Could some one explain to me the game of hockey?
595888
couple things that i noticed from others answers that are wrong...  Icing is not when the puck goes past the opposing players blue line and then past the goal line (which passes from side to side across the front of the goal).  Icing is when the puck is shot from behind the red line (center ice) without being touched and then passes the line that extends across the ice from side to side at the goal, (goal line).  If the puck is moving slow and barely crosses the line, the Icing is waived off by the official.  Or if the goaltender comes out of his goal crease (blue area directly in front of the net) whether he makes a play on the puck or not, the icing is waived off.  I'd also like to note that Overtime is not 20 mins, it is 5mins during the regular season in which whoever scores first, wins (sudden death).  There is no such thing as a tie anymore.  During the regular season, if the game is tied after 3 periods, they go to a 5 min sudden death overtime.  If it's still tied after the overtime, the teams go to a shootout in which 3 members from each team get an individual breakaway shot (1 on 1) with the goaltender.  whichever team scores the most out of the 3 shootout chances wins.  if they both score the same ammount out of their three chances then the shootout continues, 1 person at a time, from each team, until 1 team scores and the other does not.  for the playoffs, overtime is 20 mins and it's a sudden death.  If nobody scores, then they go to another overtime of 20 mins, and they will continue to do so until 1 team scores.  there is also a such thing as a double minor penalty, which the player is assessed 4 mins instead of the reg 2 for a minor penalty.  also, a new rule that they incorporated this season is that if a player gets into a fight within the last 5 mins of regulation (3rd period) then he is assessed a 10 min penalty (essentially the rest of the game) plus a 1 game misconduct, which means he's not playing at all in the next game.  a hand pass is when a player passes the puck with his hand, to another player.  a hand pass is allowed, but only in yr own (defensive) zone (from the blue line, back toward the goaltender).  you are not allowed to handpass in the neutral zone (from blue line, past center ice to the other blue line) or the offensive zone (blue line of opposing teams goaltender side toward their goaltender).  Yr not allowed to play with broken equipment.  for example, if the stick cracks but does not break completely, and you continue to play with it.  it's a penalty.  there's so many rules to the game.  So, I'll tell ya what.  whatever u wanna know, just click on my avatar and send me an email and I'll help ya out.  I could go on forever with this answer cause there's so many rules, that most people don't even know about.  I just get boared at work and read the NHL rulebook a lot.  if you want, you can check it out at NHL.com and just click on the quicklink for rules.  pretty interesting...
602179
Hockey is a great sport for juniors. It teaches them teamwork and fairplay. It is a little expensive, but the game pays out more than you spend.
65498
Your question isn't clear, but I think there are two things you might be thinking of...\n1) 3-16-4 for a goal scored would mean the goal was scored by 3 and assisted by 16 and 4.\n2) 3-16-4 for a team record would mean that the team won 3 games, lost 16 games, and lost 4 games in overtime.\nHope that helps.\nP.S. Melancholy, there aren't ties in hockey anymore (unless its a high school league)
395909
In hockey, a game of power, finesse and speed played on ice, scoring goals are a priority item. A team is awarded a goal when a player shoots the puck past the opposition's goalie and into the goal. The goal itself, often referred to simply as the "net," measures four feet tall (1.22 meters) and six feet wide (1.83 meters). If someone scores a "hat trick" in hockey, it means that a player has scored three goals in one game.\n\nThe team with the most goals at the end of a hockey game is declared the winner. Hockey is one of the few sports that allows a game to end in a tie. Scoring one goal in a game of hockey is an admirable feat; scoring three goals in a hockey games is a rarity. Many players go their entire career without even coming close to scoring a hat trick. Hockey statisticians keep track of both team and individual highlights during a season. For one scored goal, a statistician will award a player one point. The player who passes the puck to a player who scores is awarded an "assist" by the stat man and also receives a point. While assists are a vital part of hockey and carry the exact same weight (one point) as a goal itself, assists are never taken into play when discussing a hat trick. A hat trick is based on goals alone.\n\nWhen a player in the National Hockey League (NHL) scores a hat trick, the fans, as a custom, toss their hats or caps on to the ice as a sign of their appreciation and respect. It's their way of recognizing the rarity of this feat. Hall of famer Wayne Gretzsky, had fans tossing their hats to the ice many times during his storied 20-year career. Of the many NHL records Gretzsky owns, the fact that he scored 50 hat tricks from 1979-1999 may be the most amazing. Akin to the grand slam in baseball, a hat trick is a feat fans will not often witness, but when they do, they won't soon forget.\n\n\nAnother link said:\n\nWatching a hockey player charge down the ice and slap the puck past a floundering goalie for his third goal of the game is one of the most exhilarating plays in all of sports. The term used to describe such a feat, "hat trick," has long been linked to hockey, and, after a bit of searching, we discovered its unusual origin.\n\nWe first visited the Word Detective, the online version of the popular newspaper column written by Evan Morris. He says the term came from the English game of cricket and cites The Oxford English Dictionary, which explains: "The feat of a bowler who takes three wickets by three successive balls: originally considered to entitle him to be presented by his club with a new hat or some equivalent."\n\nWe next checked out an article titled "Puck talk: A guide to hockey lingo" from The Dallas Morning News. In addition to learning that the terms "mucker," "pipe-fitter," "plumber," and "grinder" are interchangeable, we unearthed another interesting tidbit about the term "hat trick."\n\nIn the article, John Halligan, an NHL executive who writes a hockey trivia column for the NHL web site, says in the 1940s, a Toronto haberdasher used to give Maple Leaf hockey players free hats when they scored three goals in a game. Halligan also agrees that the term "hat trick" probably evolved from cricket.\n\nSo, what happens to all those hats that litter the ice? Well, it seems Dave Kindred, a columnist at The Sporting News, has been asked that question a few times. As we would have guessed, the hats are usually given to charities.\n\nHe shoots, he scores, he wins a hat.
936142
i am more than thankful for hockey..it has become a way of life for so many peole, including me. Not only does it help to keep you in great shape, but you also make new friends. I know here in this part of the u.s., there arent many girls that play hockey, let alone hockey at all! so when peole ask me what i play, and i say hockey, it makes me feel unique, just as every hockey player should feel. Pretty much anyone can say they play soccer..but when you say you play or are interested in hockey, it probably means ur priveledged, and your smart enough to see that hockey really is THE best sport EVER!!!!!!!! Plus, it just helps to keep my mind off things, and now i know what i want to do or work around in life (hockey). Also its a great topic to have arguements over whther your at a game sitting next to the opposing teams fan or your just talking about whose the better player Crosby or Ovechkin? lol i know that question is old..but all im trying to say is HOCKEY ROCKS AND IT BEATS THE REST!!!!!!
336635
Even better.  hang out with hockey fans.  Go to games with them.  IF they are good they will help by explaining things to you.  That's things that I do with my friends that aren't big hockey fans, but are interested.  I help increase their knowledge and therefore their love of the game.
402426
NO, I for one liked the fights. Realizing pure hockey enthusiasts would say that is not really part of the game, you asked is it more entertaining. I really miss the days of old for instance when the 'Broad Street Bullies' better known as the Philadelphia Flyers played. Teams were truly intimidated to play at the Spectrum.
670718
The national game : Hockey, \nThe popular game : Cricket
1151954
How Did Hockey Get Started?\nThe creation of ice hockey can't be traced to any one person or event. The game most likely evolved from British field sports such as hurley and shinty. The word hockey may have come from the French word hoquet, which was the name for the hooked sticks used to bat a ball or cork around. These sports were similar to field hockey, and are still played today. \nDuring the winter, some players must have tried playing the game on ice. The long, frigid winters in Canada allowed this variation to catch on quickly in the 19th century, and the game also spread into the Scandinavian countries, as well as Russia. Hockey would develop independently in Russia, until the Russian hockey program converted to the Canadian style and rules in the 1930s. \n\nThe first documented hockey game took place on March 3, 1875, in Montreal, Quebec. The earliest games featured nine players per side on the ice, with a square rink that had no boards. Only a low curb separated the crowd from the action. Over the course of several decades, the game slowly morphed into something resembling modern hockey: The number of players on the ice decreased; players began firing shots that rose up off the ice, forcing goalies to adopt thick leg pads and a wide stick blade.
242190
i think most people can't follow the puck. COUGH* americans COUGH* J/K\n\nHonestly i think its hard to  come from being a football or baseball fan and swithc over to hockey. Simply because hockey is so fast paced, that it is hard for new fans to learn all the rules.\n\nTake this couple from new england. Both huge Patriot fans. Now i took them two a couple bruins games. after explaining the rules during the game. they kinda got hooked and now goto games on a semi regular bases, and they watch games on the tv. \n\nIf you put a little effort into learning the basics of the game you'll love it. Also just lace up a pair of skates and get  game of pickup going...so much fun.\n\nanywho thats my two cents
394840
Visit nhl.com for the rule book.. just watch it and you'll pick up the important stuff.  \n\nRoot for the Buffalo Sabres!
1056909
A better question is why is hockey still going on.
426634
The most confusing rule is OFFSIDE. This mainly means that an opposing player cannot be closer to the other team's goalie than that teams defensemen. He cannot take the pass from his teammate and go ahead if he is in an OFFSIDE position. This is the job of the linesmen (referees) to see and wave their flags. The linesmen also decide which team gets the THROW-IN, if there is a CORNER KICK or if the ball goes to the goalie for a KICK-IN. PENALTY SHOTS are awarded if a player is tackled unfairly in the goal area or if a defenseman touches the ball with his hand within the goal area. Yellow cards, warnings, are given by the referee for a lot of reasons, but mainly for dangerous play or for protesting or for delaying the game. Two warnings in the same match result in a RED card, meaning the player has to leave the field. There are more details but I think I covered the important points. Points are usually 3 for win, 1 for tie and 0 for loss.
608446
Not hard at all geezer if there is an ice rink near to you then all you have to do is go down and ask at the main desk most ice rinks have a quite established league and are always looking for new people to join in. If they cant give you an answer there is always the local show off on the ice who more than likely plays hockey just ask him
700953
Hockey is for real athletes and competitors....fighting in hockey isn't fighting just to fight...as emotional a sport as hockey is fighting is usually used to spark a team and get your fans and teammates rallied up. Sometimes fighting occurs to send a message to the opposing team or player in particular. By no means is hockey a "retarded sport" , it's just not like others where you can be a cockey shit talker and get away with it.  If your going to run your mouth on the ice you should be able to back yourself up because it's not like football or basketball where opposing players sissy slap each other uncontrolabally. That pretty much sums it up.
384704
Hockey (A PUCK IS A BALL)
1169076
It's a sport. You got a ball, two nets and goalies. The objective is like any other exciting, fast-paced sport: put the ball in the net.