Icing in hockey is a term used to describe a situation where a player shoots the puck from their own side of the rink and it crosses the opponent’s goal line without being touched by another player. Icing is a common occurrence in hockey games, particularly during power play situations. When a player shoots the puck from their own side of the rink and it crosses the opponent’s goal line without being touched by another player, it is considered icing. This rule is in place to prevent teams from gaining an unfair advantage by repeatedly shooting the puck from their own side of the rink, without allowing the opposing team to touch the puck. There are several key distinctions between icing and offside in hockey:
Icing:
Occurs when a player shoots the puck from their own side of the rink and it crosses the opponent’s goal line without being touched by another player.
Is a penalty against the attacking team, resulting in a faceoff in the defending team’s end.
Can occur during both even-strength and power play situations.
Offside:
Occurs when a player crosses the opponent’s blue line before the puck does.
Is a penalty against the attacking team, resulting in a faceoff in the defending team’s end.
Can occur during both even-strength and power play situations, but not during penalty shots or shootouts.
In summary, icing is a rule in hockey that occurs when a player shoots the puck from their own side of the rink and it crosses the opponent’s goal line without being touched by another player. It is considered a penalty against the attacking team, resulting in a faceoff in the defending team’s end. Offside, on the other hand, occurs when a player crosses the opponent’s blue line before the puck does, and is also considered a penalty against the attacking team. However, offside can only occur during even-strength situations, not during power play or penalty shots/shootouts.