Let’s be honest.
Icing in hockey is one of the more confusing rules in all of sports (close tie with offsides).
This is especially the case if you’re brand new to the game of hockey…
In this post, we’re going to cover what icing is for you so that by the time you’re done reading this article, you’ll be able to explain it with ease.
We’ll also cover a few interesting facts about the rule and it's history as we stride though this article.
Let’s get pucks deep and get into it…
Table of Contents:
- Icing Definition
- Origins of Icing Rule
- Changes to the Icing Rule
- Touch Icing Rule
- Hybrid Icing Rule
- When is icing waved off?
- Conclusion
Icing Definition
Icing is a term that is commonly used in the game of ice hockey (ex: icing the puck).
Let's define it...
Icing refers to a rule/infraction which occurs when a player shoots the puck from their side of the center line and it crosses the opponent's goal line without being touched by another player on either team (image below).
This in turn results in a whistle (stoppage of play) followed by a face off in the offending team's own defensive zone. This gives the other team an opportunity in the offensive zone.
There are a number of situations where icing is not called.
For example, when a team is shorthanded OR when the puck is shot from behind the red center line, but it’s shot on net directly (doesn’t cross the goal line).
Along with offsides and understanding the various ice hockey positions on ice during a game, icing is one of the most important ice hockey rules to understand.
In the paragraphs below, we’ll cover why…
Origins of Icing Rule
The rule of icing has been around since 1937….that’s pretty old.
The initial intention of the icing rule was to prevent teams from excessively dumping the puck into the opposing team's zone. Without it, teams with a lead could honestly just use the tactic of constantly shooting the puck down the ice to kill time near the end of a game when they’re winning.
That’d be frustrating to deal with as a player…and also quite boring to watch as a fan.
Changes to the Icing Rule
Over time, the icing rule has gone through a number of iterations in an effort to balance player safety and game strategy at the NHL level (we’ll cover these below). Until then, the rule had stayed the same since its inception.
Back in 2005, the NHL implemented what’s called the "touch icing" rule.
Touch Icing Rule
What’s that?
The touch icing rule gave officials the ability to wave off icing calls if a player on the opposing team had a decent chance of touching the puck before it crossed the goal line. This was done with the intention to reduce the number of injuries that were occurring due to players racing at full speed back to touch the puck before it would cross the goal line.
Then again in 2013, the NHL introduced another icing rule that many are all familiar with today…the hybrid icing rule.
Hybrid Icing Rule
This rule allows refs to call icing if they believe that a defending player could have beaten an attacking player to the puck before it crossed the goal line.
Much like the prior rule, the hybrid icing rule was also created “in theory” with player safety in mind, but it doesn’t come without its flaws.
Many NHL players/coaches were opposed to the rule because it’s a big disadvantage for teams that have fast forwards. Instead of a puck race to the goal line, they’re only racing to the hash marks which makes it easier for defenders, especially if they sit back a bit.
Putting this aside, the specific changes to the icing rule in the NHL show the league's commitment to balancing player safety with the strategic elements of the game of hockey.
The same goes for lower levels of hockey from youth hockey all the way up to the pros…safety is and should be a high priority.
With how fast the game is played today, I’m sure both the NHL and many other leagues will continue making necessary adjustments to the rule as needed in years to come.
When is icing waved off?
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There are a number of situations where icing can get waved off.
We’ll list out the times icing gets waved off below:
1. Puck touches an opposing player- if the puck is touched by an opposing player, this makes the icing void.
2. Defensive player intentionally touches the puck- a player who’s backchecking can "wave off" an icing call by touching the puck before it crosses the goal line.
3. When the goalie leaves the crease- this rule doesn’t apply everywhere. In many North American leagues (including the NHL), if the goaltender leaves their crease to play the puck, icing is waived off entirely.
In many European ice hockey leagues, icing gets called off as soon as the goalkeeper leaves their crease regardless if they attempt to play the puck.
Conclusion
In closing, it’s clear that icing is an essential rule to the game of hockey.
Not only does it serve to prevent teams from using certain tactics (dumping the puck constantly with a lead), but it also makes it more entertaining to watch for fans/spectators alike. There’s a consequence if you dump the puck at even strength (5v5).
We hope that by reading this article, you now have a clearer understanding of the rule itself and have maybe even learned a thing or 3 about icing that you didn’t know prior.
