By Anne King
Staff Writer
SPRINGFIELD — Many say that hockey players are a whole different breed of people. The more time that I spend engulfed in the culture that surrounds hockey players and their fans, the more I believe that to be true. Players are known for their grit, their toughness that is both mental and physical and their uncanny ability to “wheel,” or attract women.
Not only are hockey players a different type than the rest of us, they have their own lingo that would confuse those who aren’t fans of this wonderful game. For example, while the average person would use the word celebrate, hockey players usually shorten it to celly, to describe their reactions to scoring a goal. Geno and Apple are the words used for goals and assists, and barn refers to the rink they’re playing in. Even when they score, they could confuse a new fan. Many players, when talking about their goals, use terms like “bar down,” “top shelf,” and “five hole.” To go “bar down” means that the puck hits the crossbar of the goal posts and reflects down into the net. Top shelf and five hole are areas where the goalies’ body usually isn’t. Top shelf is the area above the left and right shoulders on either side of the head, while five hole is the space between a goalies legs.
In the U.S., there is a tier system for ranking the hockey leagues, each one more competitive than the last. Starting at tier 3 Junior A hockey is the league called the NA3. NAHL, which is tier 2 Junior A hockey, stands for North American Hockey League. Above the NAHL is the USHL, or the United States Hockey League, which is the league that number one draft pick Connor McDavid played in before joining the Edmonton Oilers in the NHL.
Hockey players travel from all over the United States to play for a team that wants them, moving away from home as young as sixteen to live with a host family. Other times, they travel from European countries, and become the imports for these junior teams. Hockey players are constantly under pressure to do well, or else they can get cut or traded from their teams. In addition to that, many juniors players are looking to commit to colleges to advance their playing careers.
Despite the pressure, scouts and people throwing their bodies, sticks and fists around, hockey players manage to be some of the most well mannered, gentle, and hard working people one could meet.
Anne King can be reached at [email protected]