Shot (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
A shot in ice hockey
is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick
in the direction of the net.
is executed by positioning the puck toward the middle of the blade. From that position the shooter rolls his back wrist quickly, while thrusting the puck forward with the bottom hand. As the blade propels the puck forward the movement of the wrist rolls the puck toward the end of the blade, causing the puck to spin. The tightness of the spin of the puck has an effect much like the spin a quarterback puts on their football pass, resulting in more accuracy. The puck is aimed with the follow-through of the shot, and will typically fly perfectly in the direction of the extension of the stick, resulting in an extremely accurate shot. NHL players known for their wrist-shot include Alexander Ovechkin
, Eric Staal
, Marian Gaborik
, Jeff Carter
, Alexander Semin
, Teemu Selanne
, Alexei Kovalev, Pavel Datsyuk
and Phil Kessel
.
is a combination of both the slap-shot and the wrist shot. The shooter begins by cocking the stick back like a slap-shot (however with not such an exaggerated motion), and finishes with a flicking of the wrist like a wrist shot. The resulting shot has more speed than a wrist shot, while increasing the time it takes to release the shot, balancing its effectiveness. NHL players noted for their snap-shot include Thomas Vanek
, Nathan Horton
, Anze Kopitar
, Vincent Lecavalier
, and Dany Heatley
.
is the hardest yet most telegraphed
shot. The player draws their stick back away from the puck, then forcefully brings it forward to strike the puck. The height and postitioning of the follow-through determines the trajectory of the puck. NHL players known for their slap-shot include: Daniel Alfredsson
, Zdeno Chara
, Dustin Byfuglien
, Shea Weber
, Chris Pronger
, Christian Ehrhoff
, Brian Rolston
, and Sheldon Souray
.
is a wrist shot released from the back of the blade, and on the player's backhand. This shot is not as powerful or accurate as any of the other shots, but often comes unexpectedly. Backhand shots are primarily taken close to the goal, and are most commonly used on breakaways. NHL players known for their backhand-shot include: Sidney Crosby
, Marian Hossa
, Milan Hejduk
, Patrick Marleau
, Mike Richards
, Paul Stastny
, Derek Roy
, Claude Giroux
, and Daniel Briere
.
can be any of the above shots, when fired in a continuous motion off an incoming pass. One player passes the puck to another, and while the pass is incoming the player chooses not to stop the puck, instead firing it as it reaches the shooter. This is the lowest accuracy shot, but makes up for it in the difficulty it creates for a goaltender to properly position himself to defend against it. Due to the elasticity of the rubber (albeit frozen) puck, it can also generate significantly more energy, giving it more speed, and faster elevation. When executed as a slapshot (also called a one-time-slapshot) and finding its way into the goal, it's often known as a "goal-scorers goal" due to the difficulty of the timing and placement of the shot. NHL players known for their one-timers include: Steven Stamkos
, Alexander Ovechkin
, Ilya Kovalchuk
, Ryan Getzlaf
, Brent Burns
, Shea Weber
, Brett Hull
, and Evgeni Malkin
.
is a scoring attempt. A count of how many shots are taken by a team is kept and this is often used as rough guide to which team is being more aggressive and dominant. A scoring attempt in hockey (as opposed to soccer
) is officially counted as a shot only when it is directed on goal, resulting in a goal or requiring the goaltender
to make a save. The numbers of shots and saves in a game are especially relevant to goaltenders, whose save percentage
is based on how many shots did not get past them. The number of shots taken by skaters and the percentage on which they score is also measured, but these numbers are generally given less weight.
, short for "decoy", is a feint, a shot, or both, intended to confound a defender. Many players, such as Mike Legg
, Pavel Datsyuk
and Mikael Granlund
, have picked up the skill of "dangling," which is more fancy deking and requires more stick handling skills.
is determined by which side of their body they hold their stick. A player who shoots left (alternatively called a left-handed shot) holds the stick such that the blade is (normally) to the left of their body, with the left hand on the bottom and the right hand on top; a player who shoots right (a right-handed shot) holds the stick such that the blade is to their right, with the right hand at the bottom and left hand on top. The bottom hand delivers most of the power while the top hand is responsible for control and stickhandling, as well as the "whip" of your shots. Of the 852 players who skated in the 2007–08 NHL regular season, 554 of 852 (65%) shoot left.
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...
is an attempt by a player to score a goal by striking the puck with their stick
Hockey stick
A hockey stick is a piece of equipment used in field hockey, ice hockey or roller hockey to move the ball or puck.- Field hockey :Field hockey sticks have an end which varies in shape, often depending on the players position...
in the direction of the net.
Shovel
The shovel shot is the simplest most basic shot in a shooter's arsenal. Its execution is simply a shoveling motion to push the puck in the desired direction (be it on the forehand, backhand, or in a spearing motion). Players typically resort to shovelling the puck to push loose pucks past a sprawling, or out-of-position goaltender.Wrist
The wrist shotWrist shot
A wrist shot is a type of ice hockey shot that involves using arm muscles to propel a puck forward from the concave side of the blade of a hockey stick. Generally, when the puck is shot in a similar manner using the convex side of the blade, it is referred to as a backhand shot...
is executed by positioning the puck toward the middle of the blade. From that position the shooter rolls his back wrist quickly, while thrusting the puck forward with the bottom hand. As the blade propels the puck forward the movement of the wrist rolls the puck toward the end of the blade, causing the puck to spin. The tightness of the spin of the puck has an effect much like the spin a quarterback puts on their football pass, resulting in more accuracy. The puck is aimed with the follow-through of the shot, and will typically fly perfectly in the direction of the extension of the stick, resulting in an extremely accurate shot. NHL players known for their wrist-shot include Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, Eric Staal
Eric Staal
Eric Craig Staal is a Canadian ice hockey player and the captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
, Marian Gaborik
Marian Gaborik
Marián Gáborík is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League . He began his career in the Slovak Extraliga with HC Dukla Trenčín for two seasons before being drafted third overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft by the...
, Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter
Jeff Carter is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League...
, Alexander Semin
Alexander Semin
Alexander Valerievich Semin , also known by fans as The Great 28, The Other Alex, or most commonly known as Sasha, is a Russian professional ice hockey player currently playing for the Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League ....
, Teemu Selanne
Teemu Selänne
Teemu Ilmari Selänne nicknamed "The Finnish Flash" is a Finnish professional ice hockey winger, an alternate captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . An offensive player known for his skill and speed, Selanne has led the NHL in goal-scoring three times and has been named to...
, Alexei Kovalev, Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the...
and Phil Kessel
Phil Kessel
Philip Joseph Kessel, Jr. is an American professional ice hockey forward, and an alternate captain for the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League . Kessel is a product of USA Hockey's National Development Team and became that program's all-time leader for goals and points in his final...
.
Snap
The snap shotSnap shot (ice hockey)
A snap shot is a like an abbreviated Slapshot in ice hockey.The purpose of the snap shot is to combine the main advantages of the wrist shot and the slap shot ....
is a combination of both the slap-shot and the wrist shot. The shooter begins by cocking the stick back like a slap-shot (however with not such an exaggerated motion), and finishes with a flicking of the wrist like a wrist shot. The resulting shot has more speed than a wrist shot, while increasing the time it takes to release the shot, balancing its effectiveness. NHL players noted for their snap-shot include Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek
Thomas Vanek is an Austrian professional ice hockey left winger, an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
, Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
, Anze Kopitar
Anže Kopitar
Anže Kopitar is a Slovene professional ice hockey player and alternate captain of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League . The first Slovenian to play in the NHL, Kopitar played junior hockey for his hometown team HK Acroni Jesenice and led his native country before he moved to Sweden...
, Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier
Vincent Lecavalier is a Canadian professional hockey center and captain of the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League .-Rimouski Océanic:...
, and Dany Heatley
Dany Heatley
Daniel James Heatley is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger, and alternate captain for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League . Originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers second overall in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, he won the Calder Memorial Trophy as the top NHL rookie in 2002...
.
Slapshot
The slapshotSlapshot
A slapshot in ice hockey is the hardest shot. It has four stages which are executed in one fluid motion:# The player winds up his hockey stick by raising it behind his body, sometimes raising the blade to shoulder height or higher.# Next the player violently "slaps" the ice slightly behind the...
is the hardest yet most telegraphed
Telegraph (sports)
In sporting terminology, to telegraph is to unintentionally alert an opponent to one's immediate situation or intentions. The sporting use of the term telegraph draws a direct comparison with the communication device of the same name. "Telegraphing" always refers to a reflexive physical action...
shot. The player draws their stick back away from the puck, then forcefully brings it forward to strike the puck. The height and postitioning of the follow-through determines the trajectory of the puck. NHL players known for their slap-shot include: Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson
Daniel Alfredsson is a Swedish professional ice hockey player. He is the captain of the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League . He is considered a leader by example and has been compared to former Detroit Red Wings captain Steve Yzerman in his value to the Senators...
, Zdeno Chara
Zdeno Chára
Zdeno Chára is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenseman. He is the captain of the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and won the Norris Trophy while playing for them in 2008–09. At 6 ft 9 , he is the tallest player ever to play in the NHL...
, Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Byfuglien
Dustin Ray Byfuglien is an American professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain of the Winnipeg Jets of the National Hockey League. His known nickname is "Big Buff," made up by his teammates...
, Shea Weber
Shea Weber
Shea Michael Weber is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League . An NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, he is the captain of the Nashville Predators....
, Chris Pronger
Chris Pronger
Christopher Robert Pronger is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman and captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . Originally selected 2nd overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1993 NHL Entry Draft, Pronger has played for Hartford, the St...
, Christian Ehrhoff
Christian Ehrhoff
Christian Ehrhoff is a German professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League...
, Brian Rolston
Brian Rolston
Brian Lee Rolston is a professional ice hockey player and an alternate captain for the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. He has won a Stanley Cup Championship with the New Jersey Devils in 1995, and the World Cup of Hockey in 1996 playing for Team USA...
, and Sheldon Souray
Sheldon Souray
Sheldon Sharik Souray is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman currently playing for the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, who originally drafted him 71st overall in 1994, and the Montreal Canadiens...
.
Backhand
The backhand shotBackhand shot (ice hockey)
In ice hockey, a backhanded shot is a shot taken from the backside of the blade. This type of shot is often used on breakaways, penalty shots and in shootouts and is used for deking. Compared to a forehand shot, it is less accurate, less powerful, but more confusing to goaltenders...
is a wrist shot released from the back of the blade, and on the player's backhand. This shot is not as powerful or accurate as any of the other shots, but often comes unexpectedly. Backhand shots are primarily taken close to the goal, and are most commonly used on breakaways. NHL players known for their backhand-shot include: Sidney Crosby
Sidney Crosby
Sidney Patrick Crosby ONS is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Crosby was drafted first overall by the Penguins out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League...
, Marian Hossa
Marian Hossa
Marián Hossa is a Slovak professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League . Hossa was drafted by the Ottawa Senators in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft; after playing for the Senators, he played for the Atlanta Thrashers, Pittsburgh Penguins, and...
, Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk
Milan Hejduk is a Czech professional ice hockey forward and the captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League .- Playing career :...
, Patrick Marleau
Patrick Marleau
Patrick Denis Marleau is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League. He serves as the alternate captain for the Sharks during home games...
, 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:...
, Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny
Paul Stastny is an American professional ice hockey center, an alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League . Of Slovak lineage, Stastny is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Stastny, who played for the Avalanche's predecessor, the Quebec Nordiques...
, Derek Roy
Derek Roy
Derek Roy is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre, an alternate captain for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League .-Junior career:...
, Claude Giroux
Claude Giroux
Claude Giroux may refer to:*Claude Giroux , midget wrestler best known for portraying Dink the Clown*Claude Giroux , ice hockey player...
, and Daniel Briere
Daniel Brière
Daniel "Danny" Brière is a French Canadian professional ice hockey centre and an alternate captain for the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League . He has previously played with the Phoenix Coyotes and Buffalo Sabres...
.
One timer
The one timerOne timer
A one timer is an ice hockey shot that occurs when a player meets a teammate's pass with an immediate slapshot, without any attempt to control the puck on his stick. An effective one timer requires precise timing on the part of both players involved, especially the shooter. This play often results...
can be any of the above shots, when fired in a continuous motion off an incoming pass. One player passes the puck to another, and while the pass is incoming the player chooses not to stop the puck, instead firing it as it reaches the shooter. This is the lowest accuracy shot, but makes up for it in the difficulty it creates for a goaltender to properly position himself to defend against it. Due to the elasticity of the rubber (albeit frozen) puck, it can also generate significantly more energy, giving it more speed, and faster elevation. When executed as a slapshot (also called a one-time-slapshot) and finding its way into the goal, it's often known as a "goal-scorers goal" due to the difficulty of the timing and placement of the shot. NHL players known for their one-timers include: Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos
Steven Stamkos is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, an alternate captain for the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League . Stamkos was the first overall pick in the 2006 OHL Entry Draft, from the Markham Waxers of the OMHA. Playing with the Sarnia Sting of the Ontario Hockey...
, Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhaylovich Ovechkin is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League...
, Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Kovalchuk
Ilya Valerevich Kovalchuk is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger who is an alternate captain of the New Jersey Devils of the National Hockey League. Drafted first overall in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, he began his NHL career in 2001–02 with Atlanta and was...
, Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf
Ryan Getzlaf is a Canadian professional ice hockey player. He is a centre and the captain of the Anaheim Ducks of the National Hockey League . He grew up in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada and he played junior hockey with the Calgary Hitmen...
, Brent Burns
Brent Burns
William Brent Burns is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman currently playing for the San Jose Sharks of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
, Shea Weber
Shea Weber
Shea Michael Weber is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman in the National Hockey League . An NHL All-Star and Olympic gold medalist, he is the captain of the Nashville Predators....
, Brett Hull
Brett Hull
Brett Andrew Hull is a former Canadian-American NHL player and the former Executive Vice President of the Dallas Stars. He is the son of Bobby Hull and nephew of Dennis Hull, both former NHL players. Hull is also known as "The Golden Brett," which is a play off of his father's nickname, "The...
, and Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni Malkin
Evgeni "Geno" Vladimirovich Malkin is a Russian professional ice hockey center and alternate captain for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League ....
.
Shot on goal
A shot on goalShot on goal
In ice hockey, a shot on goal is a shot that will enter the goal if it is not stopped by the goaltender. A shot on goal must result in either a goal or a save....
is a scoring attempt. A count of how many shots are taken by a team is kept and this is often used as rough guide to which team is being more aggressive and dominant. A scoring attempt in hockey (as opposed to soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
) is officially counted as a shot only when it is directed on goal, resulting in a goal or requiring the goaltender
Goaltender
In ice hockey, the goaltender is the player who defends his team's goal net by stopping shots of the puck from entering his team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring...
to make a save. The numbers of shots and saves in a game are especially relevant to goaltenders, whose save percentage
Save percentage
Save percentage is an ice hockey and lacrosse statistic that represents the percentage of shots on goal a goaltender stops...
is based on how many shots did not get past them. The number of shots taken by skaters and the percentage on which they score is also measured, but these numbers are generally given less weight.
Deke
A dekeDeke (ice hockey)
A deke is an ice hockey technique which a player uses to get past an opponent or "fake out" an opposing player. The term is a Canadianism formed by abbreviating decoy....
, short for "decoy", is a feint, a shot, or both, intended to confound a defender. Many players, such as Mike Legg
Mike Legg
Mike Legg is a Canadian former ice hockey player. He is most famous for a goal he scored while playing for the University of Michigan, in a 1996 NCAA Tournament game against the University of Minnesota, in which he picked the puck up onto his stick behind the net and wrapped it around into the top...
, Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Datsyuk
Pavel Valerievich Datsyuk is a professional ice hockey player from Russia and alternate captain for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League . He is known for his stick-handling and is considered the best two-way forward in the game today, having won the Frank J. Selke Trophy in the...
and Mikael Granlund
Mikael Granlund
Mikael Antero Granlund is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for HIFK of the Finnish SM-Liiga...
, have picked up the skill of "dangling," which is more fancy deking and requires more stick handling skills.
Handedness
A player's handednessHandedness
Handedness is a human attribute defined by unequal distribution of fine motor skills between the left and right hands. An individual who is more dexterous with the right hand is called right-handed and one who is more skilled with the left is said to be left-handed...
is determined by which side of their body they hold their stick. A player who shoots left (alternatively called a left-handed shot) holds the stick such that the blade is (normally) to the left of their body, with the left hand on the bottom and the right hand on top; a player who shoots right (a right-handed shot) holds the stick such that the blade is to their right, with the right hand at the bottom and left hand on top. The bottom hand delivers most of the power while the top hand is responsible for control and stickhandling, as well as the "whip" of your shots. Of the 852 players who skated in the 2007–08 NHL regular season, 554 of 852 (65%) shoot left.
External links
- Shooting tips for beginners – Dunedin Ice Hockey Association
- Hockey Shooting Tips - A number of articles and videos made to help players improve their shooting