I agree some level of hockey/sports knowledge must be brought to the table before fans just start asking questions, so I will drop my real hockey questions and maybe some good answers can be used for the show or just supplied here by those who know the answers. I will be deleting all the jeanus answers.

1. Kicking guys out of faceoffs? Saw Toews get kicked about 4 times? Is that a result of him going early and thus the ref is forced? or elects to kick him out?

2. (a) Blue Zone is front of the net? What is it for? Because it sure is not exclusive to the goalie as I see guys camping in it or zipping through it with no issues.

2. (b) The Goalie Trapezoid, whats the purpose of that as well?

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

Guys can get "thrown out" of a faceoff for a variety of reasons, including (but not limited to) a "false start" by the face off man, an infraction by someone on that guys team, or even lining up late/improperly.
The goalie trapezoid is is supposed to keep the pace of the game going and prevent the goalie from playing the puck as much as it is dumped in around the net. The goalie may play the puck within the trapezoid, but may not play it outside of it behind the goal line (in the corners, basically). (**IMO this hasn't really worked the way it was intended and probably has led to some of the injuries/late hits that occur as players are racing back for the puck as the goalie is not allowed to assist this process).

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This is a really novice question and it may get the eye roll, but how do the refs determine whether there are too many players on the ice or not? Do the line shifts have to take place in a certain area away from the play? Do they tag each other or what determines them as "officially in"? What exactly is the protocal for that? I've never really noticed that while watching on TV and have never played Ice Hockey.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

They tend to be pretty liberal in terms of too many men/line changes. I think the actual letter of the law is the player exiting the ice needs to be five feet away before a new player can come on. Usually you'll hear players need to be within a stick length. Other issues that can cause too many men is if a player leaving the ice has the puck played to them (usually accidentally hitting their skate etc)

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Team Cutler.

Heard Billy Jaffe say the NHL is more of a "Makeup Call" league than any league around.

As in "Make Up Calls" to even out games in series, or try to, as they do in the NBA.

Didnt the Hawks go 5 periods without having a Power Play in this series? and a few phantom calls?

I only thought they did this crap in the NBA

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”

This was talked about a lot after game 1 against the Sharks. And I even heard analysis after game 2 that sounded shocked that the Hawks didn't get a few more makeup calls. There seemed to be a lot of bias towards San Jose in the last series in terms of penalties.

During the Vancouver series, I remember noticing that there were quite a few "make up" calls that went both ways over the course of 6 games.

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I'll get even more basic...what is icing? Does it have to be "accepted" by the other team in order to be called or does the call occur even against their wishes?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Icing is when one team shoots the puck past two red lines (usually center ice and the goal line) and a member from the opposite team touches the puck first (not including the goalie). There is no icing for a team that's killing a penalty. The ref's often will waive icing off if they feel that a member of the other team could have played a puck before it crossed the 2nd red line or if the goalie fakes playing the puck.


A coach/player can not waive an icing call off.

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Team Cutler.

touch/control the puck. nothing hidden about that meaning

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Team Cutler.

What is the ratio of racist hockey fans to non-racist hockey fans?

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In Vancouver, 8 to 1 racist to non-racist

Everywhere else, 3 to 1 non-racist to racist

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I know longtime hockey fans sneer at newbies when they mention 'hockey jerseys' and snap back 'they're SWEATERS!'.

If that's the case, why does the NHL website call them jerseys?

http://shop.nhl.com/category/index.jsp? ... Id=3169596

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Disclaimer: Most of my posts are not suitable for work or home viewing.

The name's Rockmore. Beef Rockmore

Because the website is dumbed down for the non hockey snob masses.

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touch/control the puck. nothing hidden about that meaning[/quote]


One specific meaning of "Play the puck" is a directive from the ref to stop body checking the other player and to direct the players attention to gaining control of the puck.

The "blue zone" is the goalie crease. It's use has changed since the "Brett Hull" goal to win the cup in 99-ish.
The rule used to be, and still is in USA Hockey(amatuer), that when the puck is in the attacking zone and in possesion of the attackers and not in the crease, an attacking player may not stand on the goal line or in the crease, hold his stick in the crease, or skate thru the crease. A violation of the rule results in a faceoff in the neutral zone.
Now in the NHL an attacker is allowed in the crease as long as he doesn't physical interfere w/the tender.

A couple of situations. The obvious is when the team has seven men on the ice playing(or six if 1 man shorthanded). The key on the common call is when the player entering the game plays the puck or checks an opponent before the player he's replacing is physically off the ice. If the touching of the puck is deemed accidental, no penalty shall be called.

Not to be a dick, but as long as guys really want to know, the LINESMAN call offsides. They are the non-arm banded officials.

What is that white surface they play on?
and Whats the deal with those funky shoes they wear?

In Canada they are called sweaters because that's what they are. A heavy fabric used not just to identify what team they're on, but also to keep the player warm while playing in the brutal Canada outdoors.
We here in the US call them jerseys. Again because that's what they are. Many times a mesh lightweight fabric.
Ask the guys who try to pull that nonsense on you, if they're from Moose Jaw or Medice Hat.
They are just trying to be cool but produce the opposite.

Taking a faceoff is a lot like stealing a base in that the stealer tries to read the pitchers move and anticipates when to go. If a center waits to see the officials hand move, he'll be too slow in trying to direct the puck. The center anticipates and "cheats" in order to beat the other center to the puck.

As someone who grew up in the Hull/Mikita days when the Hawks were the "toughest ticket in town" and Lloyd Petit was doing his iconic "a shot and a goal" calls for all the road games on WGN-TV, the lack of elementary hockey knowledge on a SPORTS message board really drives home to me exactly how far the Hawks and the game slipped in Chicago.

Sorry, Rocky, but your father was one of the biggest douchebags of all-time in Chicago sports. There's no excuse for what happened on his watch.

+1

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Watch the first 2 minutes of Slapshot.....Denis Lemiuex answers all of your hockey questions!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY7_ovIIFHk

scorehead # 84-
How much is Mac paying you to field these irritating questions? Do you receive Victory Chicken as compensation? Are you by the pool or in front of the Big Ten helmets?

Seriously though, thanks for the answers.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Don't bring offsides into this. I'm still digesting icing.

I get offsides. An offensive player cannot go past the opponent's blue line prior to the puck, correct?

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

True, but by touching/playing a puck that's on its way to being iced, the opposing goalie basically waives off icing. Goalies who can play the puck well, like Brodeur, used to do this all the time to create breakouts by their own team.

Correct

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Don't bring offsides into this. I'm still digesting icing.[/quote]

Sorry! Linesman calls the ICING also. I meant icing but I said offsides. Lou said said offsides and I said offsides so the ump said offsides! (Terry Bevington)

Yeah, the puck must completely cross the attacking blue line before an attacker can be completely in the attacking zone.(Unless the defense brings the puck in back from the neutral zone)

Very true. Was trying to keep it to a basic definition of the rule.

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Team Cutler.