SportsRules HQ
NHL Hockey Uncomplicated: A Beginner's Guide
The Game
NHL stands for the National Hockey League, and it is a professional ice hockey league in North America. The NHL is widely considered the premier professional ice hockey league globally. It consists of 32 teams, with 24 located in the United States and 7 in Canada. The league is known for its intense competition and showcases some of the best ice hockey talent from around the world. The NHL season includes a regular season followed by the playoffs, where teams compete for the coveted Stanley Cup, the league's championship trophy.
Game Objective
In hockey, the main objective is to score more goals than the opposing team. Here's a simplified explanation of the game: FONT??
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TEAMS:
Two teams play against each other, each with six players on the ice at a time, including a goalie. See more info in Positions
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GAME STRUCTURE:
The game is divided into three periods, each lasting 20 minutes.
The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins. Learn more in Game Play
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SCORING:
Goals are scored by shooting the puck into the opposing team's net.
The entire puck must cross the goal line for it to count as a goal. Learn more in Game Play
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Positioning:
Offensive players try to get the puck into the opposing team's zone, and defensive players aim to prevent goals.
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Penalties:
Penalties are called for rule infractions, and the penalized player spends time in the penalty box, leaving their team short-handed.
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Faceoffs:
The game restarts with faceoffs at the center of the rink after stoppages or certain rule violations.
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Overtime and Shootouts:
If the game is tied at the end of regulation, there may be overtime periods or a shootout to determine the winner.
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Hockey Terms
A few common hockey terms. See more Terms (link) or more in-depth explanations in Game play??
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ICING
Icing occurs when a player shoots the puck from their side of the red center line across the opposing team's goal line (the line between the goalposts and extending to the boards) without the puck being touched by another player. The rule is designed to prevent teams from excessively and strategically shooting the puck down the ice to gain an advantage.
OFFSIDES
A player is considered offside if both of their skates completely cross the blue line into the offensive zone before the puck does. The offside rule is designed to ensure fair play and prevent teams from gaining an unfair advantage by positioning players in the offensive zone before the puck enters that zone.
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POWER PLAY
A power play happens when one team gains the upper hand on the ice due to the opposing team receiving a penalty. It occurs when a player or players from the opposing team are sent to the penalty box, resulting in the penalized team playing with fewer skaters for a specified amount of time.
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PENALTY KILL
Refers to a situation where a team is playing with fewer players on the ice due to one or more of their players serving penalties.
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Hat Trick
When a player scores three goals in a single game.
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