NHL 101: Let’s Do That Hockey

NHL 101: Let’s Do That Hockey

Welcome hockey fans! Over the past few weeks, I’ve noticed an influx of content on social media of people ‘discovering’ hockey and inevitably being very intrigued. Learning how to watch a new sport can be difficult and confusing. As a lifelong hockey watcher, I’m here to share the basics of the NHL.

Basic Structure

The National Hockey League is comprised of 32 teams across 18 states and 5 provinces. There are two conferences, Eastern and Western. And each conference has two divisions. The Eastern Conference has the Metro Division and the Atlantic Division. The Western Conference has the Central Division and the Pacific Division.

The regular season comprises 82 games starting in October and running through mid-April and playoffs are made up of four 7-game series. If you’re a basketball fan, this should sound very familiar.

The Greatest Trophy in Sports

The Stanley Cup was first awarded in 1893 making it the oldest trophy in sports. It sits at about 3 feet tall and weighs 37 pounds. At the end of the 4 rounds of playoffs, the gargantuan trophy is presented to the Captain of the winning team and he skates around the ice before he passes it on to the next player of his choice. This act goes on until every member of the team (coaches as well) has lifted Lord Stanley.

During the following off-season, each member of the winning team gets to bring the Cup to a location of their choosing for a day. More often than not, players bring it to their hometown and the rink they grew up in. It’s not uncommon to see babies and varying types of food in the Stanley Cup. Like any other sport, there is a parade throughout the city in which the Cup is usually being tossed around as players and staff march through the city usually accompanied by firetrucks and other extravagant vehicles.

Lets talk game

A hockey game is made up of three 20-minute periods separated by 15-minute intermissions. There is no halftime, only these intermissions after the first and second periods. If the game is tied after regulation, it will head into a 5-minute sudden death over time. If still tied after that, a shootout will determine the winner. (skaters take shots 1 v. 1 with the opposing goalie) In NHL playoffs, however, overtime is a full 20-minute period and there is no shootout.

Penalties

Players can receive penalties in which they will serve 2, 4, or 5 minutes in the penalty box. Common 2-minute minor infractions include tripping, slashing, hooking, and high-sticking. If any of these infractions cause the player (the one drawing the penalty) to bleed, it is an automatic 4-minute double minor. Common 5-minute major infractions include boarding, spearing, and fighting. Each of these penalties has an official hand signal and the more you watch the more you’ll pick up. If a player commits a more severe penalty, they can receive a 10-minute game misconduct (kicked out of the game).

Positions

Forwards usually consist of a centerman and two wingers (right and left) and their primary purpose is to move fast and score. There are two defensemen on the ice at a time and their main focus is to keep the puck away from their goalie. Defensemen are stereotypically bigger bodies that don’t move as fast as forwards. Arguably the most important position is the goaltender and his job is exactly what you think it is. Stop pucks.

At even strength (no penalties), each team will have 5 skaters plus the goalie on the ice.

Key terms

Power play: if your team is on the powerplay, the opposing team has just received a penalty and has a man in the box. You might also hear commentators call this a “man advantage”.

Penalty Kill: You’re the team with a player in the box. You only have 4 skaters while they have 5.

Hat trick: One player scores 3 goals in one game. People in the crowd will throw their hats on the ice.

Faceoff: The beginning of a play when the puck is dropped between two opposing players.

Important teams and players

I encourage you to read about these teams on your own because there is only so much I can explain.

The Original Six:

Montreal Canadians, Toronto Maples Leafs, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, and Detroit Red Wings.

These were the first 6 teams in the National Hockey League.

Players:

Wayne Gretsky, Bobby Orr, Mario Lemieux, Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Patrick Roy, and Joe Sakic are all retired but are considered to be some of the greatest to ever play the game.

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, Nikita Kucherov, and Auston Matthews are some of the biggest names in the NHL right now.

Fan Culture

Hockey culture cannot be beaten. Are they throwing plastic rats on the field after the Super Bowl or the World Series? I didn’t think so. Each team has its own set of unique traditions and superstitions that fans and players take very seriously.

Rivalries are a big part of hockey as well. Some of the most historic are Toronto and Montreal, New York and Boston, Chicago and Detroit, and Calgary and Edmonton. If two teams play in the same city or neighboring cities, you can count on a fierce rivalry.

Hockey is a growing sport in the United States and I had the privilege of sitting with new fans at a game this last season. They had plenty of questions that they weren’t afraid to ask and I’m looking forward to doing my part to grow the game.

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