Why is Icing Called Icing in Hockey?
In hockey, the penalty known as "icing" arises when an attacking team's player shoots the puck from their own half of the ice across the center line and into the opposing team's empty net. This rule was implemented to prevent a team from continually dumping the puck deep into the attacking zone to force their opponents to retreat and break up their offensive momentum.
The term "icing" likely originated from this intentional delay or "freezing" of the game. By not allowing the puck to enter the attacking zone, the defending team effectively freezes the play and gives themselves time to regroup and reset their defense. To discourage teams from abusing this tactic, the icing rule was introduced, penalizing them with a face-off at the attacking team's blue line.
Frequently Asked Questions:
- What is the purpose of the icing rule in hockey? To prevent intentional delaying of the game.
- What happens when icing is called? The face-off is held at the attacking team's blue line.
- Why is icing not called when the puck is in the attacking team's offensive zone? Because there is no need to prevent puck dumping when the team is already in possession of the puck in their own zone.
- How is icing determined? If a player on the attacking team shoots the puck from behind their own center line and it crosses the opposing team's goal line before any opposing players touch it.
- What is the penalty for icing? A face-off at the attacking team's blue line.
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