Hockey terms for new parents

How to use this glossary

Hockey has its own vocabulary, and at your child's first game it can sound like a foreign language. Skim the list below, then come back to it when you hear a word you do not know. Terms are in alphabetical order. Some details, such as which hits or shots are allowed, vary by league and age group, so ask your coach if something does not match what you see.

Hockey terms for new parents

Assist

Credit given to as many as two players who passed the puck to the goal scorer. Scoring rules for assists can vary by league.

Blue line

One of two blue lines that divide the rink into zones and decide whether a play is offside.

Body check

Using the body to separate an opponent from the puck. Many youth levels do not allow it.

Breakaway

When a player with the puck has no defender between them and the goalie.

Crease

The painted area around the goal where the goalie has special protection.

Defenseman

A player whose main job is protecting their own net and moving the puck up the ice.

Deke

A fake move that fools a defender or goalie.

Empty net

A net with no goalie, often because the goalie was replaced by an extra attacker when a team is trailing.

Faceoff

The way play starts or restarts, when an official drops the puck between two opposing players.

Forecheck

Pressuring the other team in its own end to win the puck back.

Hat trick

Three goals by one player in a game.

Hooking

A penalty for using the stick to hold or impede an opponent.

Icing

Shooting the puck from your own half past the opposing goal line without anyone touching it. Play stops, and the faceoff comes back to the end of the team that iced the puck. Rules vary by level.

Line change

Swapping a group of players on the ice for fresh ones, often during play.

Neutral zone

The middle area of the ice between the two blue lines.

Offside

When an attacking player crosses the blue line into the offensive zone ahead of the puck. Exact rules vary by level.

Penalty box

The bench area where penalized players serve their time.

Power play

When one team has more skaters on the ice because the other team has a player in the penalty box.

Rebound

A puck that bounces off the goalie or post after a shot, often creating a second chance.

Shift

The short time a player spends on the ice before a change.

Slap shot

A hard shot with a big wind-up, with the stick swung back and down.

Slashing

A penalty for swinging the stick at an opponent.

Wrist shot

A common shot where the puck is swept off the stick using the wrists, often more accurate than a slap shot.

Zamboni

The machine that resurfaces the ice between periods or sessions. Zamboni is a brand name, but many people use it for any ice resurfacer.

Words that confuse new parents

A few terms sound alike but mean different things. Icing and offside both stop play, yet icing is about a long shot from your own half while offside is about entering the attacking zone too early. A penalty sends a player to the box, while a faceoff is simply a restart. A line is a group of forwards and a shift is one turn on the ice. If you remember those pairs, most of the game will make sense.

Listening at the rink

You will also hear coaches shout short cues such as "back" or "man on." These are team signals and change from coach to coach, so ask your coach what the team uses.

Where to go next

Terms stick best when you see them in action. Read hockey rules for beginners for how the game flows, and hockey positions explained to match the words to the players on the ice. If you are new to the rink, you will also find useful tips in how to prepare for hockey season. When you are unsure, nobody minds a question. Parents and coaches would rather answer than watch you guess.