The Ultimate Hockey Slang Term Dictionary – 146 Essential Hockey Terms
Welcome puck-heads (an endearing term for hockey fans) do you ever listen to hockey players talk and feel like they’re speaking another language? Just like the sport itself, hockey lingo is a complex dance of agility, wit, and a dash of brutality—something seasoned fans live for and newcomers often find mystifying. But don’t you worry, we’re about to drop the gloves and give you a rink-side education with the ultimate hockey slang dictionary to have you talking like a pro!
Hockey has the best slang of any sport in the world! From “apple” and “celly” to “sandbagger” and “zebra,” consider this your go-to guide for becoming the ultimate smack-talker or impressing your friends during the next game. We defined over 140 slang terms that every fan should know, like hooking and tilt. So grab your “twig,” strap on your brain bucket,” and let’s get you talking like a true “beauty!” Ready? Game on!
Hockey Slang for a Fight
Here are all the different slang terms that mean fighting in hockey or terms that are associated with fighting.
| Donnybrook | Drop The Gloves | Dummied |
| Fisticuffs | Haymaker | Line Brawl |
| Ragdolled | Scrap | Scrum |
| Throw Hands (or fists) | Tilt | Tilly |
| Apple | An assist – when a player passes the puck to another player who then scores a goal |
| Bag Skate | Used as a form of punishment, usually for a bad game or performance, the player(s) have to skate up and down the rink over and over without the puck |
| Banana | When a player has a very big curve in their stick blade |
| Bar Down | When a shot hits the bottom of the crossbar and falls down into the goal across the goal line, a perfect shot |
| Barn | Another term for a hockey arena |
| Barn Burner | A very high-scoring, exciting game |
| Beauty | A hockey player with a great or unique personality and a good player too |
| Bench Boss | The coach |
| Bender | A term used for someone who is not a good skater and whose ankles are bending inward, showing how uncomfortable they are on skates |
| Bird Cage | When a player wears a full cage on their helmet |
| Biscuit | Another name for the puck |
| Blind Pass | When a player makes a pass without looking where they’re passing first |
| Blowing a Tire | When a player falls on their own without contact from an opponent |
| Blown Up | When a player gets hit really hard |
| Breadbasket | The center of a goalie’s chest – “he shot the puck right in the goalie’s breadbasket” |
| Bubble | Another name for the clear full sheild on a helmet |
| Bucket or Brain Bucket | Another name for a helmet |
| Buzzing | When a team is playing really well and getting a lot of scoring chances but hasn’t scored yet. this can happen due to a strong forecheck |
| Can Opener | When a player commits a tripping penalty by getting their stick in between the other player’s legs or skates |
| Cannon | A player who has a very hard shot is said to have a cannon for a shot |
| Celly | Short for celebration when a player scores a goal |
| Cheese, Cheddar, or Top Cheese | When a player scores a goal in the upper part of the goal net |
| Chel | Referring to the hockey video game NHL by EA Sports |
| Chippy | When a team is playing dirty and rough or physical |
| Chirp / Chirping | Talking trash or insults directed at another player |
| Chiclets | Another word for teeth; Can also refer to the popular hockey podcast Spittin Chiclets |
| Clapper | Another word for slapshot |
| Dangle | Another term for deke – when a player uses finesse stick handling move to go around the defender |
| Disc | Another name for the puck |
| Dish | Pass |
| Donnybrook | Another name for a hockey fight |
| Draw | Another name for the faceoff |
| Drop the Gloves | Fighting, before players square off for a fight, they get rid of their gloves to do more damage. A five-minute major penalty is awarded for fighting |
| Dummied | When a player gets hit really hard or loses a fight |
| Duster | A player who does not play a lot and sits on the bench for most of the game collecting dust |
| End-to-End or Coast-to-Coast | When a player has the puck and skates it from their own defensive zone all the way to the offensive zone without passing it |
| Enforcer | A tough guy on the hockey team, one who usually fights or has a physical presence on the ice |
| Face Wash | When a player uses his gloved hand and rubs his glove into an opponent’s face usually taking place in a scrum after the whistle |
| Feint | Another name for a deke or stick-handling maneuver |
| Ferda | A term meaning “For the Boys” like “Let’s win this game Ferda!” From the TV show Letterkenny |
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| Filthy | A term for someone really good at hockey or a nice play – “That goal was filthy!” |
| Fish Bowl | A full-length visor or bubble on a helmet |
| Fisticuffs | A fight |
| Five Hole | The area in between a goalie’s legs |
| Firewagon Change | When all five players on the ice go to make a line change or substitution while the game is still going on |
| Fit | Short for outfit or uniform |
| Flashing the Leather | When the goalie makes a great glove save |
| Flow | Good hockey hair usually sticking out the sides of a helmet |
| Four by Six | A wide open net, the dimensions of the goal is four feet by six feet |
| Garbage Goal | A goal scored with very little skill involved, usually a rebound in front of the net with the goalie out of position |
| Gassed | When a player is really tired or out of gas |
| Geno | Goal |
| Golden Goal | A goal scored in overtime or sudden death that immediately ends the game |
| Goon | A player who is known for fighting or being an enforcer |
| Goose Egg | When a team scores zero goals and gets shutout |
| Gordie Howe Hat Trick | The space between a goalie’s legs – he scored five-hole on him |
| Hack | A very hard slash with the stick |
| Handcuffed | When a player receives a pass that is not accurate and they cannot receive it clean |
| Hardware | Trophies or medals |
| Hatty | Another name for hat trick – when a player scores 3 goals in a single game |
| Haymaker | A very hard punch thrown |
| Health Bomb | When a player is a healthy scratch and does not suit up for a game and is not injured |
| Heater | When a team goes on a winning streak |
| Helper | Assist – when a player passes the puck to another player who then scores a goal |
| Hoser | Another word for loser, when playing at an outdoor rink, the losing team would have to hose down the ice |
| Howitzer | A very hard shot |
| Journeyman | A player who has been on a lot of different teams or leagues |
| Knuckle Puck | A puck that is shot when it is on it’s edge and moves a lot in the air |
| Lamplighter | A player who scores a lot of goals |
| Laser | A really hard shot and very accurate shot |
| Laying the Lumber | When a player hit another player with his stick |
| Lettuce | Another name for hair, or flow; see Erik Karlsson |
| Light the Lamp | Score a goal. |
| Line Brawl | A big hockey fight where everyone on the ice is involved |
| Lumber | A hockey stick, originated when all sticks were made of wood |
| Mitts | Another name for hands |
| Muffin | A weak shot |
| Nails | Referring to a very tough player – “That guy is nails” |
| Nosebleeds | A seat that is up very high in the hockey arena |
| Paint | Another name for the goal crease, the blue area in the front of the net |
| Peppered | When a goalie faces a lot of shots |
| Pest | When a player is known for being an agitator and often gets under the skin of the opponents |
| Pheasant | A bad hockey player because they are easy targets like the bird |
| Pigeon | A player who lacks skill but still produces good results |
| Pipe | Another word for the post or crossbar of the goal net |
| Pizza | A terrible pass in a team’s defensive zone that’s usually right up the middle of the ice and gets intercepted by the opposing team resulting in a high-quality scoring chance |
| Plug | A bad hockey player |
| Plumber | A hard-working blue-collar type player who isn’t afraid to do the dirty work |
| Puck Bunny | A girl who hangs out at the hockey rink trying to pick up one of the players |
| Puck Head | A hockey fan |
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| Puck Hog | A selfish player who does not pass the puck very much |
| Puck Luck | Getting a lucky or good bounce from the puck |
| Pylon | A player who cannot skate very well and is easy to get around |
| Ride the Pine | A player who is benched or one that does not play a lot |
| Pick their Pocket | When a player steals the puck from another player |
| Ragdolled | When a player gets hit really hard or loses a fight very badly, and their body appears to go limp |
| Ringer | When a really good player plays for a team that they are not on permanently and is too good for the league, usually referring to adult beer leagues |
| Rocket | A perfect saucer pass – a pass that goes in the air over the opponent’s sticks then comes back to the ice just before reaching a teammate, requires a high level of skill |
| Rink Rat | A player who spends a lot of time at the hockey rink |
| Ripper | A very hard shot |
| Roofer or Roof | A great shot that hit the top part of the goal net from underneath |
| Rubber | Another name for the puck |
| Salad | Another name for hockey hair |
| Sandbagger | A player who isn’t playing as hard as they can and is holding back their full skill level |
| Sandpaper | A tough hockey player who plays with “Grit” like the grit on sandpaper. |
| Sauce OR Side of Sauce | A perfect saucer pass – a pass that goes in the air over the opponent’s sticks and then comes back to the ice just before reaching a teammate, requires a high level of skill |
| Scrap | A fight: A scrapper is a player who gets in a lot of fights, here is our list of the best fighters of all time |
| Scrum | After the whistle is blown when a bunch of players are pushing and shoving each other, usually in front of the goal |
| Sheet | Another name for the ice rink that hockey is played on – a sheet of ice |
| Shinny Hockey | Playing hockey on an outdoor rink where players do not wear pads, and the puck is not elevated when shot, therefore, the puck does not go above the player’s shins |
| Shorty | A short-handed goal |
| The Show | The NHL, the highest level of hockey there is |
| Sieve | A goalie who lets in a lot of bad goals |
| Sin Bin | Another name for the penalty box |
| Slew Foot | When a player is skating fast then stops very abruptly, resulting in lots of snow from the ice being shot up in the air into the opposing goalie’s or player’s face; also known as a hockey stop |
| Snipe / Sniper | A very accurate shot or a player who is a great shooter and scores a lot |
| Soft Hands | A player who is very skilled with their hands and has a lot of finesse in their game |
| Snakebitten | A player who is in a scoring slump and has a hard time scoring a goal when presented with lots of good opportunities |
| Snow Shower | When a player is skating fast then stops very abruptly resulting in lots of snow from the ice being shot up in the air into the opposing goalie’s or player’s face; also known as a hockey stop |
| Stand on his Head | When a goalie is playing really good and making very hard saves |
| Stone Hands | A player who is not very skilled and has a hard time receiving passes and scoring goals |
| Stoned | When the goalie makes a great save |
| Stripes | Another name for the referee |
| Suicide Pass | When a player makes a dangerous pass up the middle of the rink where an oppoent is right there ready to hit his teammate as soon as they get the pass |
| Suitcase | A player who has been traded a lot or gets sent back and forth to the minor leagues frequently |
| Sussy | Suspension |
| Sweater | A hockey jersey |
| Swiss Cheese | A goalie who lets in a lot of bad goals |
| Tape-to-Tape Pass | A perfect pass right on a teammate’s stick blade (which is taped) |
| Tarp | Jersey or shirt |
| Tendy | When a player gets hit really hard, and some of his equipment comes off |
| Throw Hands | Fighting |
| Tic-Tac-Toe | A goal resulting from several quick passes strung together |
| Tilt | A fight |
| Tilly | A fight |
| Top Shelf | A goal this is scored at the very top part of the net |
| Twig | Another name for a hockey stick |
| Undress | A goal that is scored at the very top part of the net |
| Uni | Short for uniform |
| Waffle Board | The goalie’s blocker |
| Walked | When a defender gets beat by the offensive player, they are said to get walked |
| Wheel / Wheeling | Skating very fast |
| Wheel Snipe Celly | Skate fast, score a goal with a hard, accurate shot, and celebrate. This phrase is one of the many great Letterkenny quotes |
| Where Mama Keeps the Cookies | A top-shelf goal – when a player scores a goal in the upper part of the goal net |
| Yard Sale | When a player gets hit really hard, and some of his equipment comes off |
| Zebra | Referee |
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