Shorthanded
Encyclopedia
Short handed is a term used in ice hockey
and refers to having fewer skaters on the ice
during play, as a result of a penalty
. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the penalty box
for a set amount of time proportional to the severity of the infraction. If a goaltender commits a minor infraction, another player who was on the ice at the time of the penalty serves, often but not necessarily the team captain.
The penalized team is said to be on the penalty kill, abbreviated as "PK" for recording purposes, while their players are in the penalty box. The opposing team is usually referred to as having an "advantage" until the penalized player returns to play. This situation is often called a power play
for the opposing team, due to the increased likelihood of scoring during this time. Not only does the power play team have the main advantage, the penalized team is frequently trapped in their zone and often cannot make line changes, resulting in their players being on the ice for longer-than-normal shifts. As a result, the penalized team's players are often exhausted when the penalty expires and they are often scored on shortly afterward.
The team on the power play often only has one defenseman at the rear rather than the typical two, in favor of adding another attacker. Rarely, teams have pulled their goalie for the sixth on-ice player (such as in Game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals
). Players assigned to power play or penalty killing duties are often known as "special teams".
During a power play, the shorthanded team may launch the puck to the opposite end of the rink, and play will continue: icing is not called, something that the 1970s-era WHA
in North America did not do, as that league called icings even during a penalty kill.
If the team with the advantage scores a goal
while the other team is short handed, the penalty is over, unless it was a major penalty or a match penalty. If the team on the power play scores in a penalty shot
, the penalized player must remain in the penalty box.
and the penalized team has two players in the penalty box, plus a goalie in net, the situation is called a 5-on-3. This situation gives the team on the power play an even greater chance of scoring. If the advantaged team on the 5-on-3 scores, the player who took the earlier of the two penalties may return to the ice, and play resumes as a power play with only one player in the penalty box. However, if the first penalty taken was a double-minor penalty, the penalty that expires is the first penalty of the double-minor, and the clock then begins to run down on the second penalty, with the 5-on-3 continuing.
A call for too many men on the ice in a 5-on-3 situation in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime now results in a penalty shot. This current rule resulted from Coach Roger Neilson
's exploitation of rule loopholes during an OHL game when his team was up one goal, but was down two men in a five on three situation for the last minute of the game. Realizing that more penalties could not be served under the existing rules, Neilson put too many men on the ice every ten seconds. The referees stopped the play and a face-off was held relieving pressure on the defense.
s against the single defenceman of the advantaged team.
When one team pulls its goalie near the end of a game to play with an extra attacker, any goal scored on the empty net
is not considered to be short handed (because there are equal numbers of players on ice for the teams).
Short handed goals are somewhat infrequent when a team is down one player, and some instances have occurred where two short handed goals have been scored on the same penalty. Very rarely is a short handed goal scored by a team that is down two players. Former Philadelphia Flyers
captain Mike Richards
is the only player in the history of the NHL to score three career 3-on-5 goals, having attained the last one during the 2008-09 NHL Season. The quickest trio of short handed goals ever scored in a National Hockey League
game occurred on April 10, 2010 during a game at the TD Garden between the Boston Bruins
and Carolina Hurricanes
, when the Bruins scored three shorthanded goals against Carolina goaltender Cam Ward
in only 1:04 of game time, during a minor hooking penalty to Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick
. http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2009021212. The Boston Bruins
also made NHL history for those short handed goals, as it was the first time the same shift has scored three times on a single penalty kill (Daniel Paille
, Blake Wheeler
, Steve Begin
).video of the accomplishment The most short handed goals ever scored in one NHL game by one team occurred on April 7, 1995, when the then-Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes
) scored four short handed goals in a single game on that date, the most since the end of the era of the Original Six
teams of the NHL.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
and refers to having fewer skaters on the ice
Hockey rink
An ice hockey rink is an ice rink that is specifically designed for ice hockey, a team sport. It is rectangular with rounded corners and surrounded by a wall approximately 40 inches high called the boards.- Name origins :...
during play, as a result of a penalty
Penalty (ice hockey)
A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,...
. The player removed from play serves the penalty in the penalty box
Penalty box
The penalty box is the area in ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and some other sports where a player sits to serve the time of a given penalty, for an offense not severe enough to merit outright expulsion from the contest...
for a set amount of time proportional to the severity of the infraction. If a goaltender commits a minor infraction, another player who was on the ice at the time of the penalty serves, often but not necessarily the team captain.
The penalized team is said to be on the penalty kill, abbreviated as "PK" for recording purposes, while their players are in the penalty box. The opposing team is usually referred to as having an "advantage" until the penalized player returns to play. This situation is often called a power play
Power play (sport)
"Power play" is a sporting term used in various games.*In ice hockey, a team is said to be on a power play when at least one opposing player is serving a penalty, and the team has a numerical advantage on the ice...
for the opposing team, due to the increased likelihood of scoring during this time. Not only does the power play team have the main advantage, the penalized team is frequently trapped in their zone and often cannot make line changes, resulting in their players being on the ice for longer-than-normal shifts. As a result, the penalized team's players are often exhausted when the penalty expires and they are often scored on shortly afterward.
The team on the power play often only has one defenseman at the rear rather than the typical two, in favor of adding another attacker. Rarely, teams have pulled their goalie for the sixth on-ice player (such as in Game 2 of the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals
1993 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1993 Stanley Cup Final series was contested by the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens to decide the NHL championship for the 1992–93 season. It was the first appearance in the Final for the Kings, and the 34th for Montreal, their first since the 1989 Final. The Canadiens won the...
). Players assigned to power play or penalty killing duties are often known as "special teams".
During a power play, the shorthanded team may launch the puck to the opposite end of the rink, and play will continue: icing is not called, something that the 1970s-era WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
in North America did not do, as that league called icings even during a penalty kill.
If the team with the advantage scores a goal
Goal (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to...
while the other team is short handed, the penalty is over, unless it was a major penalty or a match penalty. If the team on the power play scores in a penalty shot
Penalty shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a penalty shot is a type of penalty awarded when a team loses a clear scoring opportunity on a breakaway because of a foul committed by an opposing player. A player from the non-offending team is given an attempt to score a goal without opposition from any defending players except...
, the penalized player must remain in the penalty box.
5-on-3
A team can have two players in the penalty box, but can only be limited to three players on the ice at any given time. If the other team is at full strengthFull Strength
Full strength in ice hockey refers to when both teams have five skaters and one goaltender on the ice. The official term used by the National Hockey League is at even strength — abbreviated EV on and goaltenders' individual . All games start with both teams at full strength...
and the penalized team has two players in the penalty box, plus a goalie in net, the situation is called a 5-on-3. This situation gives the team on the power play an even greater chance of scoring. If the advantaged team on the 5-on-3 scores, the player who took the earlier of the two penalties may return to the ice, and play resumes as a power play with only one player in the penalty box. However, if the first penalty taken was a double-minor penalty, the penalty that expires is the first penalty of the double-minor, and the clock then begins to run down on the second penalty, with the 5-on-3 continuing.
A call for too many men on the ice in a 5-on-3 situation in the last two minutes of regulation or in overtime now results in a penalty shot. This current rule resulted from Coach Roger Neilson
Roger Neilson
Roger Paul Neilson, CM was a National Hockey League coach, and was responsible for many innovations in the game...
's exploitation of rule loopholes during an OHL game when his team was up one goal, but was down two men in a five on three situation for the last minute of the game. Realizing that more penalties could not be served under the existing rules, Neilson put too many men on the ice every ten seconds. The referees stopped the play and a face-off was held relieving pressure on the defense.
Short handed goals
A short handed goal is a goal scored in ice hockey when a team's on-ice players are outnumbered by the opposing team's. Normally, a team would be outnumbered because of a penalty incurred. However, the opposing team on the power play often only has one defenceman at the rear rather than the typical two, in favor of adding another attacker. This strategy can often be exploited by the shorthanded team, if they do manage to get the puck out into the neutral zone leaving most of the opposing players behind, and the penalty killers may enjoy odd man rushes and breakawayBreakaway (ice hockey)
A breakaway is a situation in ice hockey in which a player with the puck has no defending players, except for the goaltender, between himself and the opposing goal, leaving him free to skate in and shoot at will . A breakaway is considered a lapse on the part of the defending team...
s against the single defenceman of the advantaged team.
When one team pulls its goalie near the end of a game to play with an extra attacker, any goal scored on the empty net
Extra attacker
An extra attacker in ice hockey is a forward or, less commonly, a defenceman who has been substituted in place of the goaltender. The purpose of this substitution is to gain an offensive advantage to score a goal...
is not considered to be short handed (because there are equal numbers of players on ice for the teams).
Short handed goals are somewhat infrequent when a team is down one player, and some instances have occurred where two short handed goals have been scored on the same penalty. Very rarely is a short handed goal scored by a team that is down two players. Former Philadelphia Flyers
Philadelphia Flyers
The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
captain Mike Richards
Mike Richards
Michael Richards is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre for the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . He previously played for and was captain of the Philadelphia Flyers.-Early years:...
is the only player in the history of the NHL to score three career 3-on-5 goals, having attained the last one during the 2008-09 NHL Season. The quickest trio of short handed goals ever scored in a National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
game occurred on April 10, 2010 during a game at the TD Garden between the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
and Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League , and play their home games at the 18,680-seat RBC Center...
, when the Bruins scored three shorthanded goals against Carolina goaltender Cam Ward
Cam Ward
Cameron Kenneth Ward is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League . Born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, he was raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta...
in only 1:04 of game time, during a minor hooking penalty to Bruins defenseman Matt Hunwick
Matt Hunwick
Matthew Hunwick is an American professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League.-Amateur:...
. http://www.nhl.com/ice/boxscore.htm?id=2009021212. The Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
also made NHL history for those short handed goals, as it was the first time the same shift has scored three times on a single penalty kill (Daniel Paille
Daniel Paille
Daniel Paille is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League . He was drafted 20th overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.- Early life :...
, Blake Wheeler
Blake Wheeler
Blake James Wheeler is an American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League . He was drafted by the Phoenix Coyotes in the first round, fifth overall, in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft.-Early career:Wheeler attended Breck School his...
, Steve Begin
Steve Bégin
Stéphan Bégin ; born June 14, 1978) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who most recently played for the Nashville Predators.-Playing career:...
).video of the accomplishment The most short handed goals ever scored in one NHL game by one team occurred on April 7, 1995, when the then-Winnipeg Jets (now the Phoenix Coyotes
Phoenix Coyotes
The Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
) scored four short handed goals in a single game on that date, the most since the end of the era of the Original Six
Original Six
The Original Six is a term for the group of six teams that composed the National Hockey League for the 25 seasons between the 1942–43 season and the 1967 NHL Expansion. These six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and the...
teams of the NHL.