The Russ Report: Hockey Glossary Part 4

By Russ Eddins

Journalism Student

Reeddin1@go.olemiss.edu

This week I’m offering a glossary that covers the essential parts of hockey every fan should know, ranging from information about the Ole Miss hockey team to penalties and other terms.

Let’s continue with our Hockey Glossary, Part 4.

Rules

Offside

The puck has to go in the offensive zone before any offensive player (a player whose team has the puck). If an offensive player goes into the offensive zone before the puck, offside will be called, and a faceoff will occur at the nearest faceoff dot.

Icing

Icing occurs when a player hits the puck from behind the red line at center ice beyond the goal line on the other end of the ice. When the puck is iced, there is a faceoff in the defensive zone of the team that iced the puck. For example, if Team A ices the puck, there will be a faceoff in Team A’s defensive zone. Team B will have the opportunity to gain possession of the puck in their offensive zone.

Penalties

According to Wayne Jones of HockeyAnswered.com, “A penalty is a punishment in hockey for breaking the rules of the game.” There are five types of penalties in hockey: minor, major, misconduct, match, and a penalty shot. When players receive a penalties, they have to go into the penalty box for a set amount of time. That means one team will have a numerical advantage over the other team for however long the penalty lasts. From an offensive standpoint, this is called a power play. From a defensive perspective, this is called a penalty kill.  

An important note about penalties is that if the non-penalized team has the puck while a penalty occurs, and the referee does not blow the whistle, the play can continue. During this time, the non-penalized team can pull their goalie and put another skater on the ice. Once the penalized team touches the puck, the whistle is blown, play stops, and the penalty is assessed. This is called a delayed penalty. 

When a penalty is called, but the player is not ejected from the game, they go to the penalty box. 

Sources

A Complete Guide to PenaltPies in Ice Hockey 

What are the types of penalties in hockey? 

Hockey Rules – NHL