Ice hockey has its own language, and learning a few dozen terms makes games far easier to follow. The most important ones cover how play stops and restarts (icing, offside, faceoff), special situations (power play, penalty kill, empty net), scoring (goal, assist, hat trick) and positions (center, wingers, defensemen, goaltender). This glossary explains the rules terms, positions, skills and slang you will hear from broadcasters, coaches and players, with plain-English definitions.
Rules and game terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Icing | Shooting the puck from behind the center red line across the opponent’s goal line without it being touched. Play stops and the faceoff returns to the offending team’s defensive zone. |
| Offside | An attacking player enters the offensive zone before the puck fully crosses the blue line. |
| Faceoff | An official drops the puck between two opposing players to start or restart play. |
| Power play | A team has more skaters on the ice because the opponent is serving a penalty. |
| Penalty kill | The shorthanded team defending during a power play. |
| Minor penalty | A two-minute penalty for infractions such as tripping, hooking or slashing. |
| Major penalty | A five-minute penalty for more serious infractions, such as fighting in leagues that allow it. |
| Overtime | Extra time played when a game is tied after regulation. |
| Shootout | One-on-one attempts against the goalie used to decide some tied games after overtime. |
| Delayed penalty | The referee raises an arm but waits to stop play until the penalized team touches the puck. |
Rink terms
- Blue lines: Two lines dividing the rink into defensive, neutral and offensive zones.
- Center red line: The line across the middle of the rink, used for icing calls.
- Goal line: The red line between the goal posts that the puck must fully cross for a goal.
- Crease: The blue-painted area in front of the goal where the goaltender has extra protection.
- Faceoff circles and dots: Marked spots where faceoffs take place.
- Slot: The area in front of the net between the faceoff circles, a prime scoring zone.
- Boards and glass: The walls and protective panels around the rink.
Positions
- Center: Takes most faceoffs and plays in all three zones, linking defence and attack.
- Wingers: Left and right forwards who play along the sides and look to score.
- Defensemen: Two players who protect their own zone, block shots and start attacks with passes.
- Goaltender: Guards the net and wears extra protective equipment.
- Line: A group of players who go on the ice together, such as a forward line of three.
Scoring and stats terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Goal | The puck fully crosses the goal line between the posts and under the crossbar. |
| Assist | Credit for up to two players who touched the puck before the goal scorer. |
| Point | A goal or an assist. Players’ points totals combine both. |
| Hat trick | Three goals by one player in a single game. |
| Plus-minus | A stat that adds one when a player is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthanded goal for, and subtracts one for a goal against. |
| Save percentage | The share of shots on goal a goaltender stops. |
| Shutout | A game in which a goaltender allows no goals. |
| Empty-net goal | A goal scored after the opponent has pulled its goalie for an extra attacker. |
Skills and tactics
- Forecheck: Pressuring the opponent in their defensive zone to win the puck back.
- Backcheck: Forwards skating back to help defend after losing the puck.
- Dump and chase: Shooting the puck into the offensive zone and racing to recover it.
- One-timer: Shooting the puck directly off a pass without stopping it first.
- Deke: A fake or move used to get around a defender or goalie.
- Screen: Standing in front of the goalie to block their view of a shot.
- Breakout: The set play a team uses to move the puck out of its defensive zone.
- Cycle: Moving the puck along the boards in the offensive zone to hold possession.
Slang you will hear on broadcasts
- Biscuit: The puck.
- Top shelf: The upper part of the net, just under the crossbar.
- Five-hole: The gap between a goalie’s legs.
- Bar down: A shot that hits the crossbar and drops into the net.
- Sin bin: The penalty box.
- Apple: An assist.
- Grinder: A hard-working player who wins battles along the boards.
Equipment terms
- Blade: The flat lower part of the stick that handles and shoots the puck.
- Curve: The bend in a stick blade, which affects how the puck lifts and spins.
- Flex: How much a stick bends when a player shoots.
- Blocker and glove: The goaltender’s two hand protectors; the glove catches, the blocker deflects.
- Pads: The large leg guards goalies use to stop low shots.
- Visor and cage: Face protection attached to the helmet, required at many levels.
Officials and signals
Most professional games use two referees and two linesmen. Referees call penalties and goals, while linesmen handle faceoffs, offside and icing. When a referee raises an arm, a penalty is coming once the offending team touches the puck. Learning a few signals, such as the washout motion that means no goal or a cancelled call, helps fans understand what is happening even without replays.
Commonly confused terms
- Icing vs offside: Icing is about where the puck is shot from and where it ends up. Offside is about where the attacking players are when the puck enters the zone.
- Power play vs penalty kill: The same situation seen from each team’s side.
- Minor vs major penalty: A minor is two minutes and usually ends if the other team scores; a major is five minutes and does not end early.
- Goal crease vs slot: The crease is the painted area around the goalie; the slot is the wider scoring area in front of it.
How to learn hockey terms quickly
- Start with the stoppage terms: icing, offside and faceoff.
- Learn the special teams terms: power play, penalty kill and empty net.
- Watch a game with this glossary open and pause whenever you hear an unfamiliar word.
- Listen to how commentators describe replays, which often repeat key terms.
- Check the NHL or IIHF rulebook for exact definitions, since some rules, such as icing procedures and overtime formats, differ by league.
Frequently asked questions
What does icing mean in hockey?
Icing happens when a team shoots the puck from behind the center red line across the opponent’s goal line and nobody touches it. Play stops, and the faceoff moves back to the offending team’s defensive zone.
What is a power play?
A power play happens when one team has more skaters on the ice because an opponent is serving a penalty. The team with the extra skater usually gets strong scoring chances.
Why is it called a hat trick?
The term comes from older sports traditions of rewarding a special achievement with a hat. In hockey, fans often celebrate a hat trick by throwing hats onto the ice.
