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Hockey Expressions

• Chirping - trash talking
• Mucking It Up - popular term for getting physical on the ice, going into the corners after the puck
• Thuggery - unexplainable physical aggression.  usually from an “old man”
• Nice Talk - a pleasant conversation before before the game that has nothing to do with what happens on the ice
• Between the Pipes or In the Cell - in goal
• Biscuit In the Basket - Frank Polak’s pipe dream
• Z Shot - a shot that misses the net and hits the boards behind the net and comes back out in front
• Up On the Roof - a shot that comes high towards the goal
• Coast to Coast - carrying the puck from end to end for a goal
• Denver to New York - older guy’s version of the coast to coast
• Cement Head or CH - a fighter or goon
• Talker - someone who used to play and talks about hockey but never shows up to play - initials are usually something like C.C.
• Gong Show - one that is terrible at hockey
• Top Shelf - a goal that enters the net in either of the top corners
• Bender - one who skates on the inside of edge and the ankle bends in
• Duster - one who is on the team but never plays
• Grinder - a player who works hard and is physical
• Bush Leaguer - anyone who doesn’t play to his or her ability
• Sieve - a goalie who lets in goals like it’s his/her job
• Euro - anyone who plays a non-physical game
• Ankle Breaker - a move in which a forward forces a defense-man to trip over his own ankles
• “Boys, this ain’t a throw away game in Rochester!” - comment from the movie “Miracle” which implies, don’t take this team lightly

Diving

A term used in Hockey to describe the way a player tries to get the attention of the Referee by embellishing an infraction from an opposing player in an attempt to draw a penalty. In the NHL, any player called for diving will receive a 2-minute minor penalty for the infraction, as well as a $1,000 fine. Usually, diving is called alongside another penalty to an opposing player. Recently, however, there have been several diving calls that have stood alone. Unfortunately, many players, especially one in particular from Finland have perfected the art of "diving" to the level of an academy award   performance and many referees are taken in by these players and the wrong player goes to the box. In the Melnick Division there is an offshoot of the dive called "old guy falling down" or "lousy skating" which also can lead to an undeserved penalty.

Loafing or Cherry Picking

Loafing or Cherry Picking in ice hockey is when a player, the loafer (usually a forward), literally loafs -- spends time in idleness -- or casually skates behind the opposing team’s unsuspecting defenceman while they are in their attacking zone.

The tactic is used sparingly as although it creates a breakaway opportunity for the defending team should they manage to take control of the puck and successfully pass it to the loafer, it also creates a five-on-four situation (during even-strength play) for the attacking team.  Also, a good defenceman usually keeps an eye open for the development of these potential situations where he would immediately back-check once a loafer is spotted.

Occasionally, members of the Wolves have been accused of “loafing” for non-strategic reasons (ie. old age, overweight, dumb) but anyone who has seen the Wolves in action knows otherwise.

Gordie Howe Hat Trick

In ice hockey, a Gordie Howe Hat Trick is a variation on the traditional hat trick, wherein a player accomplishes the following in a single game:  scores a goal, gets an assist and participates in a fight.
It is named after legendary hockey player Gordie Howe, who was known for both his scoring ability and his truculence.  Despite the feat being named after him, Gordie Howe only ever recorded one “Gordie Howe Hat Trick” during his career on December 22nd, 1955 in a game between the Detroit Red Wings and Boston Bruins.

The Gordie Howe Hat Trick is not a widely recognized formal statistic.  In fact, the San Jose Sharks an the Ottawa Senators are the only teams in the NHL that record the franchise’s Gordie Howe Hat Tricks.

Puck Bunny

A Puck Bunny is a female ice hockey fan, often one whose interest in the sport is primarily motivated by sexual attraction to the players rather than enjoyment of the game itself.

The term is somewhat analogous to the term groupie as it relates to rock and roll musicians.  It is often considered derogatory because although a puck bunny may appear regularly at ice hockey matches, possess knowledge of the rules and also cheer ferociously for her favorite teams, her actual motives are of a lustful nature and make her less of a “real” ice hockey fan.

Some female fans object to the term, as they are often viewed and described as puck bunnies simply by their mere presence at a game, regardless of their true intentions or motivations.  Other female fans embrace the use of the term as a way of making a distinction between a puck bunny and a “true” female fan of the sport.

Some sociology researchers dispute the existence of puck bunnies and suggest that female fans at games are just as knowledgeable as the male fans, and that the physical attractiveness of players does not play a significant role in attracting females to the sport.

Fans of any sport may be interested in their chosen sport at least partially because of sexual attraction to the sport’s participants, regardless of the fan’s gender.  Hockey is one of the few sports that has such a widely known and colourful term for this type of fan.

They are also referred to, at times, as simply “pucks” or, in the case of the girls that actually engage in sexual activities with players, “pucksluts”, or the more derogatory, usually heard only in the dressing room; “puckf***s”.

In recent years the puck bunnies attendant to the Melnick Division have not been multiplying as bunnies are expected to do.  In fact, their numbers have been dwindling.  This phenomenon may be the result of the increased age and or girth of the average player in the Melnick Division.

Stand-Up Style

In ice hockey, the Stand-Up Style, as the name suggest, refers to a style of goaltending in which the goaltender makes the majority of the saves standing up, not falling to his or her knees.  It’s strength is in protection of the upper part of the net, as the goaltender is free to make saves with the upper body and arms.  This style is not as common as it used to be, with more and more goalies switching to the butterfly style. 

The Stand-Up Style is in contrast to the butterfly style, where goaltenders protect the net against incoming shots by dropping to their knees and shifting their legs out.  This style was best popularized in the NHL by Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy.

A third style evolved from the play of Czech netminder Dominik Hasek, termed the scramble style, where a variety of non-traditional movements were used to make saves.  This included falling down supine in the crease, which led to the moniker “scramble style”.  Hasek once admitted that he would sometimes simply throw his head at an incoming puck.

A fourth style evolved from the play of several players in the Melnick Division, termed the “stay down style” where a player drops to his knees or even lays down and stays down apparently due to the inability or lack of energy required to get back up.

Deke

A Deke, sometimes known as a dangle, is an ice hockey technique which a player uses to get past an opponent or “fake out” a goalie.  The term is a Canadianism formed by abbreviating decoy.

The deke may originally have referred to quickly pushing the puck forward or laterally with the forehand and catching it on the backhand (or vice-versa), but now is used as a name for any of a wide number of feints, fakes or skillful maneuvers to beat defenders or goaltenders.  The deke can be used to move the puck out of reach of an opposing player, move the puck past the opposing player, or quickly change direction of the puck so the opposing player is caught out of position.  Dekes are usually used in combination with either a change of direction or speed, or both; the deke may refer to the entire sequence of actions as well as the maneuver(s) made with the stick.

There are many advanced dekes that players use, and all are customized by the player to suit the situation and his/her playing style.  One such deke is the toe drag, performed by pushing the puck forward with the forehand before quickly pulling it back with the toe of the blade.  A variation of the toe drag is the backhand toe drag.  Unlike the backhand shot, this does not refer to going in the opposite direction; rather, the same move is performed but with the wrists turned so that the does of the blade is down and the heel is up, with the puck being dragged with the backhand side of the toe.  The angle of the stick adds further confusion for defenders, and the backhand toe drag can flow naturally from a faked shot where the heel of the stick passes over the puck.  Since many Melnick Division players are already confused, this move can be very effective.

Many of these dekes and unnamed other techniques can be observed in slow motion in Melnick Division games.  In Canada, the term deke has come to broadly mean deceiving someone.

Neutral Zone Trap

The Neutral Zone Trap is a defensive ice hockey strategy used by a team to prevent an opposing team from proceeding through the neutral zone by forcing turnovers in that area.  The strategy is generally  used to level the playing field for teams that are not as offensively talented as their opponent, though the trap can also be used by teams simply looking to protect a lead late in the game.

The most recognizable implementation of the trap sees the defense stationing four of their players in the neutral zone and one fore-checker in the offensive zone.  As the offensive team starts to move up the ice, the fore-checker (generally the centre) will cut off passing lanes to other offensive players by staying in the middle of the ice, forcing the puck carrier to either sideboard.  The defensive wingers - typically placed on or near the redline - will be positioned by the boards to challenge the puck carrier, prevent passing, or even keep opponents from moving through.  The two defensemen, who are positioned on or near the blue line, are the last defense should the play move past the wingers and the centre.

The trap was made infamous by the New Jersey Devils’ 1995 Stanley Cup victory, and has been widely criticized for reducing scoring and making the game less exciting for fans.  It has, however, proven to be very effective, especially in the playoffs.

Often times in the Melnick Division players appear to be “trapped” in the neutral zone but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they are springing a neutral zone trap.  They probably just don’t know which way to go.