Hockey For Dummies: Shots!

No I’m not talking about the alcoholic kind, but the type of shots hockey players have to take in order to score a goal. Top forwards have a special technique to shoot the puck behind the crease, but there are a few different ways to achieve a goal, depending on how play on the ice is fairing. Most of the time players probably don’t even think about how they are shooting, but merely do it on instinct. So here’s my breakdown about what exactly this means.

Shovel: This is one of the most basic types of shots, and it’s pretty self explanatory. It’s essentially when a player pushes the puck into the net when a goaltender is not on his game.

Wrist Shot: From reading boxscores so much, this seems to be the most popular type of shot in the NHL. The shot is executed by getting the puck towards the center of the blade of the stick. Then the bottom hand pushes the puck while the other wrist rolls back. It’s the pressure that a players hands put on the stick that give this shot its name.

Slap Shot: This is the shot that most non-hockey fans are probably most familiar with, or at least have heard of. It is also one of the more difficult executions to score a goal with. A player brings his stick back away from his body and then brings it towards the puck in his possession in a forceful motion. Depending on the force determines how far the puck will fly on the ice.

Snap Shot: This is basically a combination of the above two. The player pulls the stick back and then finishes the shot like a wrist shot.

Backhand Shot: This is another wrist shot, that is usually done when a player is closer to the goalpost. The puck moves from the back of the blade of the stick on the player’s backhand.

One Timer: A one timer is any type of shot on goal that is shot continuously after a pass from another player.

Tip: A tip is used by forwards who are already at the net reading to put the puck into the goal. Usually the blade of the stick redirects the position of the puck for a tip, but it can also be body parts that tip a puck behind the line.