THE RUNDOWN
Why are people running after a block of rubber with blades on their feet?
New to the world of hockey? Don't worry; we've all been there. This page is to help you understand the game and hopefully have a better of grasp of what's going on.
THE BASICS
Ice hockey is played on 200 ft. of ice with two opposing teams. Each team has six men on the ice: two defensemen, three forwards (offensive players) and a goalie. The goal is to get the puck to the back of the net and score the most amount of goals by the end of the third period. If the game cannot be decided in regulation, it will then go to 3-on-3 overtime. Three players from each team will play for 5 minutes, and whoever scores first will win the game. However, after 5 minutes of overtime, and neither team has scored, the game will then be decided in a shootout.
THE LEAGUE
There is a total of 31 teams in the NHL all of whom will face off at least twice; one game at home and one game away. The season consists of 82 games and goes from October to around the beginning of April. After the regular season ends, it is time for the playoffs which will ultimately end in the final game for the Stanley Cup, the coveted prize of the league. Playoffs typically go until the beginning or middle of May.
FACEOFFS
Hockey is divided up into three 20-minute periods. At the start of the game, the two teams meet in the middle of the ice which is called the neutral zone. The goalies will take their respective positions in front of the net, and at the end of each period, they will switch ends. Two players will face off against each other when the ref drops the puck. From there, the two teams can use any means, within reasonable limits, to maintain possession of the puck and score goals. If they break any of the rules, the team will incur a penalty.
PARTY IN THE SIN BIN
If a team is assessed a penalty, the offending player will sit in the penalty box, also called the sin bin, naughty box, timeout, etc. The amount of time the player sits depends on the severity of the infraction. Penalties can be anywhere from 2-minutes to 4-minutes or in extreme cases, 10-minutes to a game misconduct which is automatic ejection from the game. The most common types of penalties are hooking, slashing, boarding, roughing, spearing, cross-checking, tripping, high-sticking, delay of game, etc. The more severe penalties are fighting, charging, butt-ending (in which a player takes the back-end of their stick and hits another player), or instigating a fight. Typically, if a player "drops the gloves" (removes their gloves to better fight), it is an automatic 5-minute major. It's rare to see a game misconduct but it does happen if the player is injured or unnecessary roughness was used.
IN THE END
After the final 20 minutes has expired, whichever team has the most points wins the game. However, if the teams are tied, they will then go into overtime.
OVERTIME
Overtime consists of five minutes of game play. Each team will select three players to be on the ice, typically two forwards and a defenseman. If a team incurs a penalty, instead of losing a player like in regulation, the non-offending team will gain a player. 4-on-3 hockey will continue until the penalty has expired. Once the penalty is over, 4-on-3 play will go until there is a stoppage of play. The team to score first, wins the game. If neither team scores, the game will be decided in a shootout.
SHOOTOUT
After an undecided overtime, the game goes into a shootout. During a shootout, there are only two players on the ice: the goalie and a player from the opposing team. The player gets one shot to score on the goalie. After the player shoots, whether the succeed in scoring or not, the teams will switch. This routine will continue until one of the teams get best two out of three. The shootout can last for upwards of nine rounds. Once a team gets best out three, they win, and the game is over.
THE PLAYOFFS
ROAD TO THE CUP
Throughout the season, teams are awarded points. The winning team is given two points and the losing team gets zero. However, if the game went into OT, the losing team is given one point. The points are added up which then determines the teams that make it into the playoff series. The playoffs are bracket style, divided up by conference, and the team who wins best out of seven continues onto the next round. There will be one winner from the Eastern Conference and one from the Western Conference who will face-off in the final game. They will play best out of seven, and whoever comes out on top, wins the coveted Stanley Cup.