A front line defenseman in hockey is one of his team's best and most important players. Players in hockey are often categorized by their ability level. The best forwards on each team are known as "top 6" forwards, while the best defensemen on each team are known as "top 4" defensemen.
Physical Presence
A front line defenseman's primary job is to stop the opponent from getting good scoring opportunities. He does this by getting in the passing and shooting lanes of his opponents and stopping those passes with his stick or body. The defenseman has to be willing to use his body to stop opposing offensive players. The rules of the game allow solid contact in hockey with the player who has the puck or the player who just passed the puck. A front line defenseman will use his body to check his opponents.
Carrying the Puck
When the offensive team loses possession of the puck, the opposing team has to take possession of it and bring the puck up ice to start an offensive thrust. The defenseman usually starts the play by carrying the puck out of the defensive zone and passing to an open teammate. A front line defenseman is usually quite comfortable carrying the puck and can elude an opponent who tries to check him by skating in the opposite direction or making an accurate pass to a teammate. A defenseman who struggles when carrying the puck will lose playing time and won't be considered a front line defenseman.
Shooting
Front line defensemen often stay on the ice when their team has a man advantage on the power play. They man a spot on the ice near the blue line called the point. Teammates attempt to funnel the puck back to the defenseman at the point so he can fire a long, hard low shot on net. Those shots don't always get past the opposing goalie, but they can be deflected by forwards or the goalie may make a kick save and that allows a forward to jump on the puck and come up with a scoring opportunity.
Great Defensemen
Bobby Orr is widely considered to be the best defenseman in hockey history. The former Boston Bruin star is often ranked with Wayne Gretzky as one of the two best players in the game's history. Montreal defenseman Larry Robinson was nearly as effective as Orr as he combined great skating with strength, toughness and outstanding instincts. Former Bruin defenseman Ray Bourque excelled at both the offensive and defensive aspects of the position and played for more than 20 years. Former Edmonton defenseman Paul Coffey was nearly as explosive as Bourque but not quite as strong defensively.
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