The Acrisure Arena and the Firebirds, an American Hockey League team, are a tremendous addition to our valley. I have had the pleasure of attending half a dozen games – but I am a hockey novice and still a little confused by the rules and procedures. I’ve grown up on football, baseball and basketball.
Ice hockey is different.
After the puck drops, both teams skate back and forth, trying to score and looking like they are having a great time, when a referee blows a whistle. The game stops and they’ll do another puck drop. I’m used to the ref in football looking into the camera and saying “Defensive Pass interference. No. 23. First down at point of foul.” That told me exactly what happened. In hockey, they tweet the whistle, drop the puck and off they go. I thought at first that the refs were getting tired and wanted a break! Still not sure what happened.
And when a goal is scored. I think this is hysterical. Everybody celebrates; they drop the puck and off they go. Two or three minutes later, right in the middle of a “power play,” the announcer will come on in a very loud voice and announce “Goal! For the Firebirds! No. 23 at four minutes and 45 seconds of the second period.” The goal was two minutes ago. If it was the same in football, one team would score a touchdown, kick the extra point, have another kickoff and the team with the ball would be six plays into their offense, when we’d hear the announcement, “Touchdown for the Rams. No. 23 scored on a run and the Rams kicked the extra point!” I swear that if that happened, the two football teams would stop in their tracks and look around wondering, “What happened?”
Now about substitutions. Both teams are skating, whacking the puck (and each other!) and then, all of sudden, four guys will peel off and four new ones will come on. Right in the middle of play! I don’t see any signs or hear any whistles. It is like a flight of birds or a school of fish. They all turn together, hop the wall and sit down.
If this were the NFL, in the middle of a running play, the offensive line would leave the field and be replaced. Or suddenly, the line backers and safeties would turn and sprint for the sideline while the ball is in the air and replacements would run onto the field. Is this a hockey union thing? You can only play two minutes and 12 seconds by contract and then you must take a break? Lots of fun.
The fans are so polite!
There are three…
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