face-offs

Question
Just went to a game and a question came up.  How come in the face-offs the ref often "kicks out" one or both of the players and chooses different ones.  We cannot hear what they are saying.  Are they talking trash or ???

Answer
Hello,

Often times when one or both players don't line up for the face-off correctly (try to get too close, make their stick a better angle, are outside of the hash marks they must be on) the ref will give them a warning to "square up" or "line up" and if they don't then they get tossed from the face-off and another team member will fill in.  In upper levels of hockey I'm sure there is trash talking that goes on and that has something to do with it as well, but mostly its the way they line up.

Hope this helps!

T