"This gong-show just laid a bawango on our cheddar, knocked his birdcage right off."
Unless you're a true hockey aficionado, this particular comment probably sounds like a bunch of gibberish. To the members of the men's hockey team, however, such slang is part of their daily lives. Of all the major sports, hockey's terminology is probably the most nuanced and foreign to mainstream observers, in large part due to the preponderance of Canadian-born skaters.
To help bridge the gap, the Prince sat down with some Tigers to put together a two-part compendium of terms they think every fan should know. We'll give you "Apples" to "Plug" this week, and check out the paper next week for "Pracky" to "Yardsale."
Note: On very rare occasions, some or all of these expressions are preceded or followed by some sort of expletive.
Apples (n. pl.): assists; almost exclusively used in the plural.
Note: Sophomore forward Lee Jubinville currently has the most apples on the team, with 13.
Band-aid (n.): a player who spends much of his time out of action with an injury.
Barn (n.): a rink.
Ex. "We like going to Cornell's barn because of the fans" — Jubinville.
Bawango (n.): a big hit.
Note: Junior defensemen Mike Moore and freshman forward Cam McIntyre specialize in bawangos.
Beak (v.): to rattle opponents through verbal discourse in an attempt to distract them from the game at hand.
Ex. "We were beaking him all night — it's no wonder he gave up nine goals."
Beauty (n.): hockey player who is hilarious and well-liked by his teammates.
Note: Though many of the Tigers stand out in this particular aspect, senior defenseman Max Cousins was given special mention as a "beauty."
Ex. "That guy's a beauty, I wish we could get him on our team."
Birdcage (n.): helmet used primarily in college hockey with a cage in front, as opposed to the visor typically employed in junior hockey.
Ex. "Put on your birdcage before getting on the ice."
Celly (n.): a celebration, most commonly used in a positive context.
Ex: Freshman forward Kevin Kaiser had "a nice celly" against Dartmouth on Feb. 10, employing the windmill after scoring a goal late in the third period.
Cheddar (n.): team captain.
Note: The Tigers' "cheddar" is senior forward Darroll Powe.
Chisel (v.): to coerce a referee into giving a particular player credit for a point recorded, either in the form of a goal or assist.
Note: Chiseling is practically nonexistent in college hockey, but far more common in junior hockey where video replay is not utilized in scorekeeping.
Clapper (n.): slap shot, often powerful.
Note: Senior forward Kevin Westgarth is said to have the fastest "clapper" on the team, at 103 mph.
Dangler (n.): a skills player, particularly adept at puck-handling.
Note: Freshman forward Dan Bartlett is the team's quintessential dangler, according to Jubinville.
Flow (n.): hair, most often reaching the collarbone.
Note: Due to team policy requiring kempt hair, the Tigers collectively have "bad flow," according to Jubinville and sophomore forward Brett Wilson. Westgarth's "flow," however, is credited with being the team's best.
Funnel (n.): goalie who allows a high number of goals to be scored. Synonyms include "sieve," "light show" and "smoke show."
Note: Following Saturday night's loss against Cornell — in which he allowed four goals in the second period — freshman goalie Zane Kalemba described himself as a "funnel."
Gong-show (n.): "a joke on the ice," according to Wilson; known in more common parlance as a "goon."
Note: All players interviewed insist that no one on the Tigers qualifies as a "gong-show."
Greasy goal (n.): a lucky, bad or cheap goal.
Note: The most notable "greasy goal" of the 2006-07 season was freshman forward Cam French's score against Rensselaer on Nov. 3. Although reports are varied, the goal either bounced off French's head — or that of the Rensselaer goalie — before entering the net.
Hatty (n.): the scoring of three goals in one game, also known as a hat trick.
Note: The Tigers have yet to record a "hatty" this season.
Jibs (n. pl.): teeth.
Ex: "Eh, did you see that game last night? Crosby got a couple of his jibs knocked out."
Lumber (n.): a wooden stick; heavier than its more common graphite counterpart.
Note: Junior forwards Kyle Hagel and Landis Stankievech are the only Tigers to favor the "lumber."
Muck it up (v.): two players going one-on-one over a puck near the boards.
Ex: "Wow, that gong-show is really muckin' it up with the dangler out there. Whoever comes away with the puck is going to have a good shot at a goal."
One-piece (n.): a graphite stick.
Ex: "That guy just got his one-piece shattered trying to break the crossbar."
Plug (n.): a relatively useless player, primarily on the ice for the purpose of fighting.
Note: "Plugs" are much more common in junior hockey and are not commonly found in the college ranks.
Check out the Prince next week for more hockey jargon.
Read More
With Pierce to sit out the year, men’s basketball loses last senior standing
Harrison BlankSenior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Senior forward Caden Pierce announced today that he will be sitting out his senior season of basketball at Princeton in the interests of maintaining his final year of eligibility.
Women’s ice hockey names Courtney Kessel as new head coach
Lily PampolinaFollowing the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Following the resignation of Cara Gardner Morey, Princeton appointed Courtney Kessel as head coach.
Former women’s basketball forward Parker Hill ’25 signs professional contract in Switzerland
Doug SchwartzAfter a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.
After a successful senior season, women's basketball forward Parker Hill signed a contact to play professional basketball in Europe, following in the steps of her past teammates.