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
Facewash – To grab or "wash" the face of an opponent with your glove on.
Puck has eyes – A goal where the puck was deflected.
Blueliner – A defenseman or a shot from a defenseman from the blueline.
to dome the goalie- hit the goalie in the head with the puck
Bookmark-Player who separates the defense from forwards
aka grocery stick
plug- a bender
The Chell-The NHL
Duster- one who sits on the bench collecting dust
Jam- To pick up level of play
Chrip-Snipe-Celly: Gameplan
Twig- Stick
Dick- hockey stick (ie "That's a fresh dick")
Wheels: Skates or the act of skating
Tounges out: To fold down the toung of your skate
Sauce or Throwing sauce: A saucer pass
Fishbowl: An ugly helmet with a full face visor (mighty ducks style)
Gongshow (the real meaning): After the game when you party real hard and get super drunk and don't remember what happens the next day.
Barn burner: A rough, intense game that comes down to the wire.
Ankles 90 or just 90: Another term for a bender where their ankles bend to 90 degrees.
Bukkake Hockey: When you beat a team by a lot. ie "What was the score" "10-1 us" "That's some Bukkake hockey"
Money Line: Your number one line
You must be from Minnesota if you call hockey pants breezers.
What do you call em? i play highschool puck in CO and we all call them breezers
cheller- a good player "nhceller"
what does "i wheel puck bunnies" mean?
"Wheel" means to hook-up with or mac on.
"put some sauce on that meatball"…a teammate requesting a fellow teammate to make a saucer-pass to him…
"check out the new lumber"…a player showing off his new wooden stick…
"put it in his wheel-house"…requesting a pass in the right spot for a one-timer…
"top titty"…a top-shelf goal…
beauty- a player who teammates enjoy being around.
wagon- bench player who kinda hitches onto the team
top cheese- nipin the top tit, bra
cheddar-top shelf
Brod = female
dance = Fight
Grinder> takes the body and then some.
grocery stick – someone that rides the bench, sits between the Dmen and Fowards…. (PoRT TRio)
steeze= style with ease
sick flow= beautiful hair, usually long
mtnspowie….i am still trying to get the whole top cheese ….i understand what it means i am just hoping to find out where it comes from…is this an old saying??i have only picked up on it over the last 18 months….chuck the biscuit around= pass the puck around without leeting the opposing team touch it
A Tip – tip the puck in the net
keeper – goalie.
lumber – stick
Apples – rolling puck, spinning puck, or unsettled puck. If its floppin'/spinning around fast enough it makes the outline looking like an apple.
Sota is hockey!! canada? ya right….minnesota all the way baby!!!!
riding the pine pony – sittin the bench (ie: 2nd string goalies or 3rd liners)
TILLY- A BRAWL / FIGHT
DUMMIED- WHEN YOU BEAT A TEAM " THAT TEAM GOT DUMMIED"
muffintop- wobbly saucer pass
lid- helmet
birdcage- those benders who where cages. they chirp thru the birdcage
clapper- slapper (slapshot)
dirty (intercahgneable with filthy or an other synonym for dirty)- something sweet (dirty goal, dirty pass, dirty snipe, dirty dangles)
fly the zone- jkump ahead of the play to get a breakaway or odd man rush
bar-down- shot that hits crossbar and goes in
head hunt- single out a player to cheap shot
chiclets- teeth
G-note – Goal
Donkey – Idiot
getting the mittins dirty – to fight
Ushl – chill league
Flying biscuit – a flying puck
Gordie Howe Hat trick – a goal, an assist and win a fight in same game
Stamopar Hat trick – a goal, 3 assists in same game on birthday Legwand Hat Trick – a goal, an assist and becoming a father on same day
Cross bar- the top bar on a hockey net
Defensive zone- the side of the ice marked by the blue line where your goalie is
Offensive zone- the side of the ice where the other teams goalie is
Nuetral zone- the zone in between the offensive and defensive zone
Dumping the puck- hitting the puck into the offensive zone in an attempt to buy time
pillows — goalie's blocker pads
we need some terms on here for broads like swamp-donkeys or dirt-squirrels
to ride the pine pony- sitting on the bench
flop- fold the tounge out
tender- goalie
Apples = assists
gino: goal
sho: Nhl
Middle out: breaking out feed
In the sink: right behind you for a drop or that being your teammate telling you an attacker is on you
Rancid: dude clean your equipment with some hockey clean!
Pilot: coach
Tender: goalie
Double stacker: goalie is laying with his legs width to width to create a stack of pads or "pancakes"
Paaaalma!: an over-exageratted glove-hand snag by the goalie as done, routinely, by one of the best showmen goalies in the NHL all time, Mike Palmateer of Maple Leafs circa '70's the person saying the tag also provides a sweeping hand motion of the actual shot ad save referenced.
the show-NHL
MESS BUCKET- MARK MESSIER RANGER HELMET
rocked/lit up hit hard
sock trick- six goals in one game
pop- punch
roof-top of the net
sakic- sniper
chara-dont block his shot
Ring Ding- the Puck
Drive by – player skates fast towards or across the net and buries the puck hard, leaving the goalie dumbfounded
Burried – goal was scored
Touched the twine (twine = netting) – puck hit the back of the net
Beak – see chirp
Choked – player’s on a breakaway and loses handle of the puck when trying to score… “buddy was on a breaky and choked”
Tight-fisted – Player carries the puck, should’ve passed, doesn’t, but scores anyways… “that was a tight-fisted goal”
Gutty – same as above (risked not passing to an open player who could’ve scored but took it upon himself to get’r done)
Griper – the sour puss of the team who’s always complaining
Cob roller (hog) – player who never passes and hogs the puck
maverick-top shootout player
goon-enforcer
número UNO-best goalie in the league
swell sesh- mid season workout
gsquad-enforcer line
Dangle Bendies, Snipe Tendies: To skate around a “bender” and score against a goaltender.
“Pickle-stabber” – a stick in the act of a poke-check, typically administered by the goalie
“Bomb” – a very hard shot, usually a slap shot from the point
“Tweener” – a “through-the-legs” shot
“Swiss cheese” – a ‘tender that just doesn’t get it done
You guys have THE worst slang for hockey I have ever heard, you guys are the biggest schmelts I’ve ever seen
what does wheel snipe party mean??????
LOL some of you boys, are just complete plugs with what your putting down oh boy.
Roller coaster- when a duster scores and puts his hands up like he’s on a roller coaster
Wall grinder- when one guy in the showers put his **** so close to the wall so no one can see it
Hubcap- when the plug thinks he’s cool cause he hangs out with beauts with wheels