Famous hockey moves, explained
Every sport has its signature moves, and hockey has a lot of them: dekes that freeze a goalie, passes that float over sticks, hits that change a game. Some have colorful names. This guide explains the best-known moves in plain English, what they're for, and which ones you can pull off in Brudvig Hockey.
Stickhandling and dekes
The dangle
"Dangles" is hockey slang for skilled stickhandling, usually to beat a defender or goalie. A dangle is a quick series of puck movements, side to side, forehand to backhand, that pulls an opponent one way so you can go the other. When people say a player "has dangles", they mean his hands are fast and creative.
In Brudvig Hockey: flick the stick quickly from one side to the other while you have the puck. The puck goes wide to the new side, and a poke check from the side you left misses.
The toe drag
The player reaches the puck out toward a defender, then pulls it back across the body using the toe of the blade, cupping the puck. The defender commits to where the puck was; the puck is now somewhere else. Toe drags also change the shooting angle right before a shot, which can fool a goalie or a shot-blocker.
Forehand-backhand deke on the goalie
The classic breakaway move. Skate in, show forehand to get the goalie moving, then pull the puck across to the backhand and tuck it past the outstretched pad. It works because the goalie must move to cover the forehand shot, and moving sideways in pads takes time.
In Brudvig Hockey: cut across the front of the crease and the goalie bites, leaving the far side open.
Between the legs
A flashy move where the player pulls the puck through his own legs, from forehand to backhand behind the front skate, either to get around a defender or to shoot from an unexpected angle. It's difficult and risky, which is why it gets replayed when it works.
The lacrosse-style goal
From behind the net, the player scoops the puck up onto the blade, holds it there like a lacrosse stick, and tucks it into the top corner before the goalie can react. It's one of the rarest goals in hockey and needs exceptional hands, plus a rulebook that allows the stick below crossbar height when the puck goes in.
The wraparound
The player carries the puck behind the net and tries to stuff it in at the post on the other side before the goalie can slide across. Simple and effective, especially against a goalie who's slow post to post.
Spins and body moves
The spin-o-rama
A full 360-degree spin while carrying the puck. The player turns his back to a defender, shielding the puck with his body, then comes around the other side and carries on. It's used to escape a check along the boards or to change direction suddenly in the open. The name has been around for decades, often used by broadcasters when a player pulls it off in a big moment.
In Brudvig Hockey: press △ (or Q) with the puck to spin out of a check. Time it a beat before the hit lands.
The power move
Less pretty than a spin, but common: the puck carrier drives to the net with his body between the defender and the puck, shoulder down, using strength and speed to get through rather than around.
Passes
The saucer pass
A pass lifted just off the ice, flying flat like a flying saucer, so it can get over a stick or a sprawled defender and land flat for the receiver. It's a skill pass that's become routine at high levels.
In Brudvig Hockey: hold ✕ for a saucer pass instead of tapping for a flat one. The longer you hold, the higher it goes.
The drop pass
The carrier leaves the puck behind for a teammate skating in behind him, while he keeps going and draws the defenders. It's surprising, but risky if the teammate isn't where you think.
The stretch pass
A long pass up the ice to a forward breaking toward the other team's blue line. When it's on, it creates breakaways; when it's picked off, it's trouble.
The no-look pass
Looking one way and passing another. It freezes defenders and goalies, who read a player's eyes and body to guess where the puck is going.
Shots
The one-timer
A shot straight off a pass without stopping the puck. The goalie has to move across with the pass, and the shot is gone before he's set. It's the most dangerous play in hockey. See how to shoot a hockey puck for the technique.
The tip
A player in front of the net redirects a shot with his blade, changing its direction at the last moment. Good tips are a skill, practised like any other shot.
The top-shelf finish
"Top shelf, where mama hides the cookies" is an old hockey line for a shot just under the crossbar. Lifting the puck high from in close beats a goalie who's dropped to the ice.
Defensive moves
The hip check
A defender lowers his hips into a carrier skating along the boards, sending him up and over. It's hard to time and spectacular when it works.
The poke check
A quick jab with the stick to knock the puck off an opponent's blade. Goalies use a poke check too, diving out with the stick to knock the puck away from a breakaway.
In Brudvig Hockey: △ without the puck.
The shot block
Getting in front of a shot, often by going down on the ice, so it hits you instead of reaching the net. It takes courage and good positioning.
In Brudvig Hockey: on defense without the puck, □ dives. Your skater lays out along the ice to block shots and passes, and a carrier who skates into him trips.
The open-ice hit
A clean body check in the middle of the ice, usually on a player who has his head down. It can swing momentum in a game.
In Brudvig Hockey: hold ○ to wind up a bigger hit and let go when the carrier is close. The biggest ones go to slow motion.
Goalie moves
The butterfly
The goalie drops to the knees with pads flared out to the sides, sealing the bottom of the net. It's the base of modern goaltending.
The paddle-down
Laying the stick flat on the ice, often used against plays from behind the net or wraparounds.
The glove save
Snagging a high shot with the catching glove, sometimes with a little flourish, which fans love.
The desperation save
When the goalie is out of position, he throws whatever he can, a pad, the stick, his whole body, across the net. In Brudvig Hockey, goalies stack the pads and sprawl when they have to.
Why moves work: the ideas behind them
Almost every move in hockey uses one of a few ideas. Once you see them, you'll spot them everywhere.
Make the opponent commit
Dekes, toe drags and fakes all try to get a defender or goalie to move first. Once someone has shifted their weight, they need time to recover, and that time is your opening.
Change the angle
Goalies play angles. A toe drag before a shot, a pass across the crease, a wraparound: all of them change where the puck is coming from faster than the goalie can square up.
Protect the puck with your body
Spins and power moves put the body between the puck and the defender. If he can't reach the puck, he can't take it.
Move the puck faster than people
Passes beat skaters. One-timers, saucer passes and stretch passes all use the fact that a puck moves faster than anyone can skate.
Use the ice
Boards, the net and open space are tools. Wraparounds use the net as a shield; bank passes off the boards go around defenders; drop passes use the space behind you.
Practising moves in real life
If you play the real sport, the best way to build moves is off-ice stickhandling with a ball or a weighted puck, a little every day. Start slowly with your head up, then speed up. Practise each move at walking pace until it's automatic, then at full speed, then against a friend trying to stop it. Moves that only work in practice need to be tested against a real defender.
Moves and the arcade game
In Brudvig Hockey, the controls are simple, but the same ideas apply. Dangle a defender with a side-to-side flick, spin out of a hit with △, float a saucer pass over a diving defender by holding ✕, and finish with a one-timer by shooting as the pass arrives. On defense, time a wound-up hit, poke the puck with △, or dive with □ to block a shot or trip the carrier.
Learn the moves
Many of these moves take years to master on real ice. In a game, you can try them tonight. Play Brudvig Hockey free, read hockey game controls explained for the buttons, and look up any terms in the hockey glossary.