Ultimate Hockey Slang Glossary: 99 Terms Every Hockey Parent Should Know (So you aren’t called a Duster)
When you enter the world of Ice Hockey there are crazy expenses, cold ass rinks, smelly locker rooms, questionable rink food, and both early mornings and late evenings. There is also this amazing language that you have to try to break down and decipher. Some of the slang terms used not just in the locker room but in everyday conversation will make you look at the player like they have 3 heads like a hydra. I have compiled 99 (believe me there is more) of the most popular hockey terms used throughout this crazy yet amazing frozen world we love. Hopefully you can use this like a decoder ring when your son or daughter comes to you and says, “Dad did you see me dangle that hoser and rip it bardownski?!” Your response should be “That was one heck of a snipe after you broke their ankles!”
A
1. Apple – An assist.
2. Art Barn – A fancy or new rink with upgraded facilities.
3. A-Frame – A defensive shot-blocking position, knees wide apart.
4. Anchor – A slow skater who drags down the line.
5. Auntie Flo – A player who's got a slick flow (great hair).
B
6. Backcheck – Hustling back on defense.
7. Bardown – A shot that hits the crossbar and goes straight in.
8. Bardownski – A flashier term for bar down.
9. Barn – A hockey rink.
10. Barn Burner – A thrilling, high-scoring game.
11. Beauty – A player who’s skilled and great to be around.
12. Bender – A player with weak ankles who skates awkwardly.
13. Biscuit – The puck.
14. Biscuit in the Basket – Scoring a goal.
15. Blade – The bottom part of the stick or a skate.
16. Blueliner – A defenseman.
17. Blowing Snow – Stopping to spray ice in an opponent’s face.
18. Bucket – A helmet.
19. Buttonhook – A tight turn on the ice to reverse direction.
C
20. Celly – A celebration after scoring.
21. Cheese – The top corners of the net (top shelf).
22. Cherry Picker – A player who lingers near the opponent's net for easy goals.
23. Chiclets – Teeth, especially when missing.
24. Chirp – Trash talk on or off the ice.
25. Clapper – A slap shot.
26. Coast to Coast – When a player carries the puck from one end to the other.
27. Cranberry Sauce – A bad or soft pass.
28. Crease – The blue area in front of the net.
D
29. Dangle – Fancy stickhandling.
30. Dashers– The low protective portion of the boards
31. Dino Celly – An outdated or over-the-top celebration.
32. Dirty Dangle – An especially slick move.
33. Donkey – A clueless or useless player.
34. Duster – A benchwarmer.
35. Dump and Chase – A strategy of dumping the puck deep and chasing it.
E
36. Eggs in the Basket – Scoring more than one goal.
37. Edge Work – A player’s skill in maneuvering on skate edges.
38. Egress – A quick breakout or exit from the defensive zone.
F
39. Face Wash – Rubbing your glove in an opponent’s face.
40. Fishbowl – A full-face shield on a helmet.
41. Flamingo – Pulling up one leg to avoid blocking a shot.
42. Flow – Sweet hockey hair.
43. Foot Speed – A player’s quickness or agility on skates.
44. Freight Train – A player who delivers huge hits.
G
45. Gino – A goal.
46. Gitch – Underwear or jock gear.
47. Glass and Out – A simple defensive play to clear the zone.
48. Gongshow – Complete chaos—game or life-related.
49. Greasy Goal – A messy, ugly, but effective goal.
50. Grinder – A hardworking player, often physical and tough.
H
51. Hanger – A loose piece of gear, like a strap or string.
52. Hatty – A hat trick (3 goals in a game).
53. Heater – A hard shot or a hot streak.
54. Hoser – A goof or loser (Canadian insult).
55. Howitzer – A monster slap shot.
56. Hula Hoop – The puck, especially when dancing around defenders.
I
57. Ice in the Veins – A calm, clutch player under pressure.
58. Iced – When a puck is shot down the ice illegally (icing).
59. In the Paint – A player battling in the goalie’s crease.
J
60. Jiblets – Small chunks of ice from a stop or crash.
61. Juked – Getting faked out badly.
62. Jumper – A hockey jersey.
K
63. Keep – When a defenseman holds the puck in at the blue line.
64. Kool-Aid Kid – A player who's overly hyped or buying into the team’s hype too much.
65. Knucklepuck – A wobbling shot with little spin.
L
66. Laser Beam– A super-fast, accurate shot.
67. Lettuce – Glorious hockey hair.
68. Light the Lamp – Score a goal.
69. Liney – A player on your line (linemate).
70. Lumber – A hockey stick.
M
71. Mitts – Hands, usually skilled ones.
72. Muffin – A weak shot.
73. Muzzy – A playoff mustache.
74. Milk the Clock – Stalling to preserve a lead.
75. Monkey Off the Back – Scoring after a long drought.
N
76. Napper – A goalie getting beat high, up top.
77. No Deke Zone – An area where you shouldn’t attempt a move—usually around your own net.
78. No-Show – A player who disappears in big games.
O
79. Open the Floodgates – When one goal leads to many.
80. Ovi Spot – The left circle on the power play, named after Ovechkin.
81. Overtime Magic – A clutch goal in sudden death.
P
82. Pigeon – A player who picks up goals from others’ hard work.
83. Pinch – When a defenseman moves up to keep the puck in.
84. Pillows – Goalie pads.
85. Plug – A weak player, usually a fill-in.
86. Post and In – A shot that hits the post and scores.
87. Power Play – When your team has a man advantage due to a penalty.
Q
88. Quick Change – A fast player substitution.
89. Quarterback – The player who controls the power play from the point.
R
90. Red Light – The goal light behind the net.
91. Ringer – A skilled player added for key games.
92. Rocket – An attractive player.
93. Rough Stuff – Physical or dirty play.
94. Rundown – A quick recap of the game.
S
95. Sauce – A floating saucer pass.
96. Selke Guy – A defensive forward.
97. Shorty – A shorthanded goal.
98. Sweater – Jersey (old school term)
99. Sniper – A player who scores with deadly accuracy.
Now that you have gone through the list, you should be proficient in the basics of being in and around the jungle of a hockey rink right? Have fun with it even when it sounds ridiculous. Your player will always remember that day when your “lettuce” was all out of whack sticking out of your CCM pompom hat, or when you quietly said “hey Zebra you should check your voicemail… it looks like you missed calls….” Those fun times will create a bond around a game that not only your athlete loves but you do as well.
