Hockey Terms You Should Know

Apple

Assist.

Bar Down

Describes a goal that ricochets off the top crossbar of the goal and into the net, as in: “He went bar-down in overtime.”

Barn

The arena or rink.

Barnburner

A high-scoring game.

Biscuit

The puck.

Bucket

Helmet.

Butterfly

A style of goaltending where the goalie drops to their knees with legs spread and pads flat to block the bottom of the net.

Celly

Celebration after scoring a goal.

Chiclets

Teeth, often referring to missing teeth, a common hockey injury.

Chippy

Describes a game with a lot of subtle cheap shots being overlooked by the officials, or a player who indulges in the same.

Chirp

Trash talk directed at opponents.

Clapper

Slap shot.

Coast To Coast

The length of the ice, as when a player handles the puck from deep in his own end all the way to the opponent’s goal.

Dangle

A skillful maneuver with the puck that deceives an opponent.

Deke

A fake or feint to get past an opponent.

Donnybrook

Fight involving multiple pairs of players.

Dump and chase

A strategy where a player shoots the puck into the opponent’s zone and then pursues it aggressively.

Empty Netter

A goal scored when the opposing team has pulled its goalie for an extra attacker.

Enforcer

A player known for fighting and physical play to protect teammates.

Facewash

Rubbing one’s glove in the face of an opponent, often to provoke during a scrum.

Filthy

Describes an audacious deke or move requiring extreme skill to pull off.

Five-hole

The space between a goalie’s legs.

Flow

Long hair that ripples in the wind when a player skates.

Goon

Similar to an enforcer, a player whose primary role is fighting and intimidating the opposition.

Gordie Howe Hat Trick

Scoring a goal, recording an assist, and getting into a fight in the same game.

Grinder

A player known for hard work and relentlessness rather than skill.

Hat Trick

Three goals in one game by the same player.

Michigan

Goal scored by working the puck onto the blade of the stick, lifting it off the ice and depositing into the net. Sometimes called a lacrosse goal.

Muffin

A weak shot.

One-timer

Shooting the puck directly off a pass without stopping it first.

Pipes

Goal posts.

Pizza

Easily intercepted pass in the defensive zone leading to scoring opportunity for the opposition.

Plumber

Similar to a grinder, but more dismissive.

Point

The position near the blue line on the offensive side of the rink, typically where defencemen play during an offensive attack.

Power Play

An advantage when the opposing team has a player in the penalty box. The team with the extra player is said to be on a power play.

Punt and Hunt

The defensive version of dump-and-chase, where the puck is flipped high out of the defensive zone to relieve pressure and then pursued in the neutral zone.

Putting on the foil

Preparing to fight, popularized by the classic hockey movie Slap Shot.

Pylon

A slow or unskilled player, easily maneuvered around.

Saucer Pass (or Sauce)

A pass that is slightly lifted off the ice to get over an opponent’s stick or body part.

Scrum

A gathering of players from both teams after a stoppage in play that typically involves some pushing and shoving and occasionally initiates a fight.

Sieve

Goalie who lets in a lot of goals. Could be generally, or specific to a particular game. “He was a sieve tonight.”

Sin Bin

Penalty box.

Slot

Area directly in front of the net between the faceoff dots. Also sometimes called the house.

Snipe

A precise, accurate shot resulting in a goal.

Standing on his head

Describes an outstanding goaltending performance involving many acrobatic saves that deny excellent scoring opportunities.

Suicide Pass

A pass delivered to a teammate at the moment he is extremely vulnerable to a big check.

Tape to tape

A perfect pass from the blade of one player’s stick to another.

Tic Tac Toe

A quick succession of tape-to-tape passes in several directions.

Tilt

A fight.

Top Shelf

Scoring high in the net, just under the crossbar.

Turtle

To bend over and cover up during a fight so as to avoid being hit.

Twig

Hockey stick.

Wheels

Fast skating ability.

Wraparound

A play where a player skates behind the opponent’s net and attempts to score by reaching around the front of the net.

Zamboni

Brand name that has become synonymous with ice-resurfacing machines used between periods.

Zebras

Officials, so named because of their black-and-white striped jerseys.