Hockey is one of the most loved sports in America. Crowds of rabid fans turn out en masse to every game, and believe you me; they aren’t reserved about their feelings. Both hockey players and fans are well known for ebullient and sometimes even aggressive displays of emotion during the course of a game, and coming into that atmosphere with no prior understanding of the game can be somewhat bewildering and more than a little overwhelming. You’re keen on understanding this exciting sport, but you don’t have any experience to draw from, so what do you do? You read on for our ten tips on understanding hockey; that’s what you do! We’ll teach you how to keep track of the game, when to be prepared for the crowd to go wild, and everything else that you need to know to become a hockey expert in the blink of an eye.
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1. The Basics
Learning the basics of the game will take you a long way. They aren’t terribly complicated, thankfully. Here we go!
- The NHL (National Hockey League) is the sport’s premier league, and it consists of thirty teams divided into four divisions.
- There are minor, college, and Euro leagues in addition to the NHL, which are all extremely competitive.
- Canada has a Women’s League in addition to the men’s, with five teams.
- Hockey is played at an Olympic level by both men and women.
- A hockey game is 60 minutes long and played in three 20-minute periods and 17-minute intermissions.
- If teams end up tied at full time, they go into five minutes of overtime. If the tie is not broken, they go to a goal shootout.
2. What’s The Point?
The point of a hockey game is for each team to score as many goals as they can and prevent the other team from scoring at the same time. The team with the highest score wins the game. Teams score by putting the puck into the opposing team’s net.
3. Learn the No-Nos
Penalties in hockey are either major or minor. Minor ones include
- High Sticking (stick above the waist)
- Elbowing
- Purposeful delay of game
- Cross-checking (hitting a player with the shaft of your stick)
- Hooking (using the stick to hook a player)
Major penalties
- Checking from behind
- Fighting
- Boarding (purposefully sending a player flying into the edge of the rink)
4. Watch the Box
If a player is penalized, they must head to the penalty box for whatever length of time matches the crime. This box is a cubicle on the edge of the rink across from the player benches. Sitting in the box makes the player’s team shorthanded for however long they are out of the match.
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5. Watch As Much Hockey As You Can
Watch games on TV at home; the more you watch, the more you’ll learn! At home, you have the benefit of a professional analysis to help you understand the nuances of the game as it is played.
6. Choose Your Team
Every hockey fan needs a team to support! Take as long as you like to find a team that you can really get behind. Once you have, learn everything you can about them to ensure they’re worthy of your support.
7. Choose Your Favorite Player
This is the same as choosing a team, only a little more in-depth. Be ready to defend your choice of player and team; come to that because rabid hockey fans will definitely want to know what makes that player or team so special and exciting.
8. Prepare For The Fights
It’s a cliche, but it’s true; there are always fights at hockey games. It’s as much a part of the proceedings as the actual game is, so you’d better prepare yourself for it ahead of time. Many fans will probably want to discuss the fight in gory detail after the match, so have an opinion on what went down. Most players are either in favor of the tradition, but others feel it detracts from the game.
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9. Learn the Lingo
This is another reason to watch as much hockey as you can – to help you pick up the lingo faster. Here are some basic phrases to get you started.
- Go (whichever team you support)!
- He took a dive! (when someone gets a penalty)
- Look at that goal!
- What a save! (when a goal is blocked)
- Let’s watch some puck (hockey)
- That guy is a brick wall (nothing gets past him)
10. Pick Up Some Swag
This is the last step because hockey memorabilia isn’t always cheap. Check out eBay for things worn by your favorite players or online merch stores for team and player shirts and figurines.
Wrap Up
If you take a little time to complete each of the steps and keep the tips in mind when you’re watching a game, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an expert before you know it.
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