A player who is a hard worker and goes into the corners to regain possession of the puck.

 GOON

ENFORCER

A player who may lack finesse but specializes in hard hitting checks to interfere with the other team.

An enforcer's job is to deter and respond to dirty or violent play by the opposition.

A player who is good and frequently shows off to let people know it.

This term describes a young player who would rather hang out around the hockey rink practicing and playing hockey than just about anything.

This player, sometimes called a 'center ice man' is one of the forwards. Because the center is positioned in front of the opposing goal he is often the high scorer.

The left and right defense of "D men" stay back to cut off the opposition when the other team has possession of the puck. There are two defense per team on the ice and along with the goalie they form the defensive unit.

This player is positioned in front of his team's goal at all times to prevent the shots from the other team from entering the goal. This player wears extra protective padding and is a privileged player in that members of the other team may not check the goalie.

The left wing and right wing position themselves on either side of the center. They too are forwards. The wings too have many score making opportunities.

To deke another player or goalie is to fake in one direction so that the player can shoot in the other direction.

A check is a legal play intended to separate the puck from the player in possession of the puck. This can be accomplished by hitting the puck away with your stick or skate or by physically contacting the player in possession of the puck. To be legal, physical contact can only involve the body which includes the shoulders, trunk, and hips. Body checking is allowed only in Peewee age groups and over.

A face off is similar to a jump ball in basketball to determine who gets possession of the puck at the beginning of an interval of play. Generally the two centers face off with their backs to their own defensive goal and their teammates line up in a semicircle behind them at least 15 ft. away form the puck. The referee drops the puck between the two centers to begin play.

This is a pass which takes the puck out of a team's defensive zone.

A break out is a play designed to carry the puck out of the defensive zone.

A centering pass is a pass to a teammate who is positioned in front of the opposing goal. Most scoring opportunities are set up by centering the puck.

A break away occurs when a player has possession of the puck behind the opposing defensive man. He can skate the puck directly to the opposing goal for a shot with no one to stop him but the opposing goalie.

This is a situation in which a player carries the puck into the offensive zone with only one defending player to beat.

This is a situation which all teams try to develop in the offensive zone. Two offensive players are able to pass the puck back and forth or shoot with only one defending player to protect the goalie.

Dumping the puck refers to shooting the puck into the offensive zone rather than passing or carrying it in. When a team dumps the puck they must then race the defending team for possession of the puck.

The drop pass is a play in which a player who is skating rapidly into the zone simply leaves the puck behind to be picked up by a teammate skating behind him.

The poke check means taking the puck from the opponent by hitting it with the stick. No body contact is made.

Fore checking means taking the puck from an opponent in the offensive zone.

Back checking means taking the puck from an opponent in the neutral zone or defensive zone.

A slap shot is one in which the player winds up to shoot by raising the stick above waist level then forcefully hitting the puck towards the opponents' goal.

A wrist shot is one in which the stick remains in contact with the puck and the shot is made by a quick snap or the wrist which forces the puck towards the opponents' goal.

A deflection is a shot which intercepts a teammate's shot and changes its direction at the last second. A deflected shot is very difficult for a goalie to stop. A "tip in" is the same as a deflection.

Lifting the puck means shooting or passing in such a way that the puck goes through the air and is not in contact with the ice surface. This makes it much more difficult for the goalie to make the save or the defending players to make the interception.

This is a save made by a goalie with his stick.

A kick save the goalie blocks the puck with his skate blade and directs it into the corners.

This means that the goalie uses his glove or any part of his body to cover the puck. If the puck is successfully covered the play is stopped. To "smother the puck" means the same as to cover it.

PAD SAVE

STACK SAVE

This is a save in which the goalie blocks the puck with his oversized shin pads.

A save wherein the goaltender drops to one side and makes the save with his leg pads.

This is a save in which the goalie catches the puck in his glove to stop play.

Icing the puck is called if the player shoots the puck from behind the center red line the entire length of the rink crossing his opponents' goal line. When icing is called the puck is returned to the opposite end of the rink and the face-off is held in the area near where the icing was initiated. Icing is not called when an opposing player touches or has a chance to play the puck before it crosses the goal line. Icing is not called if the team of the player shooting the puck is short handed because of penalty.

When on the attack a team must be sure that the puck goes over the opponents' blue line before any of it’s players. If a player crosses the blue line before the puck this is referred to as an "off side". If an off side occurs the play is stopped and a face off is conducted outside the blue line.

High stick can refer to a penalty of striking an opponent with the stick raised, but more commonly it refers to playing the puck with a stick above the level of the Shoulder. The latter results in a face off outside the attacking zone.

When a penalty occurs the offending player leaves the ice for a specified period of time. The team that is playing at full strength while the opposing team is short handed because of a penalty is said to be on the "power play". There are many strategies designed for this specific situation also referred to as "power plays".

A team that is playing at less Than full strength because a teammate is serving a penalty is said to be playing "short handed."

A hockey game is divided into 3 periods of equal length. For most age groups in Youth Hockey the time of a period is 15 minutes. This may vary, however, with the agreement of the coaches.

If the score is tied at the end of the regulation three periods, the teams may agree to play a sudden death overtime. This is an additional period of usually 10 minutes. During this overtime period the first team to score wins the game.

Stop time refers to a time keeping system in which the clock is stopped for every stoppage of play such as a penalty, a face off, or a goal. This adds to the overall length of the game.

Running time is a time keeping system in which the clock continues to run even though the action is stopped because of a face off, penalty or goal. Running time must be agreed upon by both coaches before it goes into effect. This is a method of shortening a game and also is used to keep a team from running up the score in a game with two teams of greatly differing abilities.

The player in possession of the puck is the one who presently has it or if the puck is free and he is the player who last touched the puck.

Substitutions are allowed freely in hockey with the exception of the goalie. A line is 5 players (2 wings, 1 center and 2 defensemen). A total or partial line change can take place at any time. Most often a line change occurs when play is stopped. If the line change takes place while the puck is in play it is referred to as "changing on the fly."

Boarding is called when a player makes contact with an opponent in such a way that he is thrown forcibly into the boards.

Charging is called when a player takes more than three strides to run into an opponent or when a player checks his opponent from behind.

Cross Checking is called when a player contacts an opponent with the portion of his stick between his hands.

This penalty is called when a player other than the goal keeper deliberately falls on or gathers the puck into his body to stop play.

This penalty is called when the stick is carried above the normal shoulder height and especially if contact is made with another player while the stick is carried above normal shoulder height.

This penalty is called when a player impedes another player's progress with his hands or stick.

This penalty is called when the player hinders the progress of an opponent by hooking him with the stick.

This penalty is called when a player body checks or impedes the progress of the opponent who is not in possession of the puck.

Most penalties described above are minor. These result in a player spending two minutes in the penalty box.

A major penalty is a more flagrant violation resulting in a player spending 5 minutes in the penalty box.

A bench penalty is a violation by players or coaches in the bench area such as illegal substitution or throwing objects on the ice. A bench penalty usually results in a player spending two minutes in the penalty box.

The penalty shot is one of the most rare but exciting plays in hockey. A penalty shot is awarded when an attacking player is flagrantly fouled from behind in a break away situation. The player in possession of the puck is awarded a free shot on goal with him and the opposing goalie being the only players allowed on the ice.

There are many additional penalties which are self-explanatory: Elbowing, kneeing, kicking, slashing, spearing, butt ending, fighting, tripping, abusing the officials, and unsportsman like conduct.

The crease is an area in front of the goal in which no opposing player is allowed until the puck precedes him into the crease. This area is 4 ft. in front of the goal by 8 ft. wide by 4 ft. high.

The red line is a red stripe 12 in. in diameter which runs the width of the rink and divides it into two equal halves.

There are two blue lines running the width of the rink dividing the rink into three zones. The blue line is 60 ft. from the goal line.

The goal line is a red stripe running the width of the rink at least 10 ft. from the end of the rink. The front of the goal sits directly on the goal line. When a puck has completely crossed the goal line and is into the goal with no part of the puck still in contact with the goal line a goal is awarded.

The "boards" are the fence-like construction enclosing the hockey rink. They must be from 36 to 42 inches above the ice surface. They are sometimes referred to as "dasher boards." They are in the shape of a rounded rectangle. The enclosed rink is 85 ft. wide by 200 ft. long.

The "corners" of the rink are the four rounded areas where the sideboards meet the end boards.

The slot area refers to the portion of the attack zone directly in front of the goalie. Most goals are scored from the slot area.

The two "points" are the corners of the attacking zone formed by the sideboards and the blue line. Generally the defenseman plays at the point.

The neutral zone is approximately one-third of the rink between the two blue lines.

The defensive zone for a given team is that portion of the rink behind their own blue line. The opponents must come into a team's defensive zone to score.

The offensive zone, sometimes referred to as the attacking zone for a given team, is that portion of the rink on the other side of the neutral zone which a team must enter to score. Obviously the offensive zone for one team is the defensive zone for the other.

The goal, sometimes referred to as the net, is a frame completely covered by heavy netting. The "mouth of the goal" encloses an area 6 ft. wide by 4 ft. high directly on the goal line and centered half way between the sideboards. In order to score a team must get the puck completely into the goal or net of the opposing team.

The penalty box, sometimes referred to as the "sin bin", is the area designated for players who have committed a penalty to spend their time.

The official's box is an area designated for "off ice" officials which would include a score keeper, a time keeper and sometimes, an announcer.

The breezers or pants of a hockey uniform are loose fitting short pants with built-in pads over the hips, tailbones, and thighs to protect the player.

Suspenders are used to hold up the breezers.

Hockey socks are a long knit legging which completely covers the player's leg and leg pads. It generally has a heel strap at the bottom to hold it in place and is suspended at the top by garters.

The garter belt is exactly what women wore before the days of panty hose. It is used to hold the hockey socks in place.

A mouth guard is a soft plastic device fitted to a player's teeth and worn during play to protect against the tooth and jaw injuries.

Hockey tape is a cloth tape similar to electrician's tape. It comes in both black and white. White is strongly encouraged because it is less likely to cause unsightly marks on the uniform. Hockey tape is used to tape both the blade and the handle of the stick, to hold pads in place, to tape the top of skates and to serve a variety of miscellaneous purposes.

The puck is a disc 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick made of hard vulcanized rubber. It is sometimes frozen because the colder it is the better it glides on the ice.

Cooperall type pads are made by several companies, they are a girdle-like device which covers the entire trunk, hips and upper legs and incorporates all of the pads usually found in the breezers. Many players find these more comfortable. They may be worn either with a breezer-type pants or with a full length warm-up type pant.

This is the name of a particular type of ice resurfacing machine but the name is loosely used to refer to any type of ice resurfacing machine.

The stinger pads are worn by a goalie to protect his upper arms and forearms. Other players generally do not wear stinger pads.

The "waffle" refers to the large rectangular pad on the back surface of the goalie’s stick glove. The waffle is used to block or deflect shots off the goal.

The shoulder pads are worn by all players to protect the collar bone and shoulder area.

The shin guards are worn to protect the area between the skate top and lower thigh. It covers the shin and the knee.

The chest protector is worn under the jersey by a goalie.

The neck protector is a flap like shield of hard plastic which hangs from the bottom of a goalie's mask to protect his neck area.

THE STICK

a.k.a."Twig"

The hockey stick is the tool used by every hockey player. A left handed stick is used by a player who shoots from the left side of his body. The stick is concave to the right. A right handed stick is used by a player who shoots from the right side of his body with the concave side to the left. A neutral stick is nearly straight and can be used equally well to shoot from either side. The choice of a right or left handed stick has nothing to do with natural handedness and has more to do with specific preferences and technique. It is recommended that a player use a neutral stick until he develops such preferences. A stick with a large angle between the blade and shaft is said to be "low lie" (No. 3 to 4). A stick which has a smaller or sharper angle between the blade and shaft is said to have a "high lie" (No. 6 to 7).

The hockey skate differs from other skates in that it has no sharp protruding blade extending beyond the toe or the heel. It has no teeth in front and it has a slight curve or rocker which makes it maneuverable. The blade of a hockey skate is said to be "hollow ground" which means that it has a concave groove running the entire length of the blade. 'This creates two sharp margins which contact the ice and are referred to as the "edges". If the hollow grind is too deep for ice conditions the edges will seem too sharp and the blades will chatter as a player tries to stop. If the hollow grind is too shallow for ice conditions the edges will seem too dull and the blades will slip as the player tries to push or stop.

Many skate manufacturers have gone to a one piece molded plastic skate with a sort insulated lining. Many younger skaters find these skates much easier to learn the proper techniques of skating on. Choice of a molded skate or more traditional boot skate is strictly a matter of preference.

The Tuuk blade is a molded plastic blade in which the metal portion is embedded firmly in the plastic. This is the standard type of blade found on most modern skates.

The old style all metal blades must be fitted with a rubber or plastic blade tip on the rear end of the blade. This is for protection from injury.

A "hat trick" refers to any time a player makes 3 or more goals in one game. A "natural hat trick" is when the three goals are made in sequence with no players from either team scoring between the goals. If a player earns a hat trick in any A.H.A.U.S. sanctioned game he or she will qualify for a Hat Trick Award patch.

A shutout refers generally to any time a goalie holds the opposing team scoreless throughout an entire game. A goalie who earns a shutout in any A.H.A.U.S. sanctioned game qualifies for the Zero Award patch.

A playmaker is any player who is awarded three or more assists in a given game and any player who earns the title Playmaker during an A.H.A.U.S. sanctioned game qualifies for the Playmaker Award patch.

A Blue Liner Award is generally given to any defenseman who performs in an outstanding manner during a game. There is no official A.H.A.U.S. patch for this award but many tournaments recognize the Blue Liner.

This expression instructs a player, usually a wing, to go into the boards or corners to try to regain possession of the puck.

A rebound is a puck deflected in front or the net. A good goalie is always ready to cover rebounds and seldom gives up rebounds. A good forward is always ready to pounce on a rebound for a quick score.

This term refers to holding the puck against the boards with the sticks or skate in order to stop the clock and to force a face-off. This can only be done if a player is being challenged by an opponent.

To stick handle the puck is to carry it by moving it on the ice surface in back and forth motions with the blade of the stick.

The traveling team within an age division is comprised of those players who are more skillful and competitive. This team does travel and competes with teams from other organizations both at home and away.

The In House team within an age bracket consists of those players who are less advanced and who compete with other players within the organization and work on grooming hockey skills.

An Assist is awarded to any player who passes to another player resulting in a score. A first assist is awarded to the player passing to the scorer. A second assist is awarded to the player passing to the player who made the first assist.

PIPE SHOT

Biscuit in the Basket/Dent the twine 

A Pipe Shot is a shot that strikes the frame of the goal and rebounds out. Many a goalie has been thankful that he has been "saved by the pipe." If a shot hits the horizontal part of the goal it is said to have hit the "crossbar."

Scoring a goal

SIEVE

Everyone is familiar with the expression "leaks like a sieve." In hockey context a goalie who lets a lot of goals leak through is said to be a "sieve." The University of Wisconsin Hockey Fans originated the "sieve cheer" which is now popular throughout collegiate amateur hockey.

Of the many styles of performance a goalie may adopt, most coaches prefer a "stand up goalie". This is a goalie who remains up on his skates so that he can be ready to respond to a rebound shot as opposed to a goalie who prefers to "go down" for a pad save or a split save.

A goalie is said to be screened if another player blocks his vision of the puck as it is shot.

The goal of the team playing short handed during a penalty is to keep the other team scoreless during their two minute power play. If they are successful they have "killed off the penalty." Sometimes a special group specializes in this art and they are referred to as the Penalty Killing Unit.

The proper skating technique for a term or change of direction without losing speed or power is to cross one foot in front of the other. This motion is called a crossover. Backward crossovers are used when the player is skating in reverse.

A hockey stop is when a player turns both skates perpendicular to the line of motion and digs the blades into the ice to stop quickly and efficiently. This is also referred to as a drag stop. The alternate method which is less desirable is called a snow plow stop in which both toes are turned inwardly.

The proper skating position for hockey is to keep the body and head erect with the knees and hips flexed so that the skater is in a semi-sitting position. From this position long pushing strokes can be made to propel the skater efficiently. It has been said that a hockey player skates from the waist down and plays hockey from the waist up.

This term refers to the type of skating style which is biomechanically the most efficient. It is the result of much research and study, mainly for the benefit of speed skaters. A hockey player or figure skater, however, can certainly benefit from learning proper skating techniques.

Two players are said to be line mates if they regularly skate together on the same line or the same shift.

It is a rare occasion when a penalty killing team can take the offense and score against the team which has the power play. To do so is called scoring a "short-handed goal" or simply a "shortie."