WELCOME TO HOCKEY SCHOOL
We've compiled the basic aspects of the game to help you understand what's happening on the ice.

• Three Main Rules
• Common Questions
• Hockey Lingo
• How to Figure...
• Hockey Players and What They Do

Q: How do they make the rink?
A: Water is sprayed over a concrete floor that contains freezing pipes. When the ice is built to 1/2" thickness, the lines and logos are painted on. Additional water is sprayed on to coat the markings and build the ice to the appropriate thickness (approximately 3/4 inch).

Q: What are the dimensions of the rink?
A: Regulation size for an NHL rink is 200' by 85'.

Q: What is the arena capacity for hockey?
A: STAPLES Center can seat 18,118 for hockey.

Q: How long is a hockey game?
A: An NHL game consists of (3) 20 minute periods and include (2) 15 minute intermissions. If the game is tied at the end of regulation, a 5 minute sudden death overtime is played. If the score is still deadlocked, the game ends in a tie. Generally, a game lasts 2 and a half to 3 hours.

Q: How are team standings derived?
A: A team is awarded 2 points for a victory, 1 point for a tie and 0 points for a loss. At the end of the regular season, the top 8 teams in each conference advance to the play-offs.

Q: What's the puck made of?
A: It's 6 oz. of solid vulcanized rubber, 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. It's frozen before entering play to make it bounce resistant.

Q: How fast can the puck travel?
A: Some slapshots travel at speeds of up to 100 mph. Pucks also frequently curve in flight, making them difficult to predict.

ATTACK - advancing the puck toward your opponent's goal.

ATTACKERS - the players advancing the puck toward the opponent's goal.

BACKCHECKING - forwards (wings) who skate back quickly to their own end to protect their goal from advancing attackers.

BODY CHECK - slowing or stopping the opponent with the puck by legally using the hip or shoulder.

BREAKAWAY - when a player breaks toward the opposition's goal with the puck and no defenders are between him and the goalie.

BREAKOUT - beginning an offensive rush by moving the puck out of the defensive zone up to the neutral ice zone.

DEFENDER - a player guarding his own goal.

DEFENSIVE ZONE - a team's end zone where it tries to prevent goals from being scored.

DOUBLE MINOR - two simultaneous minor penalties assessed to one player. Usually assessed for a severe stick infraction or roughing.

FACE-OFF - the act of dropping the puck to begin play.

FIVE-HOLE - the area where a shooter would attempt to score between a goalie's leg pads.

FORECHECKING - hustling into the opponent's zone with the objective of keeping the puck in their zone and hopefully gaining possession.

FREEZING THE PUCK - pinning the puck against the boards with a stick or skates. Results in a face-off.

GAME MISCONDUCT - a penalty that disqualifies a player for the remainder of the game (usually for fighting or arguing).

GOAL CREASE - blue areas in front of each goal designed to protect goalies from interference by attacking players.

HAT TRICK - three goals by one player in a game.

HEAD MANNING - a forward pass made to an attacking player.

MAN ADVANTAGE - a team with one or more players on the ice than its opponent.

MAJOR PENALTY - a 5 minute penalty assessed for fighting and other flagrant minor infractions that result in injury.

MINOR PENALTY - a 2 minute penalty assessed for general infractions..

MISCONDUCT PENALTY - a 10 minute penalty assessed against a player (usually for arguing). Substitutes are permitted.

NEUTRAL ICE - the area between the two blue lines.

OFFENSE - controlling the puck or on the attack.

OFFENSIVE ZONE - the area of the rink from the opponent's blue line to the end of the rink that contains the opposition's goal. The zone where the team attempts to score.

PENALTY KILLING - the act of preventing goals while playing shorthanded.

POINT MAN - the defenseman in the attacking zone.

POWER PLAY - when a team has a one or two man advantage.

RUSH - quickly advancing up the ice by a player(s).

SCREEN - the action of blocking the view of someone, usually the goalie.

SHORTHANDED - playing with fewer players than the other team.

SLOT MAN - the attacking player stationed 15 to 20 feet in front of the goal.

ZAMBONI - the machine used to "clean" or resurface the ice sheet.

Assist: An assist is awarded to the player or players (maximum of two) who touched the puck prior to the goal, provided no defender plays or possesses the puck in between.

Game Played: A player receives credit for playing in a game if: i) he steps on the ice during time played or; ii) serves any penalty.

Game-Winning Goal: After the final score has been determined, the goal which leaves the winning Club one goal ahead of its opponent is the game-winning goal (example: if Team A beats Team B 8-3, the player scoring the fourth goal for Team A receives credit for the game-winning goal).

Game-Tying Goal: The final goal in a tie game.

Goal: A goal is awarded to the last player on the scoring Club to touch the puck prior to the puck entering the net.

Goals-Against Average: Multiply goals allowed (GA) by 60 and divide by minutes played (MINS).

Goaltender Win / Loss / Tie: A goaltender receives a win, tie or loss if he is on the ice when either the game-winning or game-tying goal is scored.

Penalty-Killing Percentage: Subtract total number of power-play goals allowed from total number of shorthanded situations to get total number of power-plays killed. Divide the total number of power-plays killed by the total number of shorthanded situations.

Plus-Minus: A player receives a "plus" if he is on the ice when his Club scores an even-strength or shorthand goal. He receives a "minus" if he is on the ice for an even-strength or shorthand goal scored by the opposing Club. The difference in these numbers is considered the player's plus-minus statistic.

Power-Play Goal: A goal scored by a Club while it has a manpower advantage due to an opponent's penalty. Following are some examples of what is and is not considered a power-play goal:
if a Club has an advantage on a minor penalty starting at 2:02 of the period and it scores at 4:02, the goal is not a power-play goal.

if a Club scores on a delayed penalty, the goal is not a power-play goal.

if a Club has an advantage due to a five-minute major or match penalty, that Club is always credited with having one more advantage than the number of power-play goals it scores during that advantage, because the penalty does not expire a new advantage begins after such a power-play goal. For example, if Team A scores three goals during a major penalty, it is credited with four advantages..

if a Club is on a power-play for any length of time it considered to have had an advantage..

if a minor penalty is incurred by a Club on a power-play due to a major penalty, a new advantage is given to that Club when its minor penalty expires, provided the opponent's major penalty is still in effect.

Power-Play Percentage: Total number of power-play goals divided by total number of power-play opportunities.

Save Percentage: Subtract goals allowed (GA) from shots against (SA) to determine saves. Then divide saves by shots against.

Shooting Percentage: Divide the number of goals scored by the number of shots taken.

Shorthand Goal: A goal scored by a Club while it is at a manpower disadvantage. The same cases apply in a similar but opposite way for shorthand as for power-play goals.

Shot on Goal: If a player shoots the puck with the intention of scoring and if that shot would have gone in the net had the goaltender not stopped it, the shot is recorded as a "shot on goal".

Shutout: If two goaltenders combine for a shutout, neither receives credit for the shutout. Instead it is recorded as a Club shutout.

Tenths of a Second: If a penalty or goal occurs in the last minute, the time is rounded off to the previous second (ex: if a penalty is called with 12.4 seconds left in a period, the time is indicated as 19:47 and not 19:48.

Tie-Breaking Formula: In the event that two or more Clubs are tied for total points, the order of standings and draft order is determined as follows:
the Club with the most victories will be placed higher in the standings.

if Clubs remain tied, the Club earning the most points from the year's head-to-head competition will be placed higher in the standings. In the event an uneven number of home games against one another were played, the first game that created the disparity is discounted. Where more than two Clubs are tied in victories and points, the Club having the greatest percentage of available points earned among each other will be placed higher in the standings.

if Clubs remain tied, each Club's "Goals Allowed" are subtracted from its "Goals For" during the entire regular season. The Club with the greater differential will be placed higher in the standings.

GOALTENDER
This player's job is to keep the puck out of his team's net. He can use any part of his body or any piece of equipment to do so and is also allowed to catch or smother the puck.

CENTER
The center primarily operates up and down the middle of the ice but also has more freedom to roam than his linemates. He is the playmaker, passing between his two wings to set up a goal. Defensively, he tries to keep the play in the attacking zone by harassing the opposing team's puck carrier. As the play moves back toward his own goal, it's his job to hustle back and try to break up the opposing team's play.

RIGHT/LEFT WINGS
These players predominately move up and down the sides of the rink with the direction of play. Offensively, they skate alongside the center, passing back and forth and positioning themselves for a shot on goal. In the defensive zone, they guard the opponents pointmen and try to keep them from shooting.

RIGHT/LEFT DEFENSEMEN
These two players try to stop the incoming play from the other team before any chance of scoring is possible. They block shots, clear the puck from in front of their own net and cover the other team's forwards. Offensively, they pass the puck up the ice to the forwards, then follow the play into the attacking zone and try to keep it there.

PLAYER LINES & "CHANGING ON THE FLY"
Because hockey doesn't demand a stop in play for substitutions, players can go on and off the ice while play is in progress. Each line, which consists of groups of three forwards or two defensemen, change about every minute. Each team usually carries four lines of forwards (center, left wing and right wing) and three sets of defensemen. NHL teams can carry up to 24 players on their active roster.