Louisiana Ice Hockey

While many Louisianans have probably caught an IceGators game on TV or maybe even in person, hockey is still a relatively foreign sport in the Bayou. In order to boost interest and participation in hockey leagues, from professional to adult amateur to youth, it’s necessary for each and every interested spectator and potential player to have a firm grasp of the rules. For starters, like any major sport, hockey teams are clearly broken up into positions. Here is a look at each player’s role and how it impacts the game, starting with the defensively inclined postions.Goaltender The goalie is perhaps the most important position on the ice, capable of single handedly winning or losing a game for his or her team. The goalie will rarely leave the net, unless of course he is pulled in order to add an extra skater to the ice (usually only in late game desperation scenarios). Just like in any other sport, the goalie’s primary task is to keep the puck out of the net. He or she will most likely not contribute offensively, though a goalie will usually start a team’s break towards the other end by holding the puck until an opportune pass presents itself.Defenseman Like a goalie, the defenseman’s job largely centers on stopping the opponent’s offensive attack; however, a defenseman cannot cup the puck with his hand (the goalie has a glove and can hold it until a stoppage is whistled). The defenseman wears standard hockey equipment, thus must be more careful in his puck stopping efforts, though it’s not uncommon to see one slide in front of a shot, sacrificing his or her body. Usually matched up against an opposing wing or center on the defensive end, the position is defined by physical play, breaking up passes, clearing the puck and delivering hits, in an effort to frustrate the other side’s offensive weapons.