Hockey Jargon by the Hockey News

Ryan Dixon of the Hockey News examines some of the terms that have become favoured by hockey commentators like Pierre McGuire.

One of the surest signs you’ve fully transitioned to adulthood occurs when a person who is your junior says or writes something to you that’s presumably based in your first language, yet you have no idea what he or she is trying to communicate.

Instant and text messaging has done a lot to accentuate the rift between generations in recent years. Just the other day I got an email from a co-worker who’s only a handful of years younger than I am. It included the sentence, “have a good mtg!”

Now, I’ve heard the letters “MGD” associated with good times before, but this was a new one. Turns out I was supposed to have an enjoyable meeting.

Like the kids, sports have always featured inclusive jargon and hockey is no exception. A fellow hockey fan can follow along when you start talking about five-holes, but somebody out of the puck loop might think you’re alluding to a quintet of non-desirables.

I am not such a big fan of all these terms. I realize that play-by-play guys and colour guys want to make a name for themselves, but after a while it all just gets annoying. Call the game and let people watch, hockey doesn’t need to be jazzed up.