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Hockey Terminology | D - E - F

D

Dead puck

A puck that flies out of the rink or that a player has caught in his hand.

Defensemen

Two players who make up a team's defensive unit usually stationed in or near their defensive zone to help the goalie guard against attack; sometimes they lead an attack. The left defenseman covers the left half of the rink, the right defenseman plays to the right, but they can skate into each other's territory.

Defensive line

Consists of two defensemen.

Defensive zone

The zone or area nearest a team's goal (the goal they are defending).

Deflection

Causing any pass or shot to stray from its intended course; a shot or pass that hits some object such as a stick or skate and goes into the net for a score or when a goalie hits the puck away.

Deke or deking

A decoying or faking motion by the puck-carrier; the art of making a defensive player think you are going to pass or move in a certain direction when you are not. There are shoulder dekes, stick dekes and head dekes.

Delayed penalty

A penalty against a team that has only 4 players on the ice, assessed only when one of its players gets out of the penalty box.

Delayed whistle or delayed call

When an official raises his arm but does not blow his whistle, waiting to see the outcome of a play before calling a penalty; this is done so as not to penalize the non-offending team by stopping its momentum.

Delay of game

A minor penalty imposed on any player who purposely delays the game in any way, such as shooting or batting the puck outside the playing area or displacing the goalpost from its normal position.

Double minor

A type of minor penalty given for certain accidental infractions that result in an injury to another player or for certain deliberate attempts to injure an opponent that are unsuccessful; penalty time of 4 minutes is served, double the time of a normal minor penalty.

Drop pass

When a player simply leaves the puck behind for a teammate following him to pick up.

E

Eastern Conference

The renamed Wales Conference beginning with the 1993-94 season which contains the Atlantic, Northeast and Southeast Divisions.

Elbowing

A minor penalty which occurs when a player strikes his opponent with an elbow to impede his progress.

Empty-net goal

A goal scored against a team that has pulled the goalie.

Endboards

The boards at each end of the rink.

Enforcer

Also called the policeman; is usually the most penalized player on a team; he has the job of protecting his teammates from harm; generally a larger player who is not afraid of any fight.

Exhibition game

A game not included in the regular-season schedule and which does not count in the standings; the All-Star Game or other games generally played before the season begins.

Expansion

The addition of teams to the NHL.

Expansion draft

A special arrangement to assist new franchises in obtaining players, where expansion teams choose players from other teams' rosters.

Expansion team

A team that has been recently added to the NHL.

F

Face mask

The protective mask worn by the goalie.

Face-off

The method of starting play; the dropping of the puck by the official between the sticks of two opposing players standing one stick length apart with stick blades flat on the ice; used to begin each period or to resume play when it has stopped for other reasons.

Face-off circles and spots

The various circular spots on the ice where an official and two players will hold a face-off to begin or to resume the action of the game; there is one blue face-off circle and four red face-off spots located in the neutral zone; two red face-off circles are found at each end of the ice.

Falling on the puck

A minor penalty, which occurs when a player other than the goalie closes his hand on the puck, deliberately falls on the puck, or gathers the puck under his body while lying on the ice.

Feeding

Passing the puck.

Fighting

A major penalty which occurs when two or more players drop their sticks and gloves and fight; if a referee deems one player to be the instigator, that player also receives a minor penalty and a misconduct penalty; the minor penalty for a less severe pushing and shoving match is called roughing.

Flat pass

When a player passes the puck to a teammate along the surface of the ice.

Flip pass

A pass by a player to a teammate that lifts the puck from the ice and sends it through the air, usually for the purpose of getting it over an opponent's stick.

Flip shot

A shot in which a player cups the puck in his stick, then flips it with his wrists up off the ice towards the goal; this sometimes makes the puck harder to block.

Forecheck

To check or harass an opponent who has the puck in his defensive zone and keep the opponents in their end of the rink while trying to regain control of the puck; usually done by the forwards.

Forehand

A shot or pass taken from the right side of a right-handed player or from the left side of a left-handed player.

Forward line or attacking line

Consists of two wings (right and left) and a center; these three players play nearer the opponent's goal and are responsible for most of the scoring.

Forwards

The three players who make up the attacking line or forward line of a team - the center and the right and left wings.

Foul

Any infraction of the rules that will draw a penalty.

Franchise

A team; the legal arrangement that establishes ownership of a team.

Freeze the puck

To hold the puck against the boards with the skate or stick in order to stop play briefly or gain a face-off.

Full strength

When a team has its full complement of 6 players on the ice.