Hockey Talk

Back Check: Legal attempt by forwards on their way to their defensive zone to regain control of the puck from the opposition.

Board Checking (Boarding): Violently driving an opponent with the puck by using the hip or shoulder. (Legal)

Breakaway: No opponent between the puck carrier and the opposition’s goal except the goalie.

Crease: The four by eight foot rectangular areas in front of each goal. A goal is not allowed if an offensive player is within the goal crease when the puck crosses the goal line.

Deke: To feint an opponent put of a position.

Drop Pass: Puck carrier drops the puck behind, to be picked up by a trailing teammate.

Face-Off: To start play at any time, the puck is dropped between two opposing players facing each other. Time starts when the puck is dropped.

Forecheck: To keep opponents in their end of the rink while trying to regain control of the puck, thus preventing the other team from getting a play started.

Freezing the Puck: Holding the puck against the boards with the stick or skates.

Hat Trick: Three goals scored by a player in one game.

Headmanning: Passing the puck ahead to a leading teammate.

Interference: To hinder or restrain a player not immediately involved in playing the puck. Illegal and calls for a two-minute penalty.

Neutral Zone: The center-ice area between the defending and attacking zones, enclosed by two blue lines.

Penalty Box: Off-ice area at the neutral zone where penalized players serve their time.

Penalty Killing: The attempt by a team that is short-handed (due to a penalty) to keep the opposition from scoring.

Point: A position on the ice just inside the opposition blue line and close to the boards on either side of the rink. The attacking defensemen usually take these positions when their team is in control of the puck in the opposition’s zone.

Poke Check: To dislodge the puck from the puck carrier by stabbing at it with the blade of the stick. (Legal).

Power Play: The edge enjoyed by a team which has a manpower advantage on the ice, due to a penalty to the opposition. “Power Play” is used to refer to the group of players being used by the team with the extra man.

Pulling The Goalie: A team that is losing by one goal will sometimes take the goalie off the ice in favor of another forward in the dying minutes of the game.

Screen Shot: A shot on goal when one or more players are between the shooter and the goal, thus blocking the goalie’s view of the play.

Slap Shot: Bringing the stick back, then quickly forward and slapping the puck ahead with a fore-handed shot.

Slot: The area directly in front of the nets, from which most goals are scored.

Splitting the Defense: Puck carrier goes between the two opposing defensemen.

Stick Handling: Carrying the puck along the ice with the stick.

Sweep Check: To use the entire length of the stick with a sweeping motion while laying it flat on the ice in order to dislodge the puck from the puck carrier.

Wrist Shot/Wrister: Propelling the puck off the stick with a flicking motion of the wrist.

Credit: Information on the page was derived from the Saturday, February 24, 1990 edition of the "Whale Watch", 10th Anniversary Edition. Whale Watch was the official magazine of the Binghamton Whalers back in the 1980's. Thanks to Karl Howard for the edition of Whale Watch.