If you’re new to hockey and have trouble keeping up with a conversation because you’re confused by the slang, here’s a guide to help you.
Barn – Hockey Rink/Arena
Bender – A lousy player who always seems to have his ankles bent.
Between the Pipes – In the net.
Biscuit – A Puck.
Breezers – Hockey pants.
Brain Bucket (or just Bucket) – A helmet.
Celly – A celebration, usually done after scoring a goal
Coast to Coast – When a player carries the puck from his own net all the way to his opponent’s and scores.
Chippy – Getting irritated with one another, usually on the brink of fighting.
Chirp – To talk trash.
Cherry Picker – Player who hangs out in his opponents zone awaiting a long pass.
Dangle – Misdirecting an opponent while handling the puck. See deke.
Deke – A fake out, perhaps derived from the word “decoy”.
Drop – To leave the puck behind or pass it to a trailing teammate.
Gongshow – A rough, intense game.
Grinder – A player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work.
Enforcer – A player who takes on the role of discouraging the opposing team from harassing his goal scoring teammate by imposing the threat of physical harm.
Fisticuffs – A fight.
Five Hole – The area in between the goalie’s legs.Hash Marks – The lines coming out of the faceoff circles providing a guide to where players should be lined up.
Hat Trick – Scoring three goals in one game.
Hoser – A loser. Orginated from the pre-Zamboni days when the losing team had to hose off the ice.
Laser – A quick, well-placed shot.
Light the Lamp – Score a goal so the siren flashes.
Mucker – A physical player who lacks finesse but gets the job done by forechecking, working the boards, etc. He is not afraid to do the dirty work. Usually used interchangeably or in connection with grinder.
One-timer – Taking a hard shot right off the pass without pausing to receive it.
Pipe-fitter/Plumber – See mucker and grinder.
Playing the Point – When a defender positions himself in front of the blue line near the boards in order to keep the puck in his offensive zone.
Puck Bunny – A girl who is more interested in getting the player’s attention than watching the game.
Pylon – Skater who just stands still and is as easy to skate around as an orange cone.
Schoolyard Puck – Pick-up hockey often played in a schoolyard, usually on inline skates.
Shinny – Pick-up hockey usually played on a frozen pond.
Sieve – A goalie with a lot of “holes” meaning he allows a lot of goals.
Sin Bin – The penalty box.
Slapper – A slap shot.
Slot – The middle area in front of the net.
Sniper – Player with an accurate shot who often scores from a distance.
Top Shelf – To put a goal in the upper part of the net.
Tripod – A player who has to balance himself with his stick.
Woody – A wooden stick
Wrap around – To come from behind the net and squeeze it past the goalie.
Wrister – A wrist shot.
What do you think, did I miss anything? Is there a term that would benefit from further clarification? Let me know in the comments. Thumbnail image by jwyg
Tags: terminology
Don Cherry said a soft shot on a goalie is called something he couldn’t say on TV. What is it called?
Fluff
muffin
Bar down
Duster
For the boys
Back door
Cheddar
Geno
Chowderdome
Towny
Grocery Sick
May you please add the definition of a “Fanning on the Puck” to your list? 🙂 Is this similar to a “whiff” in other sports?
Plug, clapper, gino, apple, tender
Bruisem: It means your looking good today! Or u can use it saying hey you bruisem!
I’m a bender, uuugg! but I still love hockey!
What does “Tape to Twine” mean?
Tape to Twine Means — Stick to Net (The tape of your blade to the twine in the net)
What other name,slang or not,can be used to describe a goalie stick.
Paddle
Crease, Timothy Peel, Goon, cage, Gordon Howie, mitts, sauce, flow….
I understand some of these are just other names for a few already listed, but people should still know. ?
I saw on Wiki that the term Big Skate meant a long or wide turn. Is this accurate? I don’t see it here on your listing. Thanks.
In Gretzky’s autobiography, he quotes a typical drill that his dad would go over with him:
Walter Gretzky: “If you get cut off, what are you gonna do?”
Wayne Gretzky: “Peel.”
Walter Gretzky: “Which way?”
Wayne Gretzky: “Away from the guy, not towards him.”
I’m just wondering if “peel” means anything in particular, or does it just mean “get out of there” or “take off”?
peel = turn
“peel off” is where that comes from
clapper instead or slapshot
Half clapper
Top Cheddar
Howitzer canon
Laying the lumber – slashing a player
Bar Down – Crossbar, down, goal
Spitting Chicklets – knocked out teeth
Getting Sunburned – A goalie who often has the red light going on behind him.
How about “Gretzky’s Office” = Behind the net/goal; being in or coming from behind the net/goal.
Hi Guys , Would like to use your Hockey slang Terms in a hockey survey we are doing. Fred Merchant Boulder Co. fsmerch [at] hotmail [dot] com
\”Bambi.\” Someone that looks like BAMBI, on the ice….😂