The art of a hockey faceoff

A split second inside the circle can alter course of entire game

By Aaron J. Lopez, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 10, 2008 at 11:35 p.m.

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Two guys hunched at the ready, sweat dripping, sticks drawn, eyes focused.

The puck drops, the hands move, the feet slide and the battle is won or lost in a split second.

Welcome to the faceoff, often taken for granted, but a subtle part of hockey that can go a long way during the course of 60 minutes.

"When you don't have to chase the puck all the time, it's a big thing," Avalanche forward Ian Laperriere said. "It's something that people don't notice, but as players, we know how important it is."

With an emphasis on speed and skill in the post-lockout NHL, "puck possession" has become the buzz phrase around the league during the past three seasons.

Each of the past three Stanley Cup champions - Detroit (2008), Anaheim (2007) and Carolina (2006) - has finished among the top six in faceoff percentage, underscoring the importance of securing the puck.

Winning or losing a draw could mean an extra shot on a power play or killing off a few precious seconds of a penalty kill.

"Puck possession, you're always talking about it," Calgary Flames center Craig Conroy said. "It's so much easier when you start with the puck."

Conroy is one of roughly 50 NHL centers who win better than 50 percent of their faceoffs.

Who's the best? Statistics show Carolina center Rod Brind'Amour (63.1 percent through Tuesday) is toughest to beat, but San Jose center Joe Thornton (53.6) is widely considered the beast of the circle.

"He's always tough," Avalanche center Paul Stastny said. "He's pretty strong on his stick - just holds it there. Hurts your wrist sometimes just trying to hit his stick away."

Stastny, a 51.3 percent winner, has a knack for blocking an opponent's stick with his skate during a faceoff. The move was so swift that Conroy had to consult videotape to see what was happening.

"It's tricky," Conroy said. "Now we know what's going on, so we're trying to avoid it, but he's still pretty good at it."

Other than eye-gouging, few things are prohibited once the puck drops.

Wingers and defensemen converge as part of the split-second frenzy that determines who gets possession and who has to chase.

By the end of the night, no one wants to look like the Labrador retriever whose tongue is hanging to the ground in exhaustion.

Pay attention

Many NHL players, particularly centers, study video of the opposition's top faceoff guys in hopes of picking up tendencies. Others just observe during the course of a game.

"I've played now against almost every guy in the league, so I know what different guys are doing on draws," Avalanche center Paul Stastny said. "If it's a new guy, you watch him a couple draws during the game and you just learn what he's good at and what he's not. When you go against him, you try to use it to your advantage."

Be unpredictable

During the course of an average NHL game, there typically are 50 to 65 faceoffs, meaning repetition can be dangerous. Hockey players, like poker players, develop "tells" if they don't vary their style.

"You don't want to do the same thing over and over again," Calgary's Conroy said. "Eventually, he's going to figure out what you're doing and he's going to counter."

By any means necessary

Once the puck is dropped, there are few restrictions on the two guys in the faceoff circle. Some try to bat the puck out of midair, while others ignore the puck altogether and instead try to tie up their opponent's stick and then kick the puck to a teammate. The player in his own defensive zone can go to the ground and use his hand to pass the puck to a teammate.

Help from friends

Even the best singers have backup vocals, and faceoff men rely on their wingers and defensemen to capture the puck after it hits the ice.

"Most of the faceoff, you won't win it yourself," Avalanche left wing Laperriere said. "Most of the centermen are really good. The big difference often is your wingers. If they can jump in early and help you out, it's huge. . . . Sometimes, in our zone, it's a five-man faceoff. People don't notice that."

• December 11, 2008

  3:26 p.m.

  Suggest removal

  farsidefan writes:

  I like the way TJ Hensick (sp) takes faceoffs. He is one of the better faceoff men for the Av's. I don't know if it is because he is fairly new, but he seems to do a pretty good job.
  I remember the first year the Avs won the Cup, they brought in Dave Hannah. One big reason was because he was so good in the circle.

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