Hockey Talk

The Daily Dose loves ice hockey.  The relentless action and speed of the game, the hard-working, unselfish men who play it, the traditions…and the language of the game.

More than any other sport, there is a unique culture that surrounds hockey.  It’s a tightly knit group that is dedicated to their game – and who speak a language all their own.  Here are some of our Hockey Talk favorites.

Cheese is the upper part of the net.  Players like to “go Cheese on the goalie.”

Deuce is a two-minute penalty, while a Dime is a ten-minute misconduct penalty.

Howie is short for “Howitzer,” a term used to describe a very hard slap shot.

Rack is a case of beer, while a Bender is an awful hockey player [one whose ankles bend inwards because he can’t skate well].

A crisp pass is said to travel Tape to Tape, traveling from the taped blade of a passer’s stick to the taped blade of a teammate’s.

An assist is called an Apple.  Tape to Tape often produces Apples.

Flow is great hockey hair.  The best is long and flows out the back of a player’s helmet as he rushes up the ice.  Synonyms include Lettuce and Salad.

Pack Bunnies are girls who chase and hang around hockey players.  Nice Lettuce often attracts Pack Bunnies.

One-T [shortened from One-Timer] occurs when a player shoots a puck that is passed to him without stopping it first — shooting as it comes in motion.

Bar Mexico describes a shot that hits the bottom of the crossbar and shoots right down into the net.  An impressive shot that is extremely difficult to execute,  goal scorers attempt to go Bar Mexico whenever possible.  “I fired a One-T past Holtby that went Bar Mexico.

Zips – short for “Zippers” – are stitches.  Chiclets are teeth, usually used when describing a player’s lack of them.

The puck is the Biscuit, a hockey stick is a Twig [even though none are made from wood anymore] and a player’s helmet is his Bucket.

Hatty is short for “Hat Trick,” when a player scores three goals in a game.  A Gordie Howe Hat Trick is when a player scores a goal, gets an assist and is involved in a fight in the same game.

Dangle describes great stickhandling skills.  “Did you see Kaner Dangle that poor guy?”

To Light the Lamp is to score a goal, in reference to the red light that comes on behind the net after a goal is scored.

Hockey players call each other “Boys,” as in “Let’s go, boys!” or “What do you say we get a goal here, boys!”  FTB – “For The Boys” – is used to describe a player making a sacrifice for the team.

Snipe is a powerful or well-placed shot that results in a pretty goal.  Every Bar Mexico is a Snipe, but not every Snipe is a Bar Mexico.  A player who scores frequently is a Sniper.

Celly is a celebration after a goal that is more than just raising your arms.  Fist pumps, jumping against the boards and going down-on-one-knee are popular Cellys. When overdone, a Celly can become a target for trash talk.  “Did you see the Celly by that Bender?  You’d think that was his first goal ever.”