“All players in hockey are bilingual. They understand English and profanity.”
This is a quote that came directly from Gordie Howe.
Since then, the beautiful game of hockey transformed in nearly every possible way. Hockey players from overseas are essentially bilingual or trilingual. However, on the ice, a player’s native tongue is instantly replaced by slang, a completely different language on its own.
Of course, slang is used to exclude outsiders from listening in by using phrases and words only those on the inside can understand. This means you landed on this page for a reason.
Perhaps you want to be on the inside and understand more of what announcers and ice hockey players are saying during a match. Perhaps you want to find out what your kids are blathering to their friends about as a parent, or maybe you want to understand what your team is actually saying as a new member from overseas.
Regardless of the reason, we got you covered thanks to our comprehensive guide on the most common terminology and slang used in hockey.
Hockey Slang in Alphabetical Order
Apple – An Assist
Bar Down – When the hockey puck hits the bottom part of the crossbar and goes in the net
Barn – Arena Rink
Barnburner – High scoring match
Bender – A player who skates badly with his ankles bent in
Beauty – Beautiful play
Biscuit – Puck
Bottle rocket – A goal breaking the water bottle of the goalie
Breakaway – Player has an open skating lane to the goalie without anyone in front of them
Bucket – Helmet
Celly – Celebration after scoring a goal
Cheese – Top shelf of the goal net
Cherry Picker – Player standing behind the defence of the opposing team hoping for a breakaway
Chiclets – A player’s teeth
Clapper – Slapshot
Coast to Coast – A player taking the puck from one side of the ice rink to the other end
Dangle – Deke
Duster – Player collecting dust while on the bench as they don’t play much
Face Wash – Shoving your glove in the face of an opponent
Fishbowl – Full face shield
Flamingo – Player lifting his legs to avoid a shot being blocked
Flow – Player with long hair
Gino – Goal
Goon – Player that only fights to keep other players safe
Gordie Howe Hat-trick – A goal, an assist, and a fight in a single match
Hoser – Loser
Junction – Goal corner where the crossbar meets the post
Light the lamp – To score a goal
Lumber – A player’s hockey stick
Mitts – A player’s hockey gloves
Pigeon – Someone that cannot score on their own
Plug – Useless player
Pond – Outdoor Rink during winter
Silky – Smooth occurrence by the player
Stripes – Referee
Snipe – A perfect shot
Stoned – Great save by goalie
Suicide pass – Player receiving a pass that places him in immediate danger of getting a hard hit
Seater – Jersey
Tape to Tape – Perfect pass to the blade of a teammate
Turtle – Player covers himself completely to avoid a fight
Wheel – A player’s strong skating techniques
Wraparound – A player taking the puck around the back of the opposing net an attempts to score
In the previous NHL season, we managed to survive an entire year without a coach getting fired which was pretty fantastic, to say the least. However, a quarter of a way through the current season and we already looking at four coaches that managed to get fired.
