Extra attacker
A skater replaces the goaltender to gain an offensive advantage.
In ice hockey, an extra attacker is a forward—or, less often, a defenceman—who replaces the goaltender on the ice. This swap, commonly called pulling the goalie, leaves the net empty and aims to boost the team’s offensive chances of scoring. The concept is most often used in two scenarios. First, near the end of a game, typically in the last 60 to 90 seconds, when a team trails by one or two goals—especially if the opponent is shorthanded. The risk is that the opposing team might score on the empty net. In elimination playoff games, a team might pull its goalie earlier or when down by more goals. Second, during a delayed penalty: once the penalized team regains puck possession, play stops for the penalty, so the goaltender is unnecessary. Rarely, an errant pass or mishandling by the team with the man advantage can send the puck into the empty net without the penalized team ever gaining possession; in that case, the goal is credited to the last player on the penalized team to touch the puck, and the penalty begins after the faceoff at center ice.
The term “sixth attacker” applies when both teams are at even strength or when the trailing team already has a power play. A team may also pull the goalie while shorthanded, making the extra attacker a fifth attacker; doing so during a five-on-three is exceptionally rare. In four-on-four overtime, if a team on a power play is fouled again, an extra attacker creates a five-on-three. In three-on-three overtime, each minor penalty adds an extra attacker for the power-play team, up to a maximum of five skaters plus a goalie. Penalized players return when their time expires, and proper on-ice strength is restored at the first stoppage.
In leagues like the NHL, where standings use a point system (two points for a win, one for an overtime or shootout loss, none for a regulation loss), a team tied late in regulation might pull its goalie to avoid elimination from playoff contention, division title contention, or home-ice advantage. Since the 1999–2000 season, the NHL discourages pulling the goalie in overtime: if a team does so and loses on an empty-net goal, it is charged with a regulation loss and forfeits the point it would have earned for an overtime loss.
- First nhl use
- March 26, 1931, by Art Ross of the Toronto Maple Leafs
- First nhl delayed-penalty pull
- April 16, 1958, by Milt Schmidt of the Boston Bruins
- Typical timing near end of game
- Last 60 to 90 seconds
- Ideal pull time (2015–16 model)
- Between 5 and 6 minutes from end
Lore & Background
The extra attacker concept was first utilized in the NHL by Art Ross, coach and general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, who picked up the idea from experimental incidents in amateur and minor-league hockey. In a playoff game against the Chicago Black Hawks on March 26, 1931, Ross had goaltender Tiny Thompson go to the bench for a sixth skater in the final minute of play of a tie game. The Maple Leafs did not score with the extra attacker, and lost in overtime, 2-1. Milt Schmidt was the first NHL coach to pull the goaltender for a delayed penalty on April 16, 1958 while coaching the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens.
The extra attacker is typically utilized in two situations: near the end of the game when a team is losing by one or two goals, and during a delayed penalty call. In 'do-or-die' situations such as playoff elimination games, a team may pull the goaltender earlier or when down by more goals. During a delayed penalty, once the opposing team regains possession of the puck, play will be stopped for the penalty, rendering the goaltender of little use. On rare occasions, the puck can find its way into the empty net as a result of an errant pass or other mishandling by the team with the man advantage.
The term sixth attacker is used when both teams are at even strength or when the trailing team is already on a power play. Teams may also pull the goalie when shorthanded, in which case the extra attacker would be a fifth attacker. It is exceptionally rare for a penalized team to do so during five on three situations. In four-on-four overtime, an extra attacker is added to a team on a power play in the case where another minor penalty is committed against them, resulting in a five-on-three. In leagues with three-on-three overtime, each minor penalty results in an extra attacker for the power-play team up to a maximum of five total skaters plus goalie.
Reader's Guide
The extra attacker represents a high-risk, high-reward strategy that has become a standard late-game tactic in ice hockey. Its significance lies in the offensive advantage gained by replacing the goaltender with an additional skater, often in desperate situations near the end of a game when a team is trailing. The strategy carries the inherent risk of an empty-net goal against the pulling team. In leagues like the NHL where regular season standings are based on a point system, a team may be forced to use an extra attacker even when the score is tied near the end of regulation to avoid elimination from playoff contention, division title contention, or home-ice advantage. Beginning in the 1999–2000 season, the league discourages pulling the goaltender in overtime; if a team does so and subsequently loses on an empty-net goal, the losing team is charged with a regulation loss and forfeits the one point they would have received for an overtime loss. Russian and Soviet coaches are known for refusing to pull their goalies when behind late in games, as was the case in the 1980 Winter Olympics medal game between the Soviet Union and the USA. A 2018 model based on the 2015–16 NHL season suggested that, for a team down one point where losing 2–0 is no worse than losing 1–0, the ideal time to pull the goalie is somewhere between 5 and 6 minutes from the end of the match.
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