On this page: Hockey 101 | Play Hockey | History of Hockey
What is
the puck made of?
The puck is made of vulcanized rubber, three inches in diameter and one inch
thick. It is not only solid to remove the "bounce", but it is frozen
before entering play to make it even more bounce resistant. It weighs about
six ounces.
How fast
does the puck travel?
Some slap-shooters propel the puck between 90-100 MPH. Speeds up to 120 MPH
have been recorded by some of the hardest shooters. Compounding the problem
for goaltenders is that frequently the puck will curve in flight, much like
a baseball.
What is
the hardest shot to stop?
Generally speaking, the most difficult shot is low, a few inches off the ice,
to the stick side. Some goaltenders overplay to the stick side, presenting a
more inviting target on their glove side.
Can a puck
be kicked into the net for a score?
Not kicked in intentionally, but a puck can be deflected off a skate, or off
a players' body if no overt attempt is made to throw it or kick it in.
What if
a puck is stopped, or stops on the goal line?
There is no goal. The puck must completely clear the goal line between the posts
to be counted as a goal.
Can a goalie
score a goal?
While it is not unusual for a goalie to be credited with an assist, very few
goalies in hockey history have actually scored a goal.
How thick
is the ice?
The best ice for pro hockey is usually held at 17-degrees for the proper hardness
and is approximately 3/4" thick. The thicker the sheet of ice it becomes,
the softer and "slower" it is. Commercial ice shows perform on warmer,
"slower" ice.
How are
the markings - the red and blue lines, the goal line and crease and the face-off
circles - applied to the ice?
The ice is built up to a half-inch thickness by spraying water over the concrete
floor, which has the freezing pipe embedded. Then the markings are either painted
on or, if paper, are placed down, after which additional water is sprayed to
coat the markings and build the ice to the prescribed thickness.
What are
hockey sticks made of?
Generally, northern white ash, or rock elm. The handle is one piece and the
laminated blade is affixed to it. Sticks may not exceed 58 inches in length.
Are all
sticks alike?
Far from it. Just as baseball players have their individually personalized bats,
so to do hockey players have their "patterned" sticks. Flexibility,
lie (angle of the blade), weight, etc. vary from player to player.
Why is
it called a "hat trick" when a hockey player scores three goals in
a game?
A hat trick originally meant three goals in a row, with no intervening goals
from either team. Hockey borrowed the term from cricket. In 1958 a cricket player
in England took three wickets with consecutive balls, an incredible trick. As
a reward, his club gave the bowler a new hat, hence the name "hat trick."
Content Courtesy http://www.icebats.com/
[ TOP ]
Wanna play hockey? Check out the links below and get the info you need to get in the game!
[ TOP ]
The exact origin
of hockey is harder to pinpoint. Some people say it started from hurling - an
Irish game that is kind of like lacrosse. Others say it came from the English
game of field hockey. One theory is that when the English came to North America
they realized that they could move way faster on the ice covered ponds than
the grass, so they started playing ice hockey. Yet another guess at how hockey
was invented is that the name "hockey" came from the French word "hocquet" meaning
"Shepherd's Crook", which is the shape of a hockey stick.
http://www.exploratorium.edu/hockey/
[ TOP ]
