Ice hockey game
There are 6 players per side, each consisting of a goaltender and 5 others called “skaters.” There are 5 skaters on the rink at once, 3 forward-men (center, left wing & right wing) & 2 defense-men (left & right defenseman).
How does nhl work
NHL Hockey is a game that is played on an ice rink, between two teams of 6 players each, who skate up and down the rink trying to get a small puck (also known as a “ball”) into the other team’s goal using angled sticks. A goal is scored when the puck goes across the line in the back of the other team’s net. The game is overseen by off-ice officials who monitor the game with video replay equipment and can award penalties to players for various infractions, including elbowing, tripping, high-sticking, or committing certain other offenses.
The 6 players on each side are broken into three pairs of two forwards (left wing, center and right wing, left defenseman and right defenseman). The center directs play along with the right wing and a goalie guards his team’s goal.
There are 5 skaters on the rink at once, 3 forward-men (center, left wing & right wing) & 2 defense-men (left & right defenseman).
They stand or skate in positions like:
1. FORWARD 2. CENTER 3. RIGHT WING 4. LEFT WING 5. DEFENSE 6. GOALIE
The object of the game is to SHOOT a small, hard piece of rubber at the net guarded by the goalie. The goalie’s only job is to stop the puck from going into his net, so he can throw it out of play.
If a player shoots the puck and it goes in the net, he gets 1 point for his team. He also gets to take the puck back to his “bench.” Then someone else on that same team takes a turn as the shooter. If a player shoots, or deflects it into the net, or just touches it with his stick, that’s called ‘a goal!’
If the goalie throws out the puck before anyone can get to it, play continues. Sometimes there are penalties for players who break certain rules.
There are 6 officials on the rink:
1. A referee in charge of the game and makes sure everyone follows the rules
2. Two linesmen keep track of time and offsides (see below)
3. A goal judge helps the referee decide if a puck went into the net
4. An off-ice official is there to help with penalties, report goals & assists and to let the other officials know if their radios need more batteries.
Play begins with a face-off. Two players from each team try to win possession of the puck, by using their sticks to knock it out of the hands of an opposing player. The referee blows his whistle and drops the puck on the ice between them so they can start play.
Tied games end as a “tie.” In some cases, the teams may continue to play sudden-death overtime (see below) periods until someone scores and wins.
Winning is not just about scoring goals. It’s also about skating, stick-handling, checking (see below), passing and controlling the puck. Players must keep in their own zone – the area closest to their bench – unless they have a really good reason for leaving it!
Hockey is one of the most popular sports around the world. The National Hockey League (NHL) is North America’s professional men’s ice hockey league. It was founded in 1917. It is made up of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States, and 7 in Canada. The league’s regular season begins in October and ends with the Stanley Cup playoffs in June. Between 1991 and 2004, NHL had a break during the months of February for the Winter Olympics.
