Hockey -- a game of speed, hard-hitting, accurate shooting and clever stick handling -- also uses mathematics in nearly every play. Players may not think about mathematical equations when they make a cross-ice pass, but they do use mathematics to complete those plays and many others, as well.
Cutting Off The Angle
A hockey goal is 6 feet wide by 4 feet high. When a player skates in on the goalie, he sees open areas of the net where he can shoot the puck and score a goal. However, if the goalie comes out of the crease towards the shooter, he limits the opponent's ability to find an open area of the net. Goalies call this cutting off the angle on the shooter. Instead of seeing openings in 30-to-40 percent of the net, a shooter only sees about 10 percent open when a goalie comes out, making it harder for the opponent to score a goal.
Passing the Puck
When a player passes a puck to his teammate, he wants it to hit the stick blade as his teammate accelerates. To do this consistently, the passer must calculate the speed of his teammate and his position when the pass arrives. He doesn't do the math with a calculator or a pencil and paper. He uses his brain. An accurate pass results in a scoring opportunity while a poor pass may cost his team the puck. Educators have noticed this and use hockey to teach students on the subject.
Power Play Situations
When hockey referees call penalties, a team usually gains a numerical advantage over its opponent called a power play. Teams regularly play with five skaters and a goalie throughout the game. After a penalty, though, the offending team will only have four skaters and its goalie on the ice. The team with the extra man tries to use this ratio to its advantage by getting the puck to an uncovered player for an unimpeded shot on goal.
Face-Offs
Play starts in hockey when the linesman drops the puck between two opposing centers. Before players use their sticks in an attempt to gain possession, they figure out how fast the linesman will drop the puck, where it will land and how fast they have to move their stick to gain possession of the puck. The faster a player calculates these movements, the better his chance to gain possession.
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