Power forward (ice hockey)
A big, strong forward who scores and plays physically.
Power forward (PWF) is a loosely applied characterization of a forward who is big and strong, equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals. Such players would most likely have high totals in both points and penalties. The term is usually used in reference to a forward who is physically large, with the toughness to dig the puck out of the corners, possesses offensive instincts, has mobility, puck-handling skills, may be difficult to knock off the puck or to push away from the front of the goal, and willingly engage in fights when he feels it is required. Possessing both physical size and offensive ability, power forwards are also often referred to as the 'complete' hockey player.
- Origin of term
- Basketball
- Credited with introducing term to hockey
- Cam Neely (per Harry Sinden)
- Early pioneer of style
- Punch Broadbent
- Quintessential examples before term exis
- Charlie Conacher, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, Bert Olmstead
Lore & Background
Historically, power forward was not originally a hockey term, finding comparatively recent origins from basketball. Harry Sinden, former president of the Boston Bruins, claims power forward first became part of hockey terminology because of the style of play of Cam Neely, an NHL player from 1983 to 1996, who could play ruggedly and also score goals. Punch Broadbent was one of the first players who pioneered the style before the NHL was founded in 1917, while Charlie Conacher, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard and Bert Olmstead are likewise considered quintessential examples of power forwards in the decades before the term entered hockey vernacular. Alexander Ovechkin is often described as a power forward.
Reader's Guide
The power forward designation, though loosely applied, carries significant weight in hockey analysis. It identifies a forward who combines physical size and toughness with offensive instincts and scoring ability, making such players difficult to knock off the puck or push away from the front of the goal. The term's origin in basketball and its later adoption into hockey through Cam Neely's style of play, as noted by Harry Sinden, highlights how player archetypes can cross sports. The legacy of power forwards includes players from before the term existed—such as Punch Broadbent, Charlie Conacher, Phil Esposito, Gordie Howe, Maurice Richard, and Bert Olmstead—who are considered quintessential examples of the style. In modern contexts, players like Alexander Ovechkin are described as power forwards, continuing the tradition of forwards who are equally capable of playing physically or scoring goals. The characterization implies a 'complete' hockey player, valued for both offensive production and physical engagement, including willingness to fight when required.
Did You Know?
- Power forward was not originally a hockey term; it came from basketball.
- Harry Sinden claims the term entered hockey because of Cam Neely's style of play.
- Punch Broadbent pioneered the power forward style before the NHL was founded in 1917.
More in Ice Hockey Terminology, Part 2 1-24
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