How many players are on an ice hockey team?
Each ice hockey team has six players on the ice at once: a goaltender, two defensemen and three forwards. NHL teams dress 20 players for each game, 18 skaters and 2 goalies.
The three forwards are the center and two wingers, who focus on attacking and scoring. The two defensemen try to stop opponents and protect their goal. The goaltender, or goalie, wears heavy padding and tries to block shots. When a team gets a penalty, it plays with fewer skaters for a set time, called a power play for the other team.
Hockey is fast and tiring, so players change frequently, often in shifts of about 45 seconds. Teams can substitute players on the fly, without stopping play. Forwards are usually grouped into lines of three, and defensemen into pairs, that rotate throughout the game.
Pulling the goalie
Late in a game, a team that is behind may pull its goalie off the ice to add an extra skater, hoping to score. This leaves their own net empty, and opponents often score empty-net goals from long distances.
Did You Know?
An NHL team's full roster usually includes about 23 players, but only 20 can dress for each game.