Hockey Facts for Kids

Ten hockey facts to share with the young fan in your life, plus a plain-English hockey dictionary for parents and grandparents who are new to the game. All of them come from Big Debate: Hockey.

Hockey facts for kids

Faceoff Basics: NHL pucks are kept frozen before games so they bounce less. A warm puck gets bouncy, so officials swap them out during play.
Shooters & Scorers: A hat trick is three goals by one player in one game. Fans celebrate with hats, and some teams collect and donate them afterward.
Goalies: Goalies played without masks for decades. Jacques Plante began wearing one regularly in the NHL in 1959. Today, approved head and face protection is required.
Defense & Hustle: USA Hockey moved body checking out of 12U and younger in 2011, so young players can focus on skating, passing and puck skills.
Skating & Speed: Dylan Larkin skated the outside full-lap course in 13.172 seconds at the 2016 NHL Skills Competition. That is one lap of an NHL rink.
Game Night: Frank Zamboni built his first working ice-resurfacing machine in 1949. Machines like it still smooth the ice between periods.
Team & Locker Room: Stanley Cup champions traditionally get a day with the Cup. It has visited homes, schools and even swimming pools.
Big League Dreams: Martin St. Louis went undrafted and was told he was too small. He went on to win the NHL scoring title and MVP, and is now in the Hall of Fame.
Legends & History: In 1980 a team of U.S. college players beat the mighty Soviet Union 4-3 at the Olympics in Lake Placid. It is called the Miracle on Ice.
Weird & Wild: In 2020, David Ayres, a 42-year-old rink worker, came in as an emergency goalie and won an NHL game.

Hockey terms for kids

Backcheck
Skating back hard to help on defense.
Blue line
The two lines that mark each team's zone. Crossing them matters for offside.
Crease
The blue painted area in front of the net where the goalie plays.
Deke
Faking one way to get past a defender or goalie.
Faceoff
An official drops the puck between two players to start or restart play.
Five-hole
The gap between a goalie's legs.
Hat trick
Three goals by one player in one game.
Icing
Sending the puck from your own half past the other team's goal line without anyone touching it. Officials usually stop play.
Offside
Usually, when both of an attacker's skates cross the blue line into the attacking zone before the puck. A player controlling the puck can be an exception.
One-timer
Shooting a pass right away without stopping the puck first.
Penalty kill
Playing a skater short while a teammate serves a penalty.
Points
Goals plus assists. A goal or an assist each counts as one point.
Power play
Having an extra skater because the other team has a penalty.
Shutout
A game where the goalie lets in zero goals.
Slot
The area in front of the net between the faceoff circles. A strong place to shoot from.

Where the facts come from

  • Rink, puck, stick and game rules: NHL Official Rules and the IIHF Rulebook
  • NHL career and season records: NHL.com records and the Hockey Hall of Fame
  • Skills Competition records (hardest shot, fastest lap): NHL All-Star Skills Competition results
  • Youth checking rules: USA Hockey, 2011 rule change
  • Rule changes: two-line pass (2005), shootout (2005), hybrid icing (2013), 3-on-3 overtime (2015): NHL rule-change history
  • Olympic results: Olympics.com and the IIHF
  • Women's professional hockey: PWHL
  • Typical rates (power play, shootouts, save percentage, shift length): NHL league averages, recent seasons

Now put them to work: 50 hockey Would You Rather questions →