Hockey/Questions Answered by Expert T. Martina
| Subject | Date Asked |
| original six | 12/29/2010 |
| Q: I have a banner that has the original six logos on it and under them are dates. The dates are as ... A: That banner you have sounds like an "Original Six Heritage Banner". If you do a Google search for ... | |
| Blue line rule for puck leaving the offensive zone | 4/2/2010 |
| Q: When a team is in the offensive zone with the puck, and the puck leaves the offensive zone, it is ... A: The puck must cross the leading edge of the blue line completely. The leading edge refers to the ... | |
| NHL pick | 7/1/2009 |
| Q: If you were the GM of an NHL team and you were able to pick any active player to start a franchise, ... A: My answer to this will be slightly biased because I am a Detroit Red Wings fan born and raised, but ... | |
| slap shot | 4/20/2009 |
| Q: when was the slap shot allowed , was it after goalies started to wear masks my friend say it was ... A: This is very tough because no one really knows who the first person to use/invent the slap shot ... | |
| Penalty Shot | 4/1/2009 |
| Q: In a game with 2 officials, which one is responsible for calling a penalty shot. the official in ... A: I a game with 2 officials, the official closest to the play should normally be the one to make the ... | |
| Penalty Shot | 3/17/2009 |
| Q: Team A has 1 Player in the box for a hooking minor.( 1:18 remaining on the penalty ) Team B is on ... A: I see where your thoughts are going on this... a goal is scored so the first player that was ... | |
| hockey fights | 1/22/2009 |
| Q: Why are fights allowed in hockey A: Basically, the physical nature of the game and the fact that when the game was first created there ... | |
| face-offs | 1/17/2009 |
| Q: Just went to a game and a question came up. How come in the face-offs the ref often "kicks out" one ... A: Often times when one or both players don't line up for the face-off correctly (try to get too close, ... | |
| Penalties | 1/11/2009 |
| Q: Is it possible to get a 5 minute penalty as well as a game misconduct for tripping? A: If you trip someone and they become severely injured and/or draw blood, then yes, a 5 minute and a ... | |
| shootout | 1/9/2009 |
| Q: In a shootout tonight a player shot the puck, it touched the goalie but continued into the net. The ... A: If the puck hit the goalie and proceeded into the net without the shooter touching the puck a second ... | |
| Shoot Outs | 12/15/2008 |
| Q: During the shoot out, a the player attempts a deke. As a result the puck comes in contact with the ... A: That is an interesting scenario. I checked the current 2008-09 NHL rule book and this situation was ... | |
| Ankle support | 10/19/2008 |
| Q: I broke my ankle 3 months ago. How can I tape/lace my skate to provide proper support with ... A: I would lace my skate up and leave the last one or two loops unlaced then use hockey tape around ... | |
| basic strategies | 10/12/2008 |
| Q: I can't find answers to my questions ANYWHERE! I've been watching hockey for only a couple of ... A: The "trap" is a defensive play teams use that forces the other team to turn the puck over and ... | |
| tying skates | 9/14/2008 |
| Q: My son won't lace his skates to the top. He said a coach told him not to lace the top holes. Why ... A: ) Skates usually tend to be laced either all the way to the top or somewhere within the top 1-2 ... | |
| defence moves | 8/20/2008 |
| Q: okay to be more spasific, what if there is only on edefence on one shift cuz the other got a penalty ... A: That certainly is a situation there. Well, if you are ever the only one defending your zone other ... | |
| Ice hockey | 8/10/2008 |
| Q: i am a bit awkward when it comes to ice skates and i need my skates to be really soft. my sister ... A: There are basically 2 types of skates... hockey skates and figure skates. Figure skates have what ... | |
| lemieux or gretzky? | 7/17/2008 |
| Q: whos better, mario lemieux or wayne gretzky? at one time, wayne gretzky held 61 nhl records. mario ... A: That is definitely one great question. Stats wise, Wayne is the best ever. BUT I do think you have ... | |
| who wins the cup? | 6/3/2008 |
| Q: Pittsburgh just won game 5 i triple overtime to force a game 6 back in Pittsburgh in the Stanley cup ... A: What a game that was... a total heartbreaker for me (Wings fan). Game 6 is tomorrow night in ... | |
| Hockey | 5/25/2008 |
| Q: Why do hey fans throw octopus on the ice at the red wing games? A: The thrown octopus is a long-time tradition during Detroit Red Wings home games in where an octopus ... | |
| Team Captains | 3/22/2008 |
| Q: I know that each team much have either a Captain, and 2 Alternates, or 3 Alternates... However, ... A: You are correct that if a team has a Captain (C) it can then have 2 Alternates (A), or 3 Alternate's ... | |
| Hockey | 3/19/2008 |
| Q: Can a player advance the puck down the ice by carrying the puck on his/her stick? Please tellme ... A: If you are talking about carrying the puck on the blade of the stick, I don't believe there is a ... | |
| Stick selection? | 3/13/2008 |
| Q: With so many sticks available,and I'm narrowing my choices down to lower-mid priced composites,can ... A: Hey Barry! I was thinking about my previous answer and another thought came to mind... if your shot ... | |
| Ice hockey stop / T stop | 3/1/2008 |
| Q: I was wondering when I'm skating (cross over etc) or stopping, what is the proper weight that I ... A: When you are skating or stopping, you shouldn't lean back on your skates... your weight should be ... | |
| Goals | 2/27/2008 |
| Q: If a goal goes in off a skate, does it count? Thanks! A: Well that depends. The biggest thing the refs will look for is if there was a forward motion of the ... | |
| Shootout Rules | 2/26/2008 |
| Q: Hey, I have a question about a shootout. A players takes thepuck and starts out towards the goal. ... A: The puck must always be in forward motion and the player must have control and possession of the ... | |
| penalty shot/matching minor | 2/12/2008 |
| Q: It a player is awarded a penalty shot, but then another player retaliates after the play earning a ... A: If a player on Team A is awarded a penalty shot and another player on Team A gets a minor penalty ... | |
| Hand Pass | 2/4/2008 |
| Q: My son plays defense at the PeeWee level. If he is in the defensive zone, can he use his hand to ... A: In the USA Hockey rule book for 2007-2009, Rule 613 states that a player can stop or "bat" the puck ... | |
| goalie equipment | 1/20/2008 |
| Q: My pee wee major son had to leave his net today because he did not have socks on his legs. He has ... A: If you go to the officials section of the USA Hockey webpage and download the new rule changes ... | |
| wondering | 1/16/2008 |
| Q: i dont know if this is consider player stats or not even though its about a GM for the toronto maple ... A: The general manager (GM) of the team is quite an important role. They are usually responsible for ... | |
| Girls Hockey Hair | 12/21/2007 |
| Q: I am having a tough time keeping my 4 year old daughters hair out of her face while she plays ... A: Christopher, I must say I don't have much experience in this regard... sounds like either she will ... | |
| shifts | 11/25/2007 |
| Q: i was just wondering how players know when their shifts are over and when to go back to the bench. ... A: Well, when play is stopped, the coaches will change lines at that time usually depending on the ... | |
| Penalty question | 10/22/2007 |
| Q: I coach my sons minor hockey team. In our game this morning we had a penalty. During the play the ... A: Thats a great question, thank you for asking. Generally, the rule is that when teams are ... | |
| +/- stats | 10/19/2007 |
| Q: We just started our first fantasy hockey league this year and we are wondering about the "+/-" ... A: Kris, I haven't been involved in a fantasy hockey league, however, in the hockey world, a "+" means ... | |
| Waiver/ call up question Question | 10/5/2007 |
| Q: I have been following NHl for years. But, I got a hockey videogae NHL 2k8 for PS2, and in order to ... A: In my experience the NHL type video games usually match pretty closely what the real NHL does, ... | |
| all about college...? | 7/6/2007 |
| Q: I'm Marcin and I'm from Poland.I think I'm good hockey player. I play in national team of Poland.I ... A: You are asking for more information than I have available, however, I do know that in order to play ... | |
| NHL | 5/28/2007 |
| Q: could a team,during the playoffs,hire another NHL team to practice against if they had a long layoff ... A: Corey, That is a great question! No one has asked me that one yet. I am pretty sure that hiring ... | |
| hockey pucks and balls | 3/8/2007 |
| Q: hey my name is cory, I was wondering if you could help me with hockey pucks and balls. FOr outside ... A: Cory, While I admit I don't know the best out there now, I do know that it is about your ... | |
| offsides | 2/24/2007 |
| Q: I am 12. My coach said when I get the puck on our side I have to pass to the player who is closer to ... A: Well, it is ok to skate over the blue line with it yourself and try to score if you like. Just be ... | |
| Delay of game | 2/23/2007 |
| Q: Am I right in thinking that in NHL, if a player hits the puck out of play when outside of his ... A: Andy, In the NHL, a 2-minute minor penalty for delay of game will be given on any player who ... | |
| jerseys | 2/4/2007 |
| Q: On some players they have a Big letter A on their jersey,and others have a letter C.Is this a ... A: The letter C on the jersey means that player is the team captain. The letter A on the jersey means ... | |
| women's hockey | 1/22/2007 |
| Q: How come in women's hockey they have to wear a full face shield or a cage and why is their no body ... A: While I don't know the exact reason for sure, I can certainly make a knowledgeable assumption. ... | |
| the minors | 1/22/2007 |
| Q: hey im cory and im 16,and I wanted to know what teams I should try out for if I dont plan on going ... A: Well Cory, This is a difficult question for me to answer because I don't know specific teams that ... | |
| Shoot Out | 1/2/2007 |
| Q: I'd like your opinion on the new shoot out rule. Personally, I think it sucks. I think that, if two ... A: I definately understand your point there, however, if my goalie is "hot" I'd want him to stay in ... | |
| Shoot Out | 12/29/2006 |
| Q: I'd like your opinion on the new shoot out rule. Personally, I think it sucks. I think that, if two ... A: While I understand why they changed the rule, I am traditional in the sense that the shootout should ... | |
| Gollie Size | 11/2/2006 |
| Q: My girlfriend last night asked me at the Blue Jackets game why they don't just put pads on a 400 ... A: Hey Mark! That is probably the best question I've ever gotten :) The only reason I think they ... | |
| Agility | 10/17/2006 |
| Q: Hey,i'm trying to increase my agility so that i can improve my performance on the pitch but im ... A: I apologize it took so long to get an answer to you, but I just checked my account and saw that the ... | |
| Delayed Offsides | 10/16/2006 |
| Q: Here a scenerio... Matt Sundin is in the opposing zone, and the other teams defenseman takes the ... A: If a player passes the puck into his own defensinve zone at any time, there is no offsides to be ... | |
| How to take a face off | 10/11/2006 |
| Q: hey, im ten years old and I am playing center for the first time i have no idea how to win a ... A: While the majority of my hockey career was as a defenseman, I have taken some faceoffs in my time ... | |
| hockey | 9/19/2006 |
| Q: i already asked you for tips on tryouts and you asked me to be specific.so iwant to be a better ... A: Well Matt, To be a better shooter you need to practice your shot and you don't have to be on the ... | |
| lifting the puck | 7/18/2006 |
| Q: I've been playing hockey for about 2 years with a senior women's team and no matter how much I try I ... A: Sounds like you want to learn how to do a wrist-shot...the most basic and important shot in the ... | |
| powerplays | 3/12/2006 |
| Q: I'd like to know exactly what the 2-3 powerplay is and also to see a diagram as well. Thank you! A: The 2-3 powerplay is quite simple...in fact, most teams use it. The 2-3 is keeping 2 up high ... | |
| Left Wing Lock | 2/1/2006 |
| Q: I was just curious about what was called the "left wing lock" and how it worked. I was never really ... A: The "Left Wing Lock" was made famous by the Detroit Red Wings in the 95-96 season. Its a play used ... | |
| General info | 1/22/2006 |
| Q: from what i heard from a few referee friends, the refs skate about 4.5 miles per game on average, ... A: It makes sense that a ref would skate roughly 4.5 miles in a game...as one myself, I can attest to ... | |
| General info | 1/22/2006 |
| Q: How far does the average ice hockey player skate, in total, during a game? A: You know, this is sort of a tricky question. There is no way to know this without trying it out, ... | |
| video review | 1/10/2006 |
| Q: Scenario 1: Team A puts the puck in the net of Team B, but the referee incorrectly waves it off and ... A: I have refereed ice hockey through the USA Hockey program for many years. This program has ... | |
| video review | 1/7/2006 |
| Q: Scenario 1: Team A puts the puck in the net of Team B, but the referee incorrectly waves it off and ... A: This can be a tricky situation. Now, the NHL rules of video replay are this: video replay cannot ... | |
| Jerseys | 12/22/2005 |
| Q: Why do some teams like the Ottawa Senators only wear theyre black jerseys sometimes? Why do they ... A: In the past teams would have 2 jerseys: a white based and a solid color based. The white was ... | |
| hokey tape | 9/24/2005 |
| Q: is tape good for my sons ankles who just started playing he is 6 yrs old? how do i tape them if it ... A: The great thing about hockey tape is that you can put it almost anywhere, not just on your stick. ... | |
| NHL Salary Cap | 8/20/2005 |
| Q: What is the penalty or what happens if a team goes over the cap limit or is under the cap floor. I ... A: I have been looking for some information about this topic for myself and have not been able to find ... | |
| Greatest player | 3/1/2005 |
| Q: I too love the game and have been playing for 14 years and i'm only 18. If you could respond it ... A: I consider the greatest player talent wise to be Wayne Gretzky. There is no question that he has ... | |
| stick handeling | 12/8/2004 |
| Q: My sons just started playing ice.They seem to have a trouble when they are moving the puck down the ... A: Farr First I would like to apologize for not sending you a response sooner, but my account is not ... | |
| Agility | 1/5/2004 |
| Q: I have noticed that although I am pretty flexable off ice,I am quite stiff while playing.I seem to ... A: I'd like to first apologize for my tardiness in answering you, but when I checked my mail the other ... | |
| I need a point(s)! | 11/6/2003 |
| Q: After six games as a defenseman,I was asked to play LW(I guess I am a defensive liability). I dont ... A: As an add on, just know that as long as you work hard, have fun, and make the plays out there, those ... | |
| skating | 10/4/2003 |
| Q: T Thanks for the previous help.I am improving.I was wondering ifyou could sugget some drills or ... A: Im glad to hear you are improving...keep up the excellent work! At public skating sessions the only ... | |
| Basic Defense | 9/18/2003 |
| Q: This is my first year playing in an adult rec. league. Because I am older,slower, and less ... A: Well, the stay-at-home defenseman is the goalie's best friend other than the goal post. Just make ... | |
T. Martina
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
I can answer questions concerning rules, plays, game tips, and the NHL. I cannot answer personal player stats questions for many players. Opinion questions are welcome.
Experience
I have played the game for over 18 years at all different levels (house, travel, high school, etc.) Also, I am a highly experienced, knowledgeable, and registered USA Hockey Official, working most levels of hockey.
©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.