Hockey 101: Hockey Slang

Hockey stick and pucks
(Photo: Tima Miroshnichenko) Pexels

“He fired a wrister from the point and went bar down, got an apple in that game too.” Huh? Hockey slang can be confusing, but with a little studying, you’ll be talking like a star forward in no time.

Apple: An assist on a goal. Ryan Strome notched yet another apple on Frank Vatrano’s goal last night.

Barn burner: A fast-paced, high-scoring, exciting game. I can’t believe that game ended 8-7! What a barn burner!

Bar down/bardownski: When a puck hits the top bar of the net and then falls in. The puck went bar down against one of the best goalies in the league.

Biscuit: The hockey puck. He shot the biscuit, but it went just wide of the net.

Bucket: A hockey helmet. The Kings’ chrome buckets were a unique choice that is not done by many other teams.

Clapper: A powerful slap shot that often makes a clapping sound against the stick. What a clapper from McDavid!

Celly: A celebration after scoring a goal. Evgeny Kuznetsov was known for flapping his arms like a bird during his celly.

Evgeny Kuznetsov celly
Evgeny Kuznetsov hitting his famous bird celly. (Photo: Inside the Rink)

Chiclets: Another word for teeth. Got a couple of chiclets knocked out, huh, Brent Burns?

Chirp: To make fun of or taunt another player. The chirp from Brandon Montour in the penalty box sure fired up his opponent.

Dangle: When the player skillfully moves the puck around another player to score. Trevor Zegras scores after a showy dangle.

Deke: Short for decoy, when a player fakes out their opponent to score. Lexie Adzija with a tricky deke!

Drop the gloves: To fight–players literally take off their gloves to engage in a tilt. They drop the gloves and it looks like Jacob Trouba will come out on top.

Duster: A player who does not get a lot of play time and “collects dust” on the bench. No one wants to be the duster of the team.

Five hole: The spot between the goalie’s legs. That puck went five hole and the Flyers have cut the lead to one.

A visual diagram of the five hole.
The five hole is between the goalie’s legs. (Image: Dear Sports Fan)

Flow/lettuce: Good hair, often seen flowing out of the back of a helmet. Mika Zibanejad’s flow is unmatched.

Getting chippy: When players start to fight on the ice. It’s getting chippy after that hit on Minnesota’s goalie.

Goon: A player whose primary role is to engage in fights and be a physical presence on the ice. He didn’t score much, but he was a goon and intimidated other teams.

Gordie Howe Hat Trick: When a player scores a goal, notches an assist, and engages in a fight in the same game. Tom Wilson registered a Gordie Howe Hat Trick last night.

Hatty: Short for a hat trick, three goals in one game. She got her first career hatty on Saturday against Montreal.

Light the lamp: To score. Can the Toronto Sceptres light the lamp enough tonight to make it to the playoffs?

One-timer: When a player instantly shoots the puck off a pass from their teammate, making no attempt to control it first. Alex Ovechkin is notorious for shooting a one-timer from the same spot.

Pipes: The posts of the net. Marc-Andre Fleury is between the pipes tonight.

Shorty: A shorthanded goal, scored when the team is down a man due to a penalty. She scored an impressive shorty, which turned out to be the game-winning goal.

Sin bin: The penalty box. A slashing penalty lands her in the sin bin for two minutes.

Maine Mariners' Cam Askew and Reading Royals' Ryan Devine Heading to the Penalty Box
Photo: Miasara McLaughlin | Inside The Rink

Snipe: A powerful shot that finds the net from a long distance. What a snipe from Marie-Philip Poulin!

Tarp/sweater: Other terms for hockey jerseys. The Reverse Retro sweaters were so beautifully designed.

The point: The spot along the blue lines near the boards, a difficult but impressive spot to score from. He fires a wrister from the point and scores!

Tic tac toe: When a puck is passed from one player to another, and finally to the goal scorer. They went tic-tac-toe in the final seconds and the Canadiens take out the Panthers.

Tilt: A fight between two players. Matt Rempe and Ryan Reeves engaged in a tilt in last night’s matchup.

Top shelf (where momma hides the cookies): When a player scores in the upper part of the net. That puck went top shelf and the Tampa Bay Lightning have the lead.

Twig: A hockey stick. A twig may be the most essential part of a hockey player’s gear.

Wrister: A shot where the arms/wrist generate all of the power. She fires a wrister into the back of the net and scores!

ITR 45: Everything Is Happening Inside The Rink

Join Chris and Conrad as they get you up-to-date on all the latest signings and trades heading into Free Agent Frenzy!
  1. ITR 45: Everything Is Happening
  2. ITR 44: We Have A Champion…Again
  3. ITR 43: It's Winning Time
  4. ITR 42: Ripe For Repeat?
  5. ITR 41: Stanley Cup Final – The Rematch

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