Ball Sports 🇨🇦Canada Olympic19th century

Ice Hockey

Six-a-side full-contact team sport played on an ice rink — pass and shoot a vulcanized rubber puck into the opponent's net using a straight stick.

👥6 per team📐ice rink⏱~60 min🌤indoor

Photo · Wikipedia

What is Ice Hockey?

Ice Hockey is a high-speed team sport played on an ice rink by two teams of six players (5 skaters + 1 goaltender). Players use J-shaped sticks to advance a vulcanized rubber disc — the puck — and try to shoot it into the opposition's net. The sport was codified at McGill University, Montreal, in 1877, drawing on earlier stick-and-ball games from the British Isles. The world's premier professional league — the National Hockey League (NHL) — was founded in 1917 and now hosts 32 teams across North America. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF, founded 1908) governs international play; ice hockey has been an Olympic medal event since 1920 (men) and 1998 (women). Legendary sides — the Soviet 'Red Army' team, the Canadian Habs and Oilers dynasties, Detroit Red Wings, and the modern Tampa Bay Lightning — have defined the sport's history.

Quick facts

How it works

Objective

Score more goals than the opposition by shooting the puck into the opposition's net over three 20-minute periods.

Match structure

Each period begins with a faceoff at centre ice. Play flows continuously; the clock only stops for goals, penalties, offside, icing, or the puck leaving the rink. Line changes happen on the fly (no substitution stop). Body checks (shoulder-first contact) are legal against a puck-carrier. Penalties result in a player serving 2, 4, 5, or 10 minutes in the penalty box — during which the team plays a man down (power play for the opposition). Overtime and shootouts break tied games depending on league rules.

Rules

Basic rules

Goal
Puck fully crosses the goal line into the net — 1 point. Reviewed by video for edge cases (kicking, high-sticking, goaltender interference).
Offside
An attacking player cannot precede the puck into the offensive zone (past the blue line). Play stops for a neutral-zone faceoff.
Icing
Shooting the puck from behind your own centre line untouched over the opponent's goal line — play stops, faceoff in the icing team's defensive zone. No line changes for the icing team (2005 rule).
Body checking
Legal shoulder-first contact against a player with (or just after having) the puck. Checking from behind, boarding, or into the head is a penalty.
Penalties
Minor: 2 min. Double minor (usually for high-sticking causing blood): 4 min. Major (typically fighting): 5 min. Misconduct: 10 min (personal, team stays at full strength). Match penalty: game ejection + suspension.
Faceoffs
Restart play after stoppages. Players from each side line up on either side of the ref, who drops the puck between them.
The crease
The blue semicircle in front of the goal; attackers cannot interfere with the goaltender inside this area.

Advanced rules

Delayed offside
If an attacker is offside but doesn't play the puck, the defensive team can 'tag up' by touching the blue line, negating offside.
Delayed penalty
If a penalty is called on the defence, play continues until they touch the puck — attacking team often pulls their goalie for an extra skater during this time.
Penalty shot
Awarded for a foul that clearly denied a scoring chance — 1v1 attacker vs goalie from centre ice, unopposed.
Empty net / pulled goalie
Trailing teams often pull their goaltender in the final 1-2 minutes for a 6-on-5 attacking advantage.
Video review
Goals, offside, and goaltender interference reviewable. NHL 'Coach's Challenge' allows one review per game.
3-on-3 overtime
Regular season NHL: 5-minute 3-on-3 OT after regulation, then shootout if still tied. Playoffs: 20-minute sudden-death 5-on-5 OTs indefinitely.

Scoring

1 point per goal. Standings: 2 points for a regulation win, 1 for OT/shootout loss, 0 for regulation loss (NHL 'OTL' system).

Action	Points
Regulation win	2 (standings)
Overtime / shootout win	2 (standings)
Overtime / shootout loss	1 (standings)
Regulation loss	0

Win condition · Highest goal total after 60 minutes; if tied, 3-on-3 OT then shootout (regular season) or unlimited sudden-death OT (playoffs).

Playing area

Called

ice rink

Dimensions

IIHF international: 60 m × 30 m. NHL: 60 m × 26 m (61 m × 26 m with curved boards). Goal: 1.83 m wide × 1.22 m high, held to ice by magnets/pegs.

Frozen-water rink (~-4 to -7 °C) with painted lines: red centre line, two blue lines (dividing offensive/neutral/defensive zones), goal lines, and faceoff circles.

Equipment

Skates
Rigid hockey skate with steel blade — very different from figure skates (no toe pick, more curve).
Stick
Composite (or wooden), 150-165 cm long, curved blade. Different curves and lie angles by position/preference.
Puck
Vulcanized rubber, 76 mm diameter × 25 mm thick, 156-170 g. Frozen before games to prevent bouncing.
Helmet with visor / cage
Mandatory in all leagues since the 1980s-2000s. Full cage in junior/college play; visor/half-shield in NHL.
Shoulder pads, elbow pads, gloves, shin guards, pants
Full body protection — the sport is fast and physical.
Neck guard
Mandatory in youth and international play; increasingly common in NHL after fatal neck injuries.
Goaltender equipment
Leg pads, blocker, catcher (glove), chest protector, mask (fibreglass with steel cage), stick (wider blade). Vastly bigger than a skater's kit.

Positions & roles

Goaltender / Goalie
×1
Blocks shots on the net; only player allowed to catch/hold the puck.
Defenceman (D)
×2
Pair on the ice — defensive-minded; break out puck to forwards; block shots.
Centre (C)
×1
Middle forward — takes most faceoffs; usually the primary playmaker.
Left Wing (LW) / Right Wing (RW)
×2
Wingers flanking the centre; goal-scorers and forecheckers.

Officiating

Referees call penalties and rule on goals. Linesmen call icing, offside, and drop faceoffs. Video review is used for goal disputes and coach's challenges.

Two on-ice referees (orange armbands)
Two linesmen
Off-ice officials: goal judge, penalty timekeeper, off-ice referee, video-review officials

Penalties & fouls

Penalties

Minor penalty (2 min)
Tripping, hooking, holding, high-sticking, roughing, delay of game.
Double minor (4 min)
High-sticking that causes injury (e.g. blood).
Major (5 min)
Fighting, boarding, cross-checking with force, checking-from-behind. Player serves full 5 minutes even if goals scored.
Misconduct (10 min)
Personal penalty for unsporting conduct — team doesn't lose a skater.
Game misconduct / match penalty
Ejection from the game + potential suspension after DoPS review.

Strategies

Forecheck
Pressure the opposing defence in their own zone — 1-2-2, 2-1-2, or 1-3-1 systems by team preference.
Neutral zone trap
Stack players in the middle to force opponents wide and turn the puck over — perfected by the 1990s New Jersey Devils.
Power play
1-3-1, 1-2-2 or umbrella formations with the extra skater — usually with the top playmaker at the top of the umbrella.
Penalty kill
Wedge or box formation blocking shooting lanes; aggressive PK teams pressure the point men.
Pulled goaltender
Trailing by 1-2 goals in the final minutes, pull the goalie for a 6-on-5 attack — risk of empty-net goal but ~30% goal-recovery success.

Terminology

Puck: The vulcanized rubber disc — 76 mm × 25 mm, 156-170 g.
Slap shot: The hardest shot in hockey — full wind-up, blade-on-ice for max force.
Wrist shot / snap shot: Quicker, more accurate shots without a full wind-up.
Faceoff: Ref drops the puck between two centres to restart play.
Icing: Shooting from behind centre-red line untouched over the opponent's goal line — play stops.
Offside: Attacker enters the offensive zone before the puck — play stops for a neutral-zone faceoff.
Power play: Team with one or more extra skaters after a penalty against the opposition.
Penalty kill: Playing a man down while a teammate serves a penalty.
Body check: Legal shoulder-first contact against a puck-carrier.
Hat trick: Three goals in one game by the same player — fans throw hats onto the ice.
Empty netter: Goal scored into an unattended net after the opposing goalie is pulled.
Zamboni: Ice-resurfacing machine — used between periods.
Two-line pass rule (removed 2005): Historically illegal to pass the puck across two lines; rule change opened up modern hockey.

Major competitions

Stanley Cup Playoffs (NHL)
annual · North America · since 1893
Oldest trophy in North American pro sport.
IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship
annual · worldwide · since 1920
Winter Olympic Games
quadrennial · worldwide · since 1920
Men 1920; women 1998.
World Cup of Hockey
irregular · worldwide · since 1996
KHL (Kontinental Hockey League)
annual · Russia/Belarus/Kazakhstan/China · since 2008

Where it is played

Governing bodies

International Ice Hockey FederationIIHF
Founded 1908 · Zurich, Switzerland
Official site ↗
National Hockey LeagueNHL
Founded 1917 · New York City, USA
Official site ↗
USA Hockey
Founded 1937 · Colorado Springs, USA
Official site ↗
Hockey Canada
Founded 1914 · Calgary, Canada
Official site ↗

Famous names & records

Famous athletes

Wayne Gretzky ('The Great One')
Mario Lemieux
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Sidney Crosby
Alex Ovechkin
Connor McDavid
Vladislav Tretiak
Nikita Kucherov
Hayley Wickenheiser
Manon Rhéaume (first woman to play in an NHL game)

Records

Most career NHL points
Wayne Gretzky — 2857 points (894 G, 1963 A) (1999)
Most career NHL goals
Alex Ovechkin (surpassed Gretzky's 894) — 895+ (April 2025) (2025)
Most Stanley Cups won
Henri Richard (Montreal) — 11 (1973)
Fastest recorded slap shot
Denis Kulyash (KHL) — 177.58 km/h (110.3 mph) (2011)

Learn this sport

beginner

1
Skating fundamentals
Learn forward and backward skating, edges, stopping, and crossovers. Skate before you shoot.
2
Stick handling
Control the puck at low speed — heads-up rather than watching your feet.
3
Passing and receiving
Firm passes to the tape (blade of receiver's stick); cushion pass reception.
4
Basic shooting
Wrist shot and snap shot before slap shot. Aim for low corners.

intermediate

1
Positional play
Learn your specific position's zone responsibilities in offensive, neutral, and defensive zones.
2
Body positioning
Take the puck-carrier's ice; ride out along the boards; angle plays into low-danger areas.
3
Advanced shots
Backhand, one-timer, deflection technique.
4
Understanding line changes
30-60 second shifts, on-the-fly changes, matching lines against opponents.

advanced

1
Systems understanding
Learn multiple forecheck systems, neutral-zone forechecks, defensive-zone coverage.
2
Elite-level fitness
Anaerobic power for shifts + aerobic base for recovery.
3
Scouting and analytics
Modern pros study Corsi/Fenwick/xG advanced stats; positional players use video analysis daily.

Frequently asked

Why is fighting allowed in hockey?+

It's not strictly 'allowed' — it's penalised with 5-minute majors (both fighters serve). But it's tolerated as a form of self-policing at the pro level, particularly in the NHL. It's banned outright in international (IIHF), Olympic, women's, and college hockey.

What's the difference between NHL and IIHF rules?+

Rink size (NHL is narrower), overtime (NHL uses 3-on-3 in regular season), fighting (NHL tolerates, IIHF ejects immediately), touch-icing vs no-touch, and playoff format.

How many periods in a hockey game?+

Three periods of 20 minutes each = 60 minutes of play. Regular-season NHL ties are broken by a 5-minute 3v3 OT then shootout. Playoff games use unlimited 20-minute sudden-death 5v5 OTs.

How fast is the puck when shot?+

Top NHL slap shots hit 165+ km/h (100+ mph). The all-time record is Denis Kulyash's 177.6 km/h (110.3 mph) in a 2011 KHL skills competition.

How does the Stanley Cup work?+

The oldest trophy in North American pro sport (1893). NHL playoff format: 16 teams (top 8 per conference) in a bracket, each round is best-of-7. Champion's name is engraved on the Cup — a physical trophy that travels with the team.

Sources & provenance

Wikipedia — Ice hockey— Wikipedia
IIHF Rule Book— IIHF
NHL Official Rules— National Hockey League

Last verified 2026-08-24.community