Defenceman

Lore & Background

Organized ice hockey originates from the first indoor game in Montreal in 1875. In subsequent years, the number of players per side was reduced to seven, and positions were standardized. Two positions corresponded to the two defencemen of current six-man rules: cover point and point, though they lined up behind the centre and the rover. Decades later, defencemen were standardized into playing left and right sides of the ice. According to an 1899 book by Farrell, Mike Grant of the Montreal Victorias described the point as essentially defensive, staying close to the goal and avoiding rushing up the ice. Hugh Baird, captain and cover-point of the Montreal Hockey Club, described the cover-point as a combination of defenceman and forward, allowed more latitude to leave his position than any other player except the rover.

Defence players are often described by how much they participate in offence. A 'stay-at-home' defender plays a conservative, risk-averse game and does not score much, focusing on defensive assignments. Examples include Rod Langway, who won the Norris Trophy after scoring only three goals that season, as well as Leo Boivin, Chris Chelios, Tim Horton, Harry Howell, Tom Johnson, Jacques Laperrière, Kevin Lowe, Brad McCrimmon, Bill Quackenbush, and Scott Stevens. The other extreme is an offensive defenceman, who aggressively joins the offence by 'pinching in' to keep the play from going offside and moving toward scoring areas. Bobby Orr's end-to-end rushing allowed him to defend effectively as well as attack, while Paul Coffey enjoyed high offensive production but was considered mediocre defensively, often paired with a stay-at-home defender.

Reader's Guide

In the defensive zone, the defenceman is responsible for keeping opposing forwards' opportunities to a minimum, forcing them to the corners, and blocking passing and shooting lanes. The primary duty is to cover areas that pose a clear goalscoring threat. When under pressure, the defenceman plays closer to the net, blocking shooting lanes and ensuring the goalie is not screened. It is critical to keep opposing forwards from moving effectively in front of the net, often requiring physical play. Clearing rebounds away from the goal is another important duty. Defencemen often cover the opposing team's wingers while their centre covers the opposing centre.

In the neutral zone, the defence hangs back toward their own blue line, usually playing the puck up to teammates. According to Jay Leach of NHL.com, the defence must 'move the puck hard and quick to the open man. Join the rush, do not lead it.' Defencemen must read the other team's defensive strategy to make an effective first pass without leaving themselves out of position. In the offensive zone, defencemen typically 'play the blue line,' keeping the puck in the offensive zone by preventing it from crossing the blue line. They must be quick to pass the puck to open shooting lanes or take open shots themselves. Defencemen must also skate quickly to cut off breakaways. Essentially, the defence is the backstop for the puck; it should never go behind the defence unless intentionally allowed for strategic reasons.

Did You Know?

• Defencemen were once called cover-point.
• Bobby Orr is the only defenceman in NHL history to win the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer.
• In overtime during the NHL regular season (effective 2015–16), teams usually have only three position players and a goaltender, and may use either two forwards and one defenceman or two defencemen and one forward.