5 Unwritten Rules of Hockey

The Boston Bruins will take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals. This is the first time the Bruins have made it to the finals since 1990 and sports fans statewide will be tuning in to cheer them on. In honor of the Bruin's big series, here are Marblehead Patch's picks for our top 5 favorite unwritten hockey rules:

1. Making contact with the opposing goalie when the puck is covered is a green light to fight in front of the net: Occasionally a referee will whistle a puck dead while it is still loose in front of the net or has not yet been completely covered by a goalie's pads or glove. Opposing players who jab into the crease with their sticks or crowd the goalie after the save in an attempt to jar the puck loose are often met with cross-checks, shoves and face-rakes that go unpunished by most league referees. 

2. Bang your stick on the ice or boards when somebody gets up from being hurt: Hockey has earned a reputation in the United States as being a rough sport that entertains fans with big hits and vicious fist fights. However, no matter how intense the game gets, when a player gets up from the ice after an injury that could have been life-threatening or career-ending, players from both teams slap the ice with their sticks as a way of showing respect.

3. When taking the ice for warm-ups, stay on your half of the ice: When professional hockey teams are warming up before the game, it is as well-known unwritten hockey rule not to skate over the red line and into opposing territory. Breaking this rule can lead to some special attention from one of the opposing team's goons.

4. Celebrate with your goalie after the game: At the end of a win, it is traditional for professional hockey players to gather in front of their own net to thank their goalie. It is also common for players to hit each of the goalie's pads with their sticks in thanks for a game-winning effort between the pipes.

5. Never shoot the puck after the whistle: Sometimes, a late offsides call or a delayed penalty will result in an scoring chance being blown dead by the referee. In this instance, players know not to fire the puck on net, forcing the goalie to make an unecessary save. The post-whistle shot is frowned upon in most professional sports, including basketball - just ask Kevin Garnett. 

Do you know of an unwritten hockey rule that didn't make this list? Let us know in our comments section. There are far more than five unwritten rules in hockey and these are just some of the lessons my father passed down to me throughout his 25-year career serving as doctor of the American Hockey League's Springfield Indians and Springfield Falcons.