Hockey Question

[slugshooter]

Well, as a few on here know I've started getting back into hockey somewhat going to some minor league games from a local team here. Since I am from Florida and when I was a kid, hockey was that weird game weird people from up north played, I don't know a whole lot about it. I mean, a lot of it I pick up just going to games, but for one thingm the other night, for about the last 5 minutes of one of the periods they had the green lights on behind the nets. What is the significance of this? I have never seen it happen before at a game. Also, I haven't really noticed this in the NHL, but at these games, they switch players out constantly, it seems like guys are only out there a minute or two before theyh switch out. This is kind of a two parter, 1) Is this normal? and 2) How in the heck do they know when it's their turn to go out?

I know, it's silly, but hey, I just want to know what the referee is saying to the guys during faceoffs.

[Tominator]

Shift changes happen all the time. If you've ever skated full out for about a minute, you're pretty whipped. Some of those light little guys can go 2 or 3 minutes at a spell, but not many.

Most shift changes are controlled by the coaches I think, and the "lines" try to match personalities, and qualities that are best for a team in any certain game.

Some of the real hockey fans like superguide and TSBH can tell you more, or correct me.

[muggs]

A good NHL shift can be as short as 30-40 seconds. Believe me, what you're going full tilt, you're beat after that.

A shift normally involves a few good rushes and then that's it. Players decided when they are ready to come off the ice. They'll do it when the puck is out of their defensive zone and in a non-threatening place on the ice. If one line gets stuck out there and the other team is really putting the pressure on, they'll just ice the puck to get a whiistle and change em up.

The green light means there's no goal, when the puck crosses the line, they swith it to red. Sometimes there's no green light, just a red light that goes on when a goal's scored.

[TreeStandBowHunter]

The answers look good to me. Hockey might seem like they are just gliding around on ice having lots of joy but hockey is tough. It's one thing to go joy riding on the ice but when you are going full tilt, 60 seconds seems like an hour to some of those guys.

[Muff]

yep good answers...I don't know much about shift changes because I am always on the ice...lol (goaltender) as for the green light that is a new one on me....sometimes at games that are on TV a light is put on during a commercial break when it is turned off it tells the refs to start the game again.

[slugshooter]

I'm starting to think that maybe he turned the green on to signal no goal, and then forgot to turn it off. The only thing though was that the green light on the other end stayed lit also, both goals. Oh well, maybe I'll ask them tonight when I go to the game.

[pa_sportsman]

muggs has it right. Most even strength shifts usually last 30-40 seconds. The coach calls for line changes, but most players know when to come off. During play, line changes are made when the puck is located [deep] in the opposing zone.

This year in the NHL, players on the team that ices the puck are not allowed off the ice during the resulting stoppage of play. The players who are on the ice for the icing must remain on the ice for the faceoff in their own zone.

Forward lines and defensive pairings typically stay the same during the game. However, a change may occur due to injury, attempt to generate additional offense [late in game] or some other reason.

Forward lines are numbered in succession - 1, 2, 3, and 4. Defensive players are numbered in sucession - no. 1 defenseman, no. 2 defenseman, etc. During a game, forward lines usually roll in a pattern, such as 1-2-3-1-2-3-4-1-2-3-1-2-3-4...or otherwise, as the coach decides. Therefore, if line 1 is coming off the ice, line 2 players know to go on. The coach may change the line rotation or composition during the game based upon the situation. Usually defensive pairings roll as no's. 1&2, 3&4, 5&6 on the ice together, depending upon the number of defensemen dressed for a given game. As no's. 1&2 come off, no's 3&4 go on.

Watch the bench when you attend another game. You will see the players slide up and down the bench during line changes. Typically, the forward line next to go onto the ice will be located together on the end of the bench nearest the opposing goalie (center between the two wings). Once gone, the next line of forwards slide up. The defensemen slide along the bench as well. This movement is difficult to detect when watching a game on television.

Regarding the green light, I don't know why it would be illuminated during play. At the end of a period, the green light is automatically illuminated when the time clock reaches 0:00. At that point, even if the switch is flipped by a goal judge, the red light will not work. Another light is used to indicate a "television time out." That light is located on or above the scorer's table, which is located between the penalty boxes across the ice from the benches.

[superguide]

Line changing is a big part of hockey and can win you a close game if done right. For example you always change going up ice not back towards your own goal. The defence NEVER changes two at once-I usually like my centers to go out first changing on the fly-as that's the most important forward position-if a winger changes first the tired center just plays wing till he can get off. The home team always has the last change but you can still match lines if your players can change on the fly quickly. I never number my lines-I call them by my centers name-I don't want a kid thinking he's third line-some will let that get in their head a bit too much. There's some players will try and steal ice but not changing right-how do you deal with it as a coach-if it's a team problem-you do the 50 second drill-basically it's hard stops and starts-drop to the ice then back up or reversing circles for 50 seconds over and over. Really gets through their head how they should feel after a hard shift. If it's an individual player problem-they either ride the pine or in extreme cases you send them out 1 on 5 for a shift-that usually sends the message loud and clear. You can generate a bit of offence catching a team making a bad change. We had our bit of excitement today we were down 5-3 in the semifinal of a big double A tournament-pulled our goalie with 40 seconds left and Ty(superguide jr.) set up my extra attacker for a goal. We put out goalie out but had him at the blueline at the puck drop we got it back deep and almost pulled off a tie.

[muggs]

superguide mentioned another thing, the home team getting last dibs on what line he puts out. A lot of times, when play is stopped, a coach will wait until the vistoring team has their line out, before he decides what line he's going with. That way he gets the matchup he wants.

Most of the time they do this to get their best offensive line against the other teams weakest line.