Positions in Hockey

In a game of hockey, each team has six players on the ice at even strength. Each of those players among a team is playing a different position. I am going to describe each position, where they line up, and what their job is in a game.

Goaltender/Goalie

Goalies have one of the toughest jobs in all of sports. They can make or break a team's confidence and completely influence a game. A goalie has one huge job, and that is to keep the puck out of their net. If a goalie doesn't perform well, the team doesn't have a very good chance of winning.

Defenseman

A team at full strength will have two defensemen on the ice. They line up behind the forwards, one on the left side, and one on the right side. A defenseman's job depends on their style of play. There are offensive-minded defenseman, stay at home defensemen, and those who combine those two styles. An offensive defenseman's job is to create offense as well as cover his assignment in the defensive zone. A stay at home defenseman is going to play a very physical game, and while they won't provide much offense, they will be very solid in the defensive zone. 

Wingers

A team also has two wingers, left and right wingers. A left winger lines up the left of the center, and a right winger lines up to the right. Wingers work their respective sides of the ice. In the defensive zone they generally cover the other team's defensemen. On offense they try to score, pass, and work along the boards.

Center

The center is sort of the "quarterback" of a hockey team. A center must be good at face-offs and passing, and it doesn't hurt if he's a good shot as well. Coaches want a lot of creativity in this position as well as a lot of hockey smarts. 

Those are the different positions of a hockey team and the things that are expected of them throughout a game. Each position has importance, and if one player doesn't do their job well, the whole team suffers.