaltender, to get a stoppage of play
  • Glove hand - The hand that the goalie catches the puck with, in contrast to his stick hand, which is the hand that the goalie holds his stick in
  • Goon - A player who has little purpose on the ice other than to get in fights or deliver illegal hits
  • Grinder - A type of player known for his checking ability and work ethic. Often associated with a player who is strong defensively but doesn't score many points
  • Hash marks - The straight lines emerging from the two big circles in front of both nets. These lines direct players where to line up for faceoffs
  • Lumber - Hockey stick
  • Mucker - Similar to a grinder, but one who adds a more physical temperament to his game. This player tends to stir up trouble
  • One timer - The act of shooting the puck directly off a pass. The offensive player takes his backswing while the puck is on its way to him and tries to time his swing with the arrival of the puck
  • Rubber or frozen rubber - Hockey puck
  • Screened shot - Goaltender's view is blocked by players between he and the shooter
  • Sin bin - Penalty box
  • Warm up the bus - The outcome of the game has pretty much been decided and the visitor is going to lose. The crowd will ask them to "warm up the bus" for the trip home