Hockey Words: A Unique Culture

The language of hockey is rooted in both French and English Canadian and as well as Russian, with a little bit of Swedish mixed in occasionally. The American influences didn’t come until much later.For a newcomer or for hockey fans in Americans cities where the majority of the population couldn’t identify a hockey puck in the Pepsi taste challenge, hockey terminology can be difficult. Here are some common hockey words & expressions you will come across.

• The show

The NHL

• Pond

Any frozen body or water, or any slightly frozen body of water. It all depends on your interpretation of “KEEP OFF THE ICE” signs.

• Brantford, ON

Small Canadian city, west of Toronto where all the parks, highways, schools, libraries, hospitals, and arenas are named after Wayne Gretzky.

• Barn

Hockey rink.

• Chirp

To engage in trash talk. Which will more than likely lead to fighting.

• Twig

A hockey stick. A child will normally receive its first twig in their early childhood years, during a trip to the local Canadian Tire.

If the child is American, it will normally receive its first twig after it has disregarded every other major North American sport.

• Hockey agents

Eric Lindros’ mom

• Beauty. Beaut. Beautician

One of the hockey’s highest honors.  While, a Beaut might not be the best player on the pond, he embodies the spirit of hockey in its entirety. Think Paul Bissonette, Patty Kane, Tyler Seguin and the Hanson Brothers.

• Sauced

Patty Kane 15 minutes after the 2010 Stanley Cup finals game ended.

• Honorary Canadian

Patty Kane

• The Toronto Maple Leafs 

The best golf team in the NHL

• Sidney Crosby

We aren’t sure yet.

•  Don Cherry‘s Rock’em Sock’em Hockey collection

24 VHS tapes collecting dust in your mom’s basement.

• The Hanson Brothers 

The original beauticians.

• Mullets

The official hair style of the NHL, AHL, OHL, WHL, among others, from 1979 to 1997 (1979 to present in the WHL).

• The Hockey Sweater/Le chandail de hockey

The Canadian Bible: ”We lived in three places – the school, the church and the skating rink – but our real life was on the skating rink.”  Roch Carrier 1:01

- Part two coming soon (unless the lockout ends and I have better stuff to write about).

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.