Hockey culture and slang

59 terms

Informal words, traditions and team culture; slang stays out of plain UI copy.

A

AppleSlang: Slang for an assist.

B

Bag skateSlang: A punishing, skating-only practice, usually after a bad game.
BarnSlang: Slang for a hockey arena or rink, especially an old one.
Barn burnerSlang: A close, exciting, high-scoring game.
BeautySlang: Praise for a great player or play, or for a good teammate and person.
Beer leagueSlang: Slang for adult recreational hockey.
BenderSlang: An insult for a weak skater whose ankles bend inward.
BiscuitSlang: Slang for the puck.
Biscuit in the basketSlang: Slang for a goal: the puck in the net.
BucketSlang: Slang for a helmet.

C

CageSlang: Slang for the wire face cage on a helmet, and sometimes for the helmet itself.
CellySlang: A goal celebration.
ChelSlang: Slang for the NHL video game series, and sometimes for hockey in general.
Cherry pickingSlang: Hanging near the other team's blue line waiting for a breakaway pass instead of helping on defense.
ChirpSlang: Trash talk aimed at an opponent, a bench or the crowd.
ClapperSlang: Slang for a slap shot.
Coast to coastSlang: A player carrying the puck from their own end all the way down the ice to score.

D

DishSlang: Slang for a pass, especially a pretty one that sets up a goal.
Dropping the glovesSlang: Slang for starting a fight by throwing off the gloves.
DusterSlang: A player who rarely gets ice time and sits on the bench collecting dust.

E

EnforcerSlang: A player whose role is to protect teammates with physical play, historically by fighting.

F

FerdaSlang: Short for 'for the boys': doing something for the team.
FlowSlang: Long hair sticking out the back of a helmet.

G

Garbage goalSlang: An ugly goal scored on a rebound or a scramble in front of the net.
GinoSlang: Slang for a goal.
GongshowSlang: A wild, chaotic game or situation.
Gordie Howe hat trickSlang: A goal, an assist and a fight by one player in the same game.
Got wheelsSlang: Slang for being fast. To 'wheel' means to skate fast.

H

Handshake line: The tradition of both teams lining up to shake hands after a game or series, a basic show of respect.
HattySlang: Slang for a hat trick.
HerbiesSlang: Hard end-to-end line sprints, named after coach Herb Brooks.
Hockey parent: A parent or guardian who supports a player by driving, volunteering, fundraising and cheering.
Hockey stink: The smell of sweaty hockey gear. Airing gear out after every session helps.

L

Light the lampSlang: Score a goal; the red goal light behind the net turns on.

M

MittsSlang: Slang for great hands: soft, quick puck-handling skill.

O

One-TSlang: Slang for a one-timer.

P

PestSlang: A player who annoys opponents to throw them off their game, within the rules.
Playoff beard: The tradition of players not shaving during the playoffs.
Pond hockey: Hockey played outdoors on natural ice, often with small nets and no goalies.
PylonSlang: An insult for a slow defender who gets skated around like a cone.

R

Ragging the puckSlang: Holding on to the puck and skating around to run out the clock, often on the penalty kill.
Retired number: A jersey number a team stops issuing to honor a player.
Rink ratSlang: Someone who spends as much time at the rink as possible.

S

SauceSlang: Slang for a saucer pass, or for making one.
ShinnySlang: Informal pickup hockey with no set positions, no checking and few rules.
ShortySlang: Slang for a shorthanded goal.
SieveSlang: An insult for a goalie who lets in a lot of goals.
Sin binSlang: Slang for the penalty box.
SnipeSlang: A perfectly placed shot that beats the goalie, usually to a corner.
Snipe and cellySlang: Score a great goal and celebrate it.
Snowing the goalieSlangRules vary: Stopping hard in front of a goalie who has covered the puck and spraying them with ice. It often starts scrums and may be penalized, depending on the official and the rulebook.
Stick tap: Tapping a stick on the ice or boards to applaud, for example when an injured player gets back up.

T

TendySlang: Slang for a goalie.
The room: Hockey shorthand for the locker room and the team culture inside it.
Three stars: The tradition of naming the three best players of a game.
Tic-tac-toeSlang: A quick three-pass play that ends in a goal.
TwigSlang: Slang for a hockey stick.

W

Wheel, snipe, cellySlang: A joke phrase for skating fast, scoring and celebrating.

Z

ZebrasSlang: Slang for the officials, from their striped jerseys.

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Bag skateSlang

A punishing, skating-only practice, usually after a bad game.

BarnSlang

Slang for a hockey arena or rink, especially an old one.

Barn burnerSlang

A close, exciting, high-scoring game.

BeautySlang

Praise for a great player or play, or for a good teammate and person.

Beer leagueSlang

Slang for adult recreational hockey.

BenderSlang

An insult for a weak skater whose ankles bend inward.

BiscuitSlang

Slang for the puck.

Biscuit in the basketSlang

Slang for a goal: the puck in the net.

BucketSlang

Slang for a helmet.

CageSlang

Slang for the wire face cage on a helmet, and sometimes for the helmet itself.

CellySlang

A goal celebration.

ChelSlang

Slang for the NHL video game series, and sometimes for hockey in general.

Cherry pickingSlang

Hanging near the other team's blue line waiting for a breakaway pass instead of helping on defense.

ChirpSlang

Trash talk aimed at an opponent, a bench or the crowd.

ClapperSlang

Slang for a slap shot.

Coast to coastSlang

A player carrying the puck from their own end all the way down the ice to score.

Garbage goalSlang

An ugly goal scored on a rebound or a scramble in front of the net.

GinoSlang

Slang for a goal.

GongshowSlang

A wild, chaotic game or situation.

Gordie Howe hat trickSlang

A goal, an assist and a fight by one player in the same game.

Got wheelsSlang

Slang for being fast. To 'wheel' means to skate fast.

Handshake line

The tradition of both teams lining up to shake hands after a game or series, a basic show of respect.

HattySlang

Slang for a hat trick.

HerbiesSlang

Hard end-to-end line sprints, named after coach Herb Brooks.

Hockey parent

A parent or guardian who supports a player by driving, volunteering, fundraising and cheering.

Hockey stink

The smell of sweaty hockey gear. Airing gear out after every session helps.

PestSlang

A player who annoys opponents to throw them off their game, within the rules.

Playoff beard

The tradition of players not shaving during the playoffs.

Pond hockey

Hockey played outdoors on natural ice, often with small nets and no goalies.

PylonSlang

An insult for a slow defender who gets skated around like a cone.

SauceSlang

Slang for a saucer pass, or for making one.

ShinnySlang

Informal pickup hockey with no set positions, no checking and few rules.

ShortySlang

Slang for a shorthanded goal.

SieveSlang

An insult for a goalie who lets in a lot of goals.

Sin binSlang

Slang for the penalty box.

SnipeSlang

A perfectly placed shot that beats the goalie, usually to a corner.

Snipe and cellySlang

Score a great goal and celebrate it.

Snowing the goalieSlangRules vary

Stopping hard in front of a goalie who has covered the puck and spraying them with ice. It often starts scrums and may be penalized, depending on the official and the rulebook.

Stick tap

Tapping a stick on the ice or boards to applaud, for example when an injured player gets back up.

Hockey culture and slang

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

L

M

O

P

R

S

T

W

Z

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Want to work on your game?

Hockey culture and slang

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

L

M

O

P

R

S

T

W

Z

More topics

Want to work on your game?