Players

Goaltender: The goalie's primary task is simple, keep the puck out of his own net! Offensively, he may start the team down the ice with a pass, but seldom does he leave the net he guards.

Defensemen: These players try to stop the incoming play at their own blue line. They try to break up passes, block shots, cover opposing forwards and clear the puck from in front of their own goal. Offensively, they get the puck to their forwards and follow the play into the attacking zone, positioning themselves just inside their opponent's blue line at the "points."

Center: The quarterback on the ice, the center leads the attack by carrying the puck on the offense. He exchanges passes with his wings to steer the play toward the opposing goal. On defense, he tries to disrupt a play before it gets on his team's side of the ice.

Wings: The wings team with the center on the attack to set up shots on goal. Defensively, they attempt to break up plays by their counterparts and upset shot attempts.

Officials

Referee: He supervises the game, calls the penalties, determines goals and handles faceoffs at center ice to start each period.

Linesmen: Two are used. They call offsides, offside pass, icing and handle all faceoffs not occurring at center ice. They do not call penalties, but can recommend to the referee that a penalty be called.

Goal Judges: One sits behind each goal and indicates when a goal has been scored by turning on a red light just above his station. The referee can ask his advice on disputed goals, but the referee has final authority and can overrule the goal judge.

Official Scorer: He determines which player scores and credits assists if there are any. He may consult the referee, but the scorer is the final authority in crediting points.

Penalties A team plays shorthanded when one or more of its players is charged with a penalty. However, no team is forced to play more than two players below full strength (six) at any time. When a third penalty is assessed to the same team, it is suspended until the first penalty expires. When a penalty is called on a goalie, a teammate serves his time in the penalty box

Minor Penalty: (Two minutes) Called for tripping, hooking, spearing, slashing, charging, roughing, holding, elbowing or boarding

Major Penalty: (Five minutes) Called for fighting or when minor penalties are committed with deliberate attempt to injure. Major penalties for slashing, spearing, high-sticking, elbowing, butt-ending and cross-checking carry automatic game misconduct.

Misconduct: (Ten minutes) Called for various forms of unsportsmanlike behavior or when a player incurs a second major penalty in a game. This is a penalty against an individual and not a team, so a substitute is permitted.

Penalty Shot: A free shot, unopposed except for the goalie, given to a player who is illegally impeded from behind when he has possession of the puck with no opponent between him and the goal except the goalie. The team which commits the offense is not penalized beyond the penalty shot, whether it succeeds or not.

Delayed Penalty: Whistle is delayed until the penalized team regains possession of the puck.

Why Did They Blow the Whistle?

Icing: When a player shoots the puck across the red center line and past the opposing red goal line. Icing is not called if the attacking team is killing a penalty or an onside attacker or defending goaltender touches the puck first.

Offside: When any member of the attacking team precedes the puck carrier over the defending team's blue line.

Offside Pass: When a player passes the puck from his defending zone to a teammate beyond the red center line.