What Is Icing in Hockey?

Icing the puck is an effective way of relieving sustained pressure. Teams could ice the puck as much as they wanted at one point without any consequence or recourse. 

That was before icing was introduced in 1937. Ever since, icing has been part of the fabric of hockey, like hockey odds for determining and quantifying Stanley Cup favourites, contenders, and long shots. 

What Is Icing in Hockey?

Icing in hockey occurs when a player clears the puck from his half of the rink before the red line that marks the halfway line and over the opposing team’s goal line without anyone else touching it. 

There are three variations of icing: touch icing, no-touch (automatic) icing, and hybrid icing. 

1. Touch icing: It’s the original form of icing, where a player from the opposing team, excluding the goaltender, must touch the puck before a stoppage is called. 

After the persistence and increase of player injuries, touch icing was removed in the NHL and other professional leagues, making way for no-touch or hybrid icing. 

2. No-touch (automatic) icing: Nobody needs to touch the puck in automatic icing. The officials stop the play when the puck crosses the goal line.
3. Hybrid icing: Hybrid icing, used in the NHL, promotes a race between both teams. The puck still needs to go across the goal line after being dumped in from the opposing half of the ice. If a player on the defensive team gets to the face-off dot first, the officials will call icing. 

However, if a player on the team that cleared the puck down the ice wins the race to the face-off dot first, there will be no icing. The officials will wave it off, signifying a continuation of play and no stoppage. 

Following a continuation of unnecessary injuries, the NHL began using this form of icing in 2013-14. The IIHF also switched to hybrid icing in 2014. 

Some exceptions negate any would–be icing call: 

1. If a team is penalized and short-handed, they can clear the puck down the ice as much as they want without icing being called.
2. If a player purposefully skates slowly and can reach the puck before it crosses the goal line, icing is waved off.
3. The puck is iced directly from the player taking a face-off.
4. The goaltender touches the puck.
5. Any player touches the puck before it crosses the goal line.
6. The puck crosses the goal line after travelling through the goal crease (between the goal posts) closest to the icing.
7. A player on the team that dumps the puck down the ice wins the race to the face-off dot before the puck crosses the goal line. 

What Is the Point of Icing in Hockey?

While some icings come from missed or wayward passes, most are utilized to relieve sustained pressure against a team on the front foot. 

When a team is hemmed in their own zone, sometimes the only way to get a pause in action along with a brief breather is to ice the puck. 

What Is the Penalty for Icing?

After an icing, the ensuing face-off occurs in the offending team’s zone. Also, the offending team cannot make a line change after icing the puck. That provides an advantage for the opposing team, as they can introduce fresh players while taking advantage of personnel matchups.

The BetMGM online sportsbook live NHL betting lines might be impacted by icing. If a team continually ices the puck, it’s a sign they’re under unrelenting pressure, which could shift several markets, including the next team to score odds. 

In 2017-18, the NHL introduced an amendment to icing rules, prohibiting offending teams from calling a timeout after icing the puck. 

However, teams are not penalized for icing.