Goalies often possess qualities like excellent athleticism, mental toughness, and good concentration, but are these qualities enough for them to be a captain? As a general rule goalie cannot officially be the captain in the NHL, as it goes against the Durnan rule, which states that no goaltender, coach, or manager can act as a…
Unfortunately, you cannot purposely head-butted the puck intending to score; the goal would not be counted. But, if the puck had accidentally hit the player’s head before being propelled into the goal, the goal will be counted. Imagine it’s 2015, and you’ve got amazing seats to see the Chicago Blackhawks play against the Anaheim Ducks…
When it comes to hand-handling the puck, there are certain rules and regulations in ice hockey mentioned in the official NHL rulebook. As a general rule, The NHL player cannot catch the puck with a closed hand under any situation. The keyword here is “closed hand.” If the player catches the puck with an open…
If you are a new or casual fan of hockey, you may have heard the term “5 hole,” before. If you’re confused as to what this means, look no further. In hockey, the 5 hole is a term used to describe the space between the legs of the goaltender. Why is it called the 5 hole?…
There are several paths to becoming an NHL UFA. These paths will be determined by the age of the player, as well as the number of seasons/games that they managed to play. The most common path to becoming an NHL UFA is to either be a minimum of 27-years-old or have 7 seasons played in…
To become an NHL scout, you have to have specific qualifications. These qualifications include a detailed understanding of the sport and strong research and analytical skills. There are no academic requirements for becoming an NHL scout. There are only two ways of becoming an NHL scout. The first way is to become a professional hockey…
What is GAA in hockey? In sports like field hockey, ice hockey, soccer, water polo etc., GAA, which stands for “Goals against Average”, refers to the average number of goals that are allowed by a goaltender in hockey, as in, the average number of times a goaltender fails to counter the opposing team from making…
Embellishment, also known as diving, occurs whenever a hockey player pretends to be hurt and exaggerates their pain with the intention of getting the opposing team in trouble. Any player found guilty of embellishment is subject to penalties, per the official NHL rulebook. To find out more about embellishment in hockey, read on. This article…
Slew foot is an important hockey term to know. It is essentially called whenever a player swipes an opponent’s legs or feet out from underneath them when coming in behind. Slew footing is incredibly dangerous because it knocks the player to their back, which is why it is penalized in the game. If you want…
Hockey players use a lot of slang when they are talking about the game. One of the common slang words they use is “bender”, which is a word used to describe a player who bends their ankles when they skate. While this word may seem harmless, it’s used in a derogatory fashion to describe an…
