Only 30% Of NHL Fans Can Pass This Quiz On Hockey Lingo. Can You?

As the old adage goes, “hockey players are bilingual, they speak English, and profanity.” While that is true for hockey players in English speaking countries, the English that hockey players speak is not the same as the rest of the population. Popular and official hockey terms have been stretched out and chopped by generations of rink rats, which has led to what we hear on the ice today. A good example would be the term “sauce”. To the general public, sauce is something you put on your food. For a hockey player, “sauce” refers to a pass that floats over a players stick, and still lands flat on the ice. If the “sauce” travels a long distance, or just goes really high in the air, it can be considered a “sauce bomb”. So how did that term come about? When the puck is lifted in the air with spin, and lands flat, it takes the appearance of a “flying saucer”. Because of this, the formal term for the pass is a “saucer pass”. That term has been shortened to “sauce”, because hockey players need to be efficient with their words so they can say as much as possible with as little effort as possible. With that short lesson in hockey slang, I think you’re ready for the quiz. Are you pumped? Are you jacked? Scroll down to begin the quiz!

Question 1

Which of these phrases is NOT a term for a player's hair?

Most hockey players really pride themselves on having a nice head of hair. Or, at least the young ones do. Of course, it isn’t as easy to show off your hair nowadays as it used to be in the days where you didn’t have to wear a helmet. The only time you can really give people a good glimpse is in the warm up, or if your bucket falls off at some point. There are tons of words hockey players use to describe their hair, which of these is NOT one of them?

Question 2

Which of these terms means an assist?

There are a lot of funny nuances in hockey, one of which being the humble nature of the people who play the sport. If you don’t know, an assist is given to the last two players to touch the puck directly before a teammate scores. Because hockey is the ultimate team sport, most players would argue that they’d rather be credited with an assist over scoring the goal themselves. As with everything else in the game of hockey, players have come up with a few other ways of calling out an “assist”. Which of these terms is one of them?

Question 3

Which is the proper abbreviation of celebration?

A goal celebration isn’t really one of the more humble aspects of the game of hockey. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. While most old school puck heads will say that you should celebrate with your team, some players, old and young, just can’t contain their excitement. If the time is right, celebrations can be a lot of fun. One of the most popular celebrations today is to sweep the ice with your glove, but the most fun celebration has always been to ride the stick. What’s the hockey slang term for “celebration”?

Question 4

Which of these words is a term for a goal?

If there’s a hockey term for everything, you know there are a lot of slang terms for a goal. Where in basketball you have “buckets”, in hockey you have, well, one of the words listed below. In all honesty, this might be one of the toughest to figure out in the entire quiz, because without context it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. Most hockey slang terms have been taken way out of their original context though, that’s what makes it fun.

Question 5

What is it called when a player shoots the puck before controlling it?

If you’ve watched any hockey over the past decade, you’ve probably seen Alex Ovechkin score at least one of these. The skill to shoot a puck the first time your stick touches it while receiving a pass has a special name to it, and it needs one because the play happens all the time. The play is effective because it gives you a chance to get a shot off before either the defence or the goaltender can get set in position. Do you know what it’s called?

Question 6

When in the attacking zone, the area just inside the blue line is also called the:

Even the areas of a hockey rink have special names, and to be honest, I have no idea where this term comes from. The term refers to the spot usually habituated by a team’s defencemen when they’re in the attacking zone. They are there for two reasons, to keep the puck from crossing the blue line and leaving zone, and also to give the forwards an outlet to pass, and maybe get a shot off. Do you know what this area of the ice is called?

Question 7

The area in front of the net is called the:

This isn’t as much of a slang term, as it is more of the official word for that area of the ice. The area is where a team’s goalie, and only the goalie should be. There are some fun rules that involve this space. If any player on the defending team puts their hand on the puck in this area, the opposing team is awarded a penalty shot. Also, if a player from the attacking team is in the blue paint when a goal is scored, the goal is not counted. Do you know what this area is called?

Question 8

The area between the lines behind the net is called the:

While the area in the question above has some fun rules attached to it, the rule surrounding this area of the ice isn’t fun at all. In the 2000s, goalies became better at playing the puck than ever before. This meant when a team would dump the puck in, the goalie could come out of his net to make a pass. For whatever reason, the NHL drew two lines that go from the goal line to the boards, restricting the goalie to only play the puck between the lines directly behind the net. Nobody knows why it’s still a rule.

Question 9

What is it called when an attacking player crosses the blue line before the puck?

Again, this isn’t as much of a slang term as it is just the official term for this type of play. To limit “cherry-picking”, no player from an attacking team is allowed to cross the opposing team’s blue line until the puck has. This is judged by a player having one or both skates on the opposing side of the blue line, and no skates on your own side of it. The one exception is if the player who has control of the puck crosses the blue line before the puck does. What is this infraction called?

Question 10

Which of these is a slang term for a fight?

Fighting is a big part of hockey. As sports these days get more and more modernized, you’d think the first thing that a league would want to take out of their game would be fist-fighting. The fact that engaging in fisticuffs still only warrants a 5-minute sit in the penalty box really is a testament to how ingrained that rule is in the sport. Getting in a fight is one of the best ways to gain the respect of your teammates, and sometimes even the opponent, so you know there are some great slang terms for a fight.

Question 11

What is it called when you tuck the puck in from behind the net?

Way before the NHL ever put the “trapezoid rule” into effect, attacking players still used the area behind the net to their advantage. One scoring move that’s been used throughout hockey history is where an attacking player skates behind the net rather than in front of it, and uses his stick to tuck the puck inside the post on the other side of the net before the goalie can slide his pad over to make the save. With how quick goalies move in 2018, this move was a lot more effective back in the day. Do you know what it’s called?

Question 12

Which of these is a term for a hockey arena?

Even the building where people play hockey has been given its own set of slang terms. This word is one that was passed down generations by people who played hockey in a literal one of these. In Canada, water freezes pretty much anywhere, so anywhere can conceivably be turned into a hockey rink, and thus every hockey rink could be nicknamed that place. If the first hockey games were played in churches, you’d better bet kids in Peterborough, Ontario would be saying “Yeah, I’m almost at the church now” when they get a text asking why they aren’t at practice yet.

Question 13

What does the term “bar down” mean?

This is one of the most popular hockey slang terms. The phrase is so popular, that the leading sports broadcaster in Canada, TSN, named their online hockey website BarDown dot com. Once you know what it is, it makes a lot of sense, but on its own “bar down” really could mean a number of different things. The term has even inspired other slang terms, such as “bar south,” or “bar dizzy”. They all mean the same thing. Do you know what that is?

Question 14

Which of these terms refers to a player’s teeth?

One of the better ways to tell if someone in Canada has played hockey for a long time is to look at his teeth. If you play without a face mask for long enough, the chances of a stick, a puck, or someone else’s fists knocking out one of your teeth is very high. In fact, a man that has a couple front teeth missing is actually referred to as a “hockey smile.” Naturally, hockey players don’t see missing teeth as a bad thing, but rather an easy way to spot a “beauty.” Which of these terms is hockey slang for “teeth”?

Question 15

What does “ODR” stand for?

This is one of the few slang terms in hockey that is actually really straight-forward. A lot of the other terms don’t make sense unless you’ve already been immersed in the hockey slang culture. For instance, a lot of the slang terms for something are just any random word that starts with the same letter, or it’s just a complete stretch. This slang term in an abbreviation, so it is actually useful in describing the thing quickly. Do you know what “ODR” stands for?

Question 16

Which of these terms would you NOT want to be said about your hands?

This is when slang terms are much harder to figure out, when a word that normally means something negative in most circles becomes something positive in certain circles. It’s like when LL Cool J said “not bad meaning bad, but bad meaning good.” This is the same kind of idea with these words in hockey culture. If someone says that you have _ hands, only one of these answers would NOT be a compliment. Do you know which one of the answers that is?

Question 17

What is the hockey slang term for talking to your opponent?

In most sports, playing mind games by making verbal jabs at your opponent is considered “talking trash”. Now, I do believe that this term can be used in other sports, I just don’t think the term as prominent elsewhere as it is in hockey. While people play up the humble and kind nature of hockey players off the ice, we all know that isn’t the case on the ice, and it’s not just the fighting. Players say almost anything on the ice to throw the other team off their game, or draw a penalty to put their team on the powerplay.

Question 18

What do you call the area in the middle of the attacking zone?

This is definitely the most dangerous scoring area on a hockey rink. If a player is open enough to take a wrist shot from this area, at any level of hockey, you have to like the chances of that shot going in. If there’s one place you want to defend as a team, it’s this area. Likewise, if there’s one spot you want to have the puck on offence, it’s this area. Do you know what the area in front of the net is called?

Question 19

What does it mean to “wheel”?

They say that the wheel is one of man’s greatest inventions. Well, I believe that hockey players took this one a little too far. Wheeling is pretty much the only thing any hockey bros ever seem to talk about. It could be because the word means something different on the ice from off the ice, but more so that both meaning are used very often. So, do you know both meanings of the slang word “wheel”? We’ll find out after you answer this question.

Question 20

Which of these terms does NOT describe a puck that goes in the top part of the net

In hockey, there is no more satisfying way to score than blasting a shot over the goalie’s shoulder into the top of the net. It’s one of the toughest shots to stop, and it also looks really good, especially if you’re able to knock the goalie’s water bottle off the top of the net. In soccer, they refer to a goal that goes into the top corner as “top bins”. It’s similar in hockey, but instead of “bins”, you can use one of the three words below. Which word could you NOT use?

Question 21

What is the slang term for the EA Sports NHL series?

This is all the proof you need that hockey culture has more slang terms than any other sport. For soccer, basketball, and football, they just call the video games what they’re called. So, the FIFA series is “fee-fa”, NBA 2k is “2k”, and Madden NFL is “Madden”. Do hockey players call EA Sports NHL 18 “NHL 18”? Of course not. They’ve come up with their own term for the video game. Do you know which of these terms is the correct slang term?

Question 22

A deke can also be known as a:

If you’re a hockey player with nice hands, or as a hockey player would say “nasty mitts”, you’ve probably pulled off your fair share of dekes in your career. Dekes are used to either get past opposing players, or their goalie. Dekes are mostly used on the rush, or in an attempt to score, but they can also be used simply to keep control of the puck. Do you know which of these terms is another word for a deke?

Question 23

Which of these is a term for the goal posts?

The goal posts in hockey have more nicknames than just a “goalie’s best friend.” Being one of the key pieces of equipment for any hockey game, you just had to know that players have come up with a few creative names for the outline of the goal. All NHL hockey nets are 72 inches wide, by 48 inches tall, so not a huge area to shoot at with a grown man standing right in the middle of it. When a player’s shot strikes a post, what would a hockey player call that?

Question 24

What is a “Gordie Howe Hat-Trick”?

A hat-trick is common terminology in sports for getting three of something. In cricket it would be wickets, but in hockey it’s three goals. Gordie Howe was one of the greatest hockey players of all-time, scoring 801 goals in over 1,700 NHL games. But when you put “Gordie Howe” next to “hat-trick”, it does not mean that Gordie Howe scored a hat-trick, it describes a completely different stat. Do you know what is considered a “Gordie Howe hat-trick” in hockey?

Question 25

What do you call a helmet with a full-face shield?

This is a slang term specifically designed for trash-talking on the ice. When hockey started, nobody even wore helmets, including goalies. Even with the injuries, hockey players have resented being forced to wear more protection. This has been another way for hockey players to display their toughness. Now, the more headgear you wear, the softer you are. People without visors chirp people with visors, and people with visors chirp people with full cages or full face shields. The most common slang term for a full cage is a “birdcage”, do you know what the term for a full-face visor is?

Question 26

What do you call the area between the goalie’s legs?

Earlier I mentioned that scoring in the top corner is the most satisfying way to score a goal. That’s true. But, the most demoralizing way for a goalie to concede a goal is if the puck goes through his legs. Technically speaking, shots that go in between a goalie’s legs aren’t the easiest to save, but it does look the easiest. Goalies not only have pads, but they usually hold their stick right on front of them to block shots that go to that area. There is a special name for the gap between the goalie’s pads, do you know what it is?

Question 27

Which of these is another name for a slapshot?

The slapshot was invented by a guy named Boom Boom Geoffrion, who played in the NHL from 1950-1968. A slapshot occurs when a player lifts his stick back, usually above his waist, and strikes the puck on his downswing. It’s kind of like a golf shot, but with the lower hand halfway down the shaft to create flex on the stick. Prior to this, most shots would be classified as “wrist-shots” which are when a player drags his stick along the ice to propel the puck towards goal. Which of these is another word for a “slapshot”?

Question 28

Which of these does NOT refer to a bad goalie?

There’s not too many things in hockey worse than having a bad goaltender. It takes a lot of hard work to keep the opponent from getting good shots at your net, so when you force the opponent to take a bad shot, and it still goes in? That’s frustrating. On the plus side, the goalie is the one guy you can talk trash about on the bench, because he’s so far away he can’t hear what you’re saying. Which of these words would you NOT call a bad goaltender?

Question 29

Which of these is another word for the penalty box?

he penalty box is the place where a player must sit to serve the length of the penalty he got. As Charlestown Chiefs goalie Denis Lemieux famously put it: “You go to the box, two minutes by yourself, and you feel shame. And then you get free.” Of course, depending on the penalty, you can be sitting in the box for longer than two minutes. A high-stick that draws blood is a four minute penalty, a fight is five, and a misconduct gets you ten minutes to “feel shame”. What’s another term for the penalty box?

Question 30

Which of these does NOT mean the goalie made a big save?

A lot of these slang terms seem to come at the expense of goaltenders. As much as everyone loves to rag on the tendy’s, because they’re almost always super weird, we still love them, and we give them all the credit that they’re due for keeping goals out of the net. When a goalie makes a particularly great save on a shot that surely should have resulted in a goal, you’ll probably hear someone say one of these phrases. Which of these words is not a hockey slang term?

Question 31

Which of these is NOT a slang term for facial hair?

If you thought hockey players love their hair (they do), you won’t be shocked at the fact that they also love a good set of facial hair. Pictured is one of the most glorious lip sweaters in all of sports, belonging to the legend himself, Lanny McDonald. You could use three of the words listed below to describe the situation on McDonald’s face, but a hockey player would not recognize the other phrase. Which word would you NOT call this beautiful moustache?

Question 32

What does “dropping the gloves” signify?

Whether you call it “dropping the gloves”, or “chucking the mitts”, doing this is a clear sign in hockey that something big is about to happen. It won’t happen every game, but there’s a good chance that someone will be threatened with this at some point. “You wanna drop the gloves?” is an extremely common phrase heard on the rink in any given day. And let’s get it straight, if the gloves don’t drop, it doesn’t happen. Simple as that.

Question 33

Which of these is NOT a slang term for a fight?

If it wasn’t clear in the other questions about fighting, it should be clear now. Hockey players love themselves a good fight. Whether they’re fighting to pump up the team, protect one of their teammates, or just because they don’t really like the guy they’re fighting, they love it. And the fans love it, too. Aside from a goal, a fight one of the only other situations guaranteed to get the fans out of their seats. Heck, if a fight breaks out in the stands, the fans are probably gonna watch the fight over the game. That’s just hockey.

Question 34

Which of these is NOT a term for a goal?

Goals, goals, goals. It actually feels like we haven’t talked about slang terms for goals nearly enough in this quiz. I mean, the main objective of the game of hockey is to score goals. It’s what every player wants to do, it’s the most fun thing to do, and there are lots of fun slang terms that describe the puck going past the goalie and into the net. Which of these terms does NOT mean a goal has been scored?

Question 35

What is “sauce”?

“Sauce” is like a secondary slang term, in that it originates from the official terminology of a common hockey play. The answer to this question was also totally given away in the intro to this quiz, so this is sort of like a bonus question to end the quiz. If you didn’t read the intro, it’s your own fault, but if you’re a true “hockey guy”, you’ll get this answer correct anyway. What does it mean when a hockey player calls something “sauce”?

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