Fun Facts
The diameter of a hockey puck is three inches.
The layer of ice in a pro hockey rink is usually three-quarters of an inch thick and is kept at a temperature of -9 degrees Celsius.
In Detroit, fans often throw octopi on the ice during the playoffs, when the Red Wings score. The tradition dates back to the Original Six era, when it only took eight wins — one for every octopus tentacle — to capture the Stanley Cup.
Doctors in British Columbia are banned from talking about hockey during surgery
If both NHL goalies are injured, the team can literally choose any available goalie to suit up and play and this includes fans
Two of the greatest hockey players of all time, Mario Lemieux and Patrick Roy were born on the same day only 200 km (124 miles) apart.
The Average NHL Game Uses a Dozen Pucks.
Players are required to use frozen pucks which are easier to control than unaltered pucks, but these tend to thaw quickly. Thus, they’re constantly replaced by officials and an average of 12 come into play per game, though as many as 22 have been recorded. (The last NHL game to use only a single puck—which is currently on display in the Hockey Hall of Fame—was in 1979.)
The H Isn’t For “Habs”.
The H on the Montreal Canadiens logo is commonly believed to stand for “Habitants”, but that’s not actually true. The H stands for Hockey. In 1924, the owner of Madison Square Garden told a reporter the H stood for Habitants, but he was wrong. The C and H are really from the name “Club de Hockey Canadiens”. (who cares, they stink anyway)
Pyramid Power!
In 1976, Maple Leafs coach Red Kelly installed pyramids in the players' locker room and under the bench in an attempt to harness "pyramid power".
How to be Great!
If all of the nearly 900 goals Wayne Gretzky scored throughout his career were removed from his statistics, he would still hold first place for most points. He still holds the record of having more assists than any other player has points, and remains the only hockey player to total over 200 points in a single season!