ICE HOCKEY FOR BEGINNERS

Are you planning on going to your very first ice hockey game? Or are you bringing someone who has never seen hockey before to a game? Then you've come to the right place! We understand that it can be a bit difficult to keep up, and therefore we have put together the most important information on this page so that you hopefully can understand what is happening on the ice. For example, you can learn about the rules of the game, the equipment, breaks and many other things. Like offside and icing. 

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The Basics

Ice hockey is played indoors on an artificial ice surrounded by boards. The game always starts with the referee dropping the puck onto the ice, a so-called faceoff. Each game consists of three 20-minute periods, and the the team that scores the most goals in the opponents net wins the game. If the result is tied when the 60 minutes are played there is a five-minute overtime, followed by a shootout if no goals are scored.

The Rink

The playing area, or rink as it is called in ice hockey, consists of three zones. Each team has its own zone, and then there is a neutral zone. The center of the ice is marked by a red line, and the teams' zones are marked by a blue line.

The Players and the Referees

Each team consists of 22 players, and there are six players on the ice at the same time, five skaters and one goaltender. Players on the ice switch with those on the bench approximately every minute. There are also four referees on the ice. They maintain order to ensure that the players follow the rules. You recognize the Referees by their black and white striped jerseys.

The Equipment

Ice hockey is played with a lot of equipment. All skaters wear skates, a helmet on their head, gloves on their hands, and stick in their hand. Additional protective gear is worn on other parts of the body. The "ball" of the sport is a puck, a flat, hard little object made of rubber.

Penalties – Powerplay and PK

If a player violates the rules, such as hitting someone with their stick, they can receive a penalty from the referees. This results in sitting out of the game for two minutes. During penalties, the team with five players has a powerplay, and the team with four players is on the penalty kill. The penalized player can return to the game if the opposing team scores.

Breaks – Icing and Offside

When the game is interrupted, the clock stops. Time is only counted when the players are actively playing. Two examples of common breaks are icing and offside. Icing occurs when a player shoots from their own defensive zone all the way down over the extended goal line. The game then restarts in the player's own zone. Offside means the puck must enter the offensive zone before the players do. If unsuccessful, the game restarts outside the zone.

The crowd

The crowd is crucial for the teams on the ice, especially for the home team. If the crowd cheers, sings, and supports the team, its more likely for them to win the game!