Hockey: Can Puck Leave the Ice?

[Jinx]

I am obviously not a hockey fan, but I was wondering: Is it legal for the puck to leave the ice? Does a goal count if the puck leaves the ice anywhere along its path? What if the puck is in the air when it enters the goal?

[Pray for peace]

Yes.
Yes, this happens all the time.
Yes, again, all the time.

[Rysto]

Absolutely. It would be basically impossible to score otherwise -- the goalie could just lie out along the goalline.

The puck must remain in play, though. If it goes over the glass the play is dead, even if it bounces off mesh at either end and returns to the ice surface. Play is also dead if the puck strikes the scoreboard over the ice, but that's extremely rare.

[DCnDC]

Okay, since that was a softball, I'll add another query onto it, if Jinx doesn't mind now that his question has been answered.

The goal isn't that big. Is there a rule preventing teams from just finding the biggest, fattest guy they can and sticking him in front of the net? Like the rule in baseball preventing teams from sending midgets(sorry, "little people") up to bat. What's to stop a team from slapping some pads onto, say, I don't know, Albert Haynesworth and parking his giant ass in front of the net?

[Critical Mass]

The puck can and does leave the ice surface regularly. Any part of the goal is fair game for goal scorers.

However, there are some play stopping limitations related to flying pucks. Pucks leaving the playing surface (over the glass) cause a stoppage in play. If they are shot over the boards (intentionally or not) by a goalie trying to clear the puck from the defensive zone the goalie is penalized for delay of game. Goals do not count if the player bats it out of the air with his stick higher than the cross bar of the net (about mid chest level). Players may not advance the puck to a team mate if their stick is above their shoulders. Players may not advance the puck to a team mate using their hand, although a player may catch a flying puck in the air and direct it to their own stick (closing their hand on the puck is not permitted).

[Rysto]

The goal isn't that big. Is there a rule preventing teams from just finding the biggest, fattest guy they can and sticking him in front of the net? Like the rule in baseball preventing teams from sending midgets(sorry, "little people") up to bat. What's to stop a team from slapping some pads onto, say, I don't know, Albert Haynesworth and parking his giant ass in front of the net?

You'll never find somebody big enough. The net is a full 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Any person would leave holes, and any NHL player could easily hit them.

[DCnDC]

You'll never find somebody big enough. The net is a full 6 feet tall by 4 feet wide. Any person would leave holes, and any NHL player could easily hit them.

Fair enough.:)

...although I've met and known some amazingly, shockingly huge dudes before. I'm talking guys who were seriously wider than they were tall. But anyway, point taken.

[zoid]

I think you have that backwards - 4 tall, 6 wide

[DCnDC]

Okay, just for the sake of argument, let's say you drop Paul Mason(look him up), 900+lbs. in front of the net. Legal?

[garygnu]

...If they are shot over the boards (intentionally or not) by a goalie trying to clear the puck from the defensive zone the goalie is penalized for delay of game...
Any player sending the puck over the boards is penalized 2 minutes, not just goalies.

[garygnu]

Okay, just for the sake of argument, let's say you drop Paul Mason(look him up), 900+lbs. in front of the net. Legal?
Legal, but he might not go for it. Pad sizes can still only be so large, and they don't get to make them bigger just because the goalie is. That would mean very large areas of the body would be essentially uncovered.

[Omniscient]

Fair enough.:)

...although I've met and known some amazingly, shockingly huge dudes before. I'm talking guys who were seriously wider than they were tall. But anyway, point taken.

Even that fattest man in the world is only about a foot across at his ankles. He might be able to fill up the top 1/2 the goal with his girth but he'd have to be agile to fill up that bottom half. Plus there are rules (http://proicehockey.about.com/cs/rules/a/goalie_pads.htm) restricting the size of a goalies pads, so that fat guy is gonna take a lot of unprotected hits to his doughy flesh. Lastly, remember that hockey happens in 3D. Fat guys aren't flat planes of girth, they are orbs. If he's big enough to span the entire mouth of the goal, he's probably going to have to stand a couple feet forward of the goal so his ass isn't knocking the net over. That'll open up big gaps behind him on either side.

[kenobi 65]

Legal, but he might not go for it. Pad sizes can still only be so large, and they don't get to make them bigger just because the goalie is. That would mean very large areas of the body would be essentially uncovered.

Also, you'd need to get him onto skates.

[DCnDC]

Right on. That's all I wanted to know.

Apologies to Jinx for hijacking the thread.

[Rysto]

I think you have that backwards - 4 tall, 6 wide

Yes, that's right. My bad.

[BMada]

Any player sending the puck over the boards is penalized 2 minutes, not just goalies.

i think "in the defensive zone" should be added to that. Without any sort of tippage or deflection. It needs to be a direct shot from the defending player's stick out over the defensive zone glass.

Tippage and deflection also decides where the puck will be dropped for a face off. As well as location the tip/deflection/shot is done. If it's done on the right side of the side the face-off will occur either inside or outside of the blueline and on the side it was shot out at.

[RealityChuck]

The goal isn't that big. Is there a rule preventing teams from just finding the biggest, fattest guy they can and sticking him in front of the net? Like the rule in baseball preventing teams from sending midgets(sorry, "little people") up to bat. What's to stop a team from slapping some pads onto, say, I don't know, Albert Haynesworth and parking his giant ass in front of the net?An article in Sports Illustrated (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1081939/index.htm) described a team that used that strategy, with good success.

[Darth Sensitive]

That was a fun read :)

[Guinastasia]

Why not just get a Sumo wrestler? :p

[President Johnny Gentle]

An article in Sports Illustrated (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1081939/index.htm) described a team that used that strategy, with good success.

Way back in 4th grade, I had a teacher who read a book with that very plot, with added anecdotes, including a picnic ruined by fire ants (in Minnesota!) I see from a quick Google search that the same author published this story as the children's novel Porko von Popbutton, but that was definitely not the title we were given. Does anyone know if this was published under a different title (I recall fire ants in the title), or if my teacher possibly changed the title in the reading (presumably to avoid "Porko" in the title).

[PSXer]

ressercuting a dead topic

is it actually a rule that players have to wear skates?

[antonio107]

ressercuting a dead topic

is it actually a rule that players have to wear skates?

I posited the idea that you could play in some form of shoe/cleat a few years back on hockeyfights. The general consensus appeared to be:

a) Antonio, you're a moron
b) You're on ice; skates are going to be way faster than shoes, even spikey cleats
c) This falls into the Air Bud school of "There's no rule against a dog in football." Just because it's not explicitly forbidden doesn't mean they'd have to allow something that would ruin the play surface.
d) Antonio, you're a moron.

Hope that helps! :D

[Trom]

The puck can and does leave the ice surface regularly. Any part of the goal is fair game for goal scorers.

However, there are some play stopping limitations related to flying pucks. Pucks leaving the playing surface (over the glass) cause a stoppage in play. If they are shot over the boards (intentionally or not) by a goalie trying to clear the puck from the defensive zone the goalie is penalized for delay of game. Goals do not count if the player bats it out of the air with his stick higher than the cross bar of the net (about mid chest level). Players may not advance the puck to a team mate if their stick is above their shoulders. Players may not advance the puck to a team mate using their hand, although a player may catch a flying puck in the air and direct it to their own stick (closing their hand on the puck is not permitted).

Nitpick about hand passes: A player may pass the puck to a teammate if in their defensive zone.

[gonzomax]

Many years ago, the newspaper showed a dotted line on a hockey arena. Two players smashed their sticks together and the puck went way up in the air, higher than the lights. No body knew where it went. It came down and landed on the goalies back and bounced into the net. The dotted line was the puck trajectory.

[RickJay]

Why not just get a Sumo wrestler? :p
Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close.

Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you'd be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time.

[Ike Witt]

Speaking of nets, I'll see you tomorrow Rick.

[Philster]

Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close.

Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you'd be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time.

Anyone over 6' tall can probably reach both posts with arms stretched wide.

Probably some 5'10 and 5'11" folks who can do that, too.

Back to the issue:

An incredibly large human can probably lay on their side and cover a huge portion of the net opening. They'd be terribly exposed (pads are limited in size -- this was mentioned) and they'd still leave the top of the net open, especially the corners, which are easy to hit for a pro.

So, the fat goalie would be hurt beyond imagination and/or scored on a lot.

[DxZero]

Here's a take (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sP8ZVWiZUMA) on the fat goalie concept from the show "Sports Science". Pretty definitively shows that a fat goalie wouldn't work in the NHL.

[John DiFool]

Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close.

Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you'd be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time.

This is why it is so important for a goalie's defense to keep shots from developing in the slot area (in the rectangle in front of the net). If he has the angles working for him (i.e. shots from the sides), a solid NHL goaltender should stop them 99% of the time. The 6 feet of goal mouth he has to cover can effectively become 4 feet or so on a shot from one of the faceoff dots, which is a very big deal.

[Guinastasia]

Not NEARLY big enough. Not even close.

Hockey nets look small on TV but in person you'd be amazed how big a hockey net is. You, personally, stretching your arms out as wide as you can, cannot touch both posts at the same time.


No shit. Although Marty Brodeur comes pretty close. ;)


I'm currently watching the Pens/Panthers game. Marc-Andre Fleury isn't especially large (6.2, 180lbs), his strength lies in flexibility.


(Aw FUCK!!!)

[Stink Fish Pot]

The limited pad size would be the killer for Mr. Gravitationally Challenged, in goal. There would be so much skin exposed, he'd be black and blue within minutes and probably have to be carted from the ice.

It'd be fun to watch, though.