what is icing

Question
QUESTION: can you explain to me what happens when icing occurs

ANSWER: Hi Doug,

Icing is where a player dumps the puck in the opposing zone before crossing the center red-line. If the puck was untouched and the opposing team did not have a chance to get possession of puck before it crossed the far goal-line, then the play is whistled for a stoppage if the opposing team touches the puck first after crossing the goal-line. (Here is a link with a good picture of what is/isn't icing - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Icing.PNG)

When this occurs, the play is stopped and the faceoff is in the defensive zone of the team who iced the puck. This team is also not allowed to change their players that were on the ice. This was a recent addition to icing to "speed" up the game and allow more scoring opportunities. Teams are no longer allowed to ice the puck if they are tired as they still can't change if they do.

Hope this helped you understand what icing was. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.

Thanks!

Guy

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: another question, what is the difference in a normal body check and boarding

Answer
Boarding is usually called when a player is a few feet from the boards and facing the boards. If he gets hits and goes head first in boards, refs will usually call this boarding. When there is no injury it will be a minor, if there is an injury (as it is a dangerous hit) the ref can call a 5 minute major. This is the majority of boarding penalties.

Now someone might say the player should know this and not face the boards, but the player going in to hit him can hit him from the side instead of "from behind" to prevent a potentially serious injury.

Hope this clears up what boarding is and then other hits are the normal body checks. Let me know if anything else I can help with.

Thanks!

Guy