Here’s a few from my book, A to Z Guide to Hockey Terms, 2nd Edition.

For more info, visit http://www.thehockeybook.com

Basic Hockey Terms

cap space The difference between the total salaries paid to players on a team and the maximum amount allowed by the league for each team.

delayed offside When a player enters the opposing team’s zone before the puck, offside is not called unless that player or one of his teammates touches the puck in the opposing team’s zone. Once all the attacking players are out of the zone the offside is nullified.

five-on-five Each team has all five players and their goalie on the ice. Also called even strength or full strength.

going upstairs 1) To review a goal with the help of the video goal judge, who sits in a room high above the ice surface. 2) When a player shoots the puck into the top of the goal net it is referred to as “going upstairs”. Also called water bottle or top shelf.

healthy scratch When a player is not included in the starting lineup, or roster of players, but not because of injury.

loser point During the regular season, games that finish after three periods in a tie go to overtime and then a shootout. The team that wins the game gets two points, and the team that loses, since they are guaranteed at least one point for the tie, gets a loser point.

natural hat trick To score three goals consecutively in one game.

overtime (OT) When a game ends in a tie after regulation time, extra time is played, where the first team to score wins the game. During the regular season a five-minute OT period is added. If there is still no score after those five, a shootout is played. During the playoffs, overtime periods are played until there is a winner.

screen shot If the attacking team shoots the puck at the defending team’s net and the goalie cannot see the puck clearly because of a player standing in front of him.

three-point game With the addition of overtime and now shootouts to settle tie games in the regular season, an additional point in the standings is awarded to the winning team. The losing team is still awarded a single point for being tied after regulation. This causes the points awarded for a game to total three instead of the traditional two.

Hope this helps!

Part 2 - Interview on XM Radio with Hockey Legend Phil Esposito. A fun interview, and of course I learned a thing or two from him as well. Like the “flamingo,” or when a player lifts one leg up as he is blocking a shot. He also mentions what it feels like when you get a hard slap shot to your foot, “like bees in your skates.” Enjoy the interview.

Did you know? The visiting team’s centre man has to put their stick down on the ice first for face-offs. Once they do and the home team player’s stick comes down, the ref will then drop the puck. If the referee feels that a player is trying to put their stick down when they shouldn’t, they can send them out of the face-off circle and one of the other players that is on the ice must come and take the face-off.

Cross-checking To hold your stick with both hands across your chest and push out, striking another player with the shaft of your stick.

Flash the Leather - When a goalie catches the puck in his glove with one quick movement.

Roberto Luongo is great at this, making players shake their heads in disbelief that the puck didn’t go in the net. “There was an opening as I took the shot,” they must be thinking to themselves. Other great leather flashers include Patrick Roy, Nabokov, and Mikka Kiprusoff.

Here is a look at a couple of photos from my new 2nd edition Hockey Terms book. I thought this would help people understand not only the referee calls and hand signals, but what specific action caused the penalty.

In this case, boarding could be called because of the way this player hits the other player, causing him to be thrown into the boards from a foot or two away from the boards. This is a potential injury-causing action. Two minutes in the box!

Snow Angel - A term for a goalie who is sprawled out on the ice as they wave their arms back and forth to make a save. You’ll often see NHL goalies doing this in a frantic manner, laying on their back and squirming around like a gymnast trying to stop or smother the puck. I remember doing this as a kid in the snow growing up in Edmonton. It makes an angel impression in the snow. The next time I am in some snow I am going to do it again.

A great place to find honest and thorough reviews of every hockey book worth reading.

Did you know the Zamboni, or ice resurfacing machine, was first invented in Hollywood in the 1940’s? Frank Zamboni was a rink attendant at Paramount Studios where they filmed figure skating for movies.

It was first used in the NHL in 1955 at the Montreal Forum.