The Haze FM

Hockey Rules: 101

Boarding - Boarding is a dangerous penalty.  It happens when a player hits an opposing player who is not expecting to be hit.  This can result in a major penalty being given to the offending player.

Charging - This could be a major or minor penalty depending on the severity.  The referee's assess the penalty to a player who takes more then three strides when they interntionally hit or "charge" another player.  The more dangerous the hit, the more likely it will be a major penalty.

Cross Checking - This happens when a players has both hands on the stick and uses it to hit their opponent.

Holding - When a player uses their hands to prevent another player from making a play and using their full ability - this is holding.  It can often end up in illegally preventing players from scoring a goal.

Hooking - This happens when a player interferes with another player by "hooking" him with his stick. Defensemen use this illegal tactic when the offensive player he was guarding skates by him.   

Offside - A player may not skate into his offensive zone ahead of the puck. If that happens, a whistle is blown, and a face-off is held just outside the zone where the offside occurred. What matters in an offside is the position of the skates (the position of the stick doesn't matter). When both skates are all the way over the line before the puck - the player is offside. 

Tripping - Tripping is exactly how it sounds.  It really doesn't matter what you use: if you trip your opponent, the referee will penalize you with tripping.

 Icing - This can only occur when the two teams are playing at even strength.  When a player from the offensive team is behind the blueline and fires the puck past the opposite goaline - icing is called. The OHL uses the "no touch" icing rule which means the referee blows the whistle as soon as the puck crosses the goaline.

The Game - A hockey game consists of three 20-minute periods with two intermissions. Goals count for one point and are scored by shooting the puck into a net that measures 4 feet high by 6 feet wide. In the event of a tie game during the regular season, a 5-minute sudden-death overtime period is played.  If neither team scores during that session, the two teams will compete in a shoot-out. In the OHL playoffs, however, the teams continue to play 20-minute periods until a winning goal is scored.

Blue line - Two lines that mark the defensive zones at both ends of the ice.

The Goal - The goal posts extend vertically 4 feet above the surface of the ice and six feet apart measured from the inside of the posts.

OHL standings - Standings are determined by points awarded according to a team's record. OHL teams are awarded two points for a win, one for a tie, one for a shootout or overtime loss and none for a regulation loss.

Positions on a team - Up to six players are on the ice for each team at any given time:  Goaltender, right and left defencemen, center, right wing and left wing.

Puck - It's made of vulcanized rubber. It is 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. It weighs about 6 ounces and is frozen before games to make it slide and not bounce.  

Rink - The official size of an OHL ice hockey rink is 200 feet long by 85 feet wide. In international play, such as the Olympics, the dimensions extend to 200 feet long by 100 feet wide.

Scoring - A point is awarded for each goal scored and each assist. There can be up to two assists awarded on each goal.

Memorial Cup - The 2007-2008 season will mark the 90th anniversary of the Memorial Cup. The cup, which is the most sought-after trophy in junior hockey, and its rich tradition have shaped the way junior hockey is played in North America. The original name of the trophy was the OHA Memorial Cup as it was donated to the Ontario Hockey Association in March 1919 in remembrance of the many soldiers who paid supreme sacrifice for Canada in World War I.

OHL Playoffs - At the end of the 68-game regular season, the top eight teams in each conference advance to the postseason. The playoffs consist of four rounds in a best-of-seven format.